1791 Lost weekend, Games, Titanic

For a brief moment on Sunday lunchtime I thought I had unintentionally deleted the file of completed MySpace Blogs from 2008 onwards from the desktop. I was relaxed because I only recently made a copy on disc and guessed that the more likely explanation was than had unintentionally transferred the file to within another file, and which proved to be what had happened. I would not have been surprised if I had deleted the file such was my relaxed and lazy condition of the morning. I had gone to bed late for the second night in succession having plated free games on the internet I had searched for these having enjoyed playing the undeleted Acer games on the lap top as they are good test of visual awareness and manual dexterity and understanding as well as seeing what is there and responding to the immediate rather than reflection. However it is important to also remember the sequence of the games and the pattern of variations.

My enthusiasm for games originated with one of the he earliest consoles sold on the market. This had a simple green screen and was marketed as a tennis game. However it was quickly evident that whoever had one of the two sides had the advantage and won. On progressing to the Commodore sixty four the games had to be loaded from tapes. They varied from a game of cricket to Alice which had several levels and was very enjoyable, to patience a game which in its different forms I have been playing for over twenty years. I then moved to the green screen Amstrad era of the 256 and 512 and concentrated on word processing, spread sheets and databases without games of any kind. The purchase of an Amstrad with colour screen, TV and Telephone link introduced to the game of patience called hearts where I had a spell of completing 0-10000 in sequence. I invested in joystick for Fury and shootem game. The Joy stick has an old connection as the hand held games player. However they still work on the Amstrad Integra.

My exploration of free games on line led to the discovery of a replica of Deal or not Deal in which there are 25 cases and you select one hoping it contains 3,4,5, 750000 million dollars to 1million or settle for the offer from the Banker which he raises or reduces according to the whether large amounts remain possibilities against the smaller ones of under $5000. Having played about a dozen times only once did I deal for a sum lower than in the case 19000 instead of £50000, whereas in accepting offers of between 30000 and 25000 these were all major good decision with the amount in the case $10000 at the most.

I have played three other games with a monopoly games taking up over an hour last night until it ended just as I was about to reap the reward of being able to cheat a fictitious human opponent when I was invited to purchase the full edition as the trial has ended.

There are two sites with hundreds of games which one doe snot have to buy although one offers the opportunity of a full screen. On this there the game of Zuma shooting game which is also available on the lap top and another shooting game with duck and terrorist penguins! Before going to bed I tried to become a master chocolatier but sleep beckoned I shall investigate further when I have made progress on other matters. The playing of game sums the weekend which at best can be recorded as a lost one, without memorable new experience or work productivity.

I had some good fortune after lunch on Saturday, I had walked into the town centre to purchase some glue to finish the kitchen floor from Wilkinson’s. At the entry there was a sale of back to school items and there was some pockets of the better quality usually 95 pence fro 50 but £1 for two in the sale which is super value. I then discovered there was a new supply of the 40 page display albums with eight blue and six black available. The problem is that this became a heavy load even with the back shoulder bag. I thought it was worthwhile checking the time of the 500 but to the Lawe Top just across the flat of Market square and although it only operates once an hour on Saturdays, one was due within five minutes excellent. This is the first time I have used the bus and wondered about the route. It goes up the Roman Road to the road before the school and then turns horizontally to Law Road, going up to the turning circle before going down to the Park. I had a short walk down hill from the stop.

I needed some joy as Durham were blitzed by Sussex in everyway last night after losing the toss with a glued pitch with Sussex 277 for 6 and then collapsing with James Kirtley taking five opening batsmen for 26 and all out for 84 in only 24 of the 40 overs. Although they had rested some key bowlers and Benkenstein Mustard Smith Chanderpaul and Coetzer where there with Ben Harmison Breeze and Plunket are also able to bat so there is no excuse except they knew they had to go for the runs. Afterwards I watched a couple of episodes of Taggart back to back one with the Mark McManus which took me through to 2am.

There was additional joy on Saturday afternoon when Warrington won the Rugby League challenge Cup at Wembley after blitzing Huddersfield by three tries to 1 in the first fifteen minutes. Huddersfield made mistakes in what remained an open contest during the rest of the first half. The game tightened during the second period and Huddersfield came back at one point but never were able to make significant challenge with the final result

However Sunderland lost 1.0 to stoke and on Sunday Manchester rain prevented the kind of rout which Durham experienced at Sussex as England were 4 runs for two wickets in response to Australia’s 145 for their 20 overs. The large crowd had paid a lot of money for this miserable outing. As expected the three first division games ended in draws so that unless Durham lose all four remaining games gaining say 20 bonus points and making a total of 296 and Notts and Somerset win of their three remaining games, including games against Durham at the Riverside to overtake them. The position could be settled this week as Durham take on Somerset on Tuesday. Notts take on Yorks on Thursday so by Sunday the championship could be Durham’s. Hopefully the weather will improve.

The weekend also provided the opportunity to compare two films about the sinking of the Titanic, Fortunately the ship was only two thirds of its maximum occupancy because there were only lifeboats for one third of the capacity. However because of the criminal negligence of the chairman of the line and the captain and his senior crew less than a third of those on board survived when in fact it should have been as high as 50%given the space on the lifeboats it carried. Of course the ship should never have hit the iceberg if warnings has been properly dealt with and the ship had travelled at a more reasonable speed until it engines had been run in. It was badly designed with its emphasis upon 1st Class passengers 329 who paid something like $80000 £50000 dollars for the crossing. Just over 60% survived. There were also 285 second class passengers with 41% surviving but only 24.5 of those in third class 710 and under 24% of the 899 crew. 706 of the 2223 on survived.

That more first and second class passengers survived than third also a deliberate decision taken by the ship’s management at the time. A night to remember had the affable and inoffensive Kenneth More and highlighted the fact that third class male passengers were only allowed on deck after the lifeboats had put to sea. Titanic the 1997film with Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio has become the best grossing film world wide and won 11 Oscars. It is romantic and sentimental love story fantasy which nevertheless does cover some of management negligence and upper class snobbery of the day.

1790 Edward Kennedy, Volver and a working day

On this side of the Atlantic Edward Kennedy will always be regarded as the younger brother of an assassinated President and of a President in the making. He will also be remembered for the incident in which he left the scene of an accident in which the female passenger of his vehicle drowned. In the USA it is evident that he became of the most important politicians who stood the test of time, successfully championing many important social and economic developments in a bi partisan way: immigration, cancer research, health insurance, apartheid, disability discrimination, AIDS care, civil rights, mental health benefits, children's health insurance, education and volunteering.

His partisanship over Irish Republicanism understandably had mixed reactions in the UK until it became evident that he was playing major role in the progress of the peace process and in this respect he should among the great men and women who have served the people from another land. The decision to award him an honorary knighthood seems small reward for some a significant contribution.

Having sorted out and got myself organised I had a good relaxed day on Thursday and this carried over to Friday as having gone to bed around midnight it was after 9 when I rose and 10.30 before I was ready to engage in activity. My inclination is to concentrate on catch up writing activity while paying some attention to Bryan Ferry on the Arts channel with a Roxy Music concert now, the 1982 Frejus concert with numbers such as Drug, Avalon and Dance away. This was Brian 27 years ago, followed just before with Dylanesque. I have seen the Frejus concert before but the Dylanesque I am not sure.

I have seen Bryan perform live twice and the Newcastle City Hall. A local man with aristocratic bearing and quirky mannerisms he hit the social big time and I enjoy a couple of his Long Play Records. I have not seen Dylanesque in which Bryan explains that when he heard Dylan on acoustic guitar while attending art school in Newcastle he decided it was not his kind of music and it was several years before he listened to Dylan on the electric guitar and went back to his original music and included Hard Rain on his first LP as a non political music experience. He then assembled a band and backing singers to create an album of Dylan music from a list of records made after listening to the Dylan catalogue. There was no plan about the order of the recordings on the nature of each recording except to cast the character of the song to suit his voice and musical approach. The third number, I forgot to note the opening to the programmes was Highway 61 revisited, not one of my favourites. Next is All I want to do and my reaction is that this is interesting Ferry, but does not work as Dylanesque, self indulgent and meriting greater thought and preparation. I change my mind a little with Times they are achanging. Gates of Eden followed. Missed the title of another. Watch Tower covered by Hendrix was next, I am not a Hendrix fan. Knocking on Heaven’s Door where I enjoyed the original and his take. As well as Simple Twist of Fate. I then got caught up with payments and accounts and did not note the finale songs before the programme ended.

The music will took priority over the Scotland Australian game which is being shown on BBC 2 in Scotland but which can also be watched on the Internet BBC sports site. I need coffee and then I must pay the credit card and assess finances for the coming months, a task which now means that I will have to say more no than yes or knew purchases do I do not want to do this.

I was given a DVD compilation of the series the 4400 which I have got around to viewing became engaged and completed the first disk only to find the second disk was a repeat of the first with only two disks covering the first years series and then three sets of four disks for the three annual series before the finale. I now have the information to see if a replacement can be obtained. Later I contacted the internet provider of the gift and they could not have been more helpful explaining the procedure to order a replacement and then return in the incomplete copy.

I also need to make enquiries and checks before deciding on a new printer even if the present one can be repaired. I need to consider if I should buy two so that if one goes wrong and cannot be repaired the other can then use the stock of cartridges.

I commenced work on the kitchen yesterday and sorted out what I needed to do get the wood compound floor back in place with needing to buy more material, although I may need finishing edging and glue.

The highlight of yesterday evening was Volver, the Almodovar and I much check to see where his latest with the gorgeous and talent Penelope Cruz is showing. I had wondered about Coco, the life of channel but with only early evening sowing I have given it a miss unless it is carry forward to a second week. I watched over lunch Herbie Goes bananas. And I have copied all the essential data and photos onto disk in case the machine does crash for good in the coming days and then ensure that I do so at least monthly intervals if not weekly. I have commenced to photograph the completed sets which not fill the floor of the front room- about 200 and over 4500 cards. Ten sets a day will take 20 days which is realistic but I will try and reduce this, although there is cricket from September 2nd and I need to undertake some fresh work. So now to money

It is 1.30 and I have made great progress. I was cheered up by the position of my bank account although this is no cause for not pursing the economy drive and restraint on new purchasers. The credit card site has had a make over and one is able to get a pie chart on expenditure for the month, quarter, half year and year and well as break down listing and suck like. This is helpful as part of the financial position review. The settlement of the outstanding credit card account for the month without incurring interest charges was quickly achieved but reminded for the problem of being with a printer having to make note of payment references and unable to printer out bank statements on line.

I therefore moved on to the printer. I thought for a moment it was OK but then the noise commenced and the warning of a paper blockage. I must check to see if it was purchased within a year in relation to the maker’s warranty. I believe it has expired but will have a further look later after lunch and doing some work on cutting the crucial piece to finish the kitchen flooring. I checked with IJT to see they had same printer in stock. Alas no. I then checked out cartridges and found that the system applies to a lot of Brother computers but none of these was available from Brother online. Amazon did not have one in stock and suggested another similar however I did another search and found a firm with one in stock where the price with VAT and Transit was £60 less than the original retail list price. However I had a problem with placing the order on the internet but after registering for an account managed to complete the purchase getting confirmation from both the office supplies company and the World Pay system. However I have received 4 confirmations from the supplier which is worrying although I only paid once!

I have not recorded food recently except for a reduction in weight. I particular enjoyed some spicy chicken wings last night which I had to cook for 35 mins so were hot hot. I also have some inexpensive smoked salmon bits to replace the prawns although I do have some prawn packs in store which I am using at one a week. The previous evening I enjoyed three lamb chops having bought three packs of 4 for £10 which works out at £2.50 for 3 and a four week supply, have 4 packs of the chicken, two others from Asda where the special offer worked out at £2 a pack and two others from M and S also part of a three for the price of two offer. While checking on this I made a little progress with hand sawing the last piece of kitchen flooring long ways. After a medium size portion of cereal for a late breakfast I was not hungry and therefore finished the portion of smoked salmon on pepper crackers followed in a moment by a cup of tea. However my late afternoon I also enjoyed a cup of soup and a small mackerel salad, celebrating the cutting of the wood and finishing the principal laying. Now there is the surround and some additional gluing of three areas of surface tares.

I saw Volver in theatre soon after it was released and decided it was the best Almodovar experienced so finding that it was being shown on Film Four on Thursday evening I could not. The film has its dark side than previously appreciated although it is rightly branded as a comedy noir. I also enjoyed more of the one liners especially one at the beginning when Penelope and her daughter visit their aunt in the home village. The pay respects at the grave her mother who dies with her father in a fire and mother explains to the daughter that it is the custom in the village to buy a plot for themselves and then tender the spot weekly throughout their lives as if it was a weekend country cottage.

The darkness is the basic story. Penelope regrets that did not have closer contact with her mother before her death having broken relations when she married and moved to Madrid. The reason is that she was raped (effectively) by her father and pregnant had married had severed relations blaming her mother for more realising what had been happening to her. At the beginning the film, unknowing of this background Penelope’s daughter accidentally kills her step father for attempting to sexually her.

Given that the aunt is nearly blind and is suffering from severe memory, Penelope is surprise how the woman is coping although she has the support of a neighbour who has been wrestling with cancer over recent years and whose mother disappeared on the same day as the parents died in the fire. She and her sister have the wish to know what to their mother four years ago. The other sister works for a TV company and in order for the other sister to be sent to the USA for a treatment possible cure she ahs to agree to appear on a programme and reveal the scandal that the husband killed in the fire was a notorious ladies man and that this was an important aspects of the parental disappearance. I cannot remember if she was aware that her mother had been having an affair with the man.

Back in Madrid Penelope has been asked to keep an eye on the restaurant which a neighbour has decided to sell because of the lack of business. Penelope hides her husbands body in the freezer until she can arrange its disposal. Meanwhile a film company is shooting nearby and the crew manager asks if the restaurant can provide refreshment during the day for a two week period which Penelope obliges with the help of friends and this is a great success so much so that Penelope decides to continue with the restaurant negotiating a deal on rent with the owner. She hires a van and with the help of a friend, an illegal immigrant who works as a prostitute she buries her husband in the freezer close to a river which he loved about 180 Kilometres from where she now lives.

The commitment to the business not she has become a single parent prevents her from attending the unreal of her aunt when she dies. But she is represented by her sister who works illegally as a hairdresser from her apartment home. While at the funeral she hears rumours that her mother’s ghost has been appearing and taking care of her aunt and when in the aunt’s house she thinks she has seen her mother who then hitches a ride in the boot of her car giving her a great shock when she arrives back and realises it is not a ghost.

The true story emerges that the mother finding out that her mothers was having an affair and that he had fathered a child by his daughter, causes the fire which kills him and his lover. She then spends the next four years caring for her sister who because of her disease accepts her sister as if she has never been away from the former family home and although she keeps to the house neighbours have heard one sister talking the other and some have seen her from outside the property. Although she is not know where her daughter lives she is passed to the customers as a refugee from Russia who cannot speak Spanish. The grand daughter is the next to meet the deceased woman after being required to be looked after by her mother overnight when she buries her husband. Finally she meets up with her mother and they re reconciled. They return to the village, stopping at the place where the husband is buried and a favourite family picnic spot.

Earlier the woman with cancer has asked Penelope that if she encounters the ghost of her mother to ask her if she knows what happened to her mother and under pressure she decides not raise the matter at the TV show losing the opportunity to go to the Houston USA for a cure. She has an operation in Spain which fails and has only short time to live. Penelope’s mother decides to stay in village and look after the daughter of the woman she burnt to death with her husband.

This is a film where women are the hero’s doing what has to be done to survive and protect their own. The script it witty and sharp, The camera work delicious especially on Penelope.

Just a little word about Herbie goes bananas. Herbie is the Volkswagen Beetle with attitude and a fighting spirit as well as romantic inclinations. It was the fourth and last of the original series until twenty five years later the concept as resurrected in 2005 and short lived. It is aimed at a children family audience but these days the age limit should be five years or over seventies!.

1789 technological problems, Wallander and Desperate Romantics

It is close on 9pm at night on Wednesday I have experienced an itsy bits miracle in that the desk top is back to life again. I am going to try and record the steps taken which led to this important development and which underlines the wisdom of not having panicked or rushed to the repair shop

The day did not begin well in that it was 9 and a very bleary eyes me struggled downstairs without shaving doing me hair and such like. The late starts was my fault. Last night after watching Wallander and the last episode of Desperate Romantics and not ready for bed or wanting to write I decided to do some housekeeping of the lap top and confused a chess game (which I did not like and removed because the board was flat and not three dimensional as the one on the desk top and involved payment,) with games provided by Acer. I started to delete these before remembering that I had not previously tried any. In fact it proved to be a little loss because I had kept four of the score provided and these proved to be demo’s where you can play for an hour and then have to buy if you continue. They were of the kind which requires visual awareness, where there are the objects hidden and mouse dexterity with the shooting kind which reminds that I do have games joysticks from the days where I would spend hours of time playing games of the day before the development of the big idea. These games also require short term memory which sometimes works but usually does not and so are a good ay of keeping the faculties in trim with great effort. I became engaged with a couple oft he Acer games and it was closer to 1.30 than 1 before I went to bed

The story continued to day when I went back to one called Mysterious island at lunch time. The basic design is that of having been abandoned on an island one has collect clues to create a map to get across the island to where a shop calls to take you back to the mainland. There are twelve major stages and five steps within each stage and each stage can take for 2 to 5 minutes to complete. Four of the steps comprises a pack of cards face down with some appearing and where you have to match pairs, using keys to unlock areas, Jokers and Magnet to help you clear the deck. The fifth steps in each stage is to be confronted with an ocean depth scene in which dozens of objects are secret and when you have to identify the location of six to eight items. You use Hint which indicates the small area but not which item one looking for. Identify all the listed objects in each scene and you gain a piece of the island map. The whole game takes between three to five hours and a short while ago I completed. Given the demo play time is only 60 mins it is evident you are allowed to play the whole game if you persist and are able to before it advised that to play again you need to buy the game. The game does not require skill or imagination, just persistence and is therefore ideal for the completer finisher in me to relax and prove a point to myself in between doing all the other things needed to be accomplished.

It had not been a good night as on waking I had the beginnings of cramp in one leg, not once but twice and it was nine am before waking to get up for the day. Then I noticed the weather, persistent rain full grey clouded autumnal sky although it is not cold. Just miserable gloomy. I therefore made a text and sent an email, enjoyed a coffee, cleared the washing up of the previous night and watered the indoor plants which looks as if these need to be thrown out having survived from Christmas. On the agenda before the week is out!
In the set up of the lap top as desk I had enlarged the print size but with the toolbars and adverts there is barely room to read received and written emails so I changed the print back to the original. This took time. One reason for the new problem is that I loaded the AOL radio bar on to the lap top which allows one to listen to the widest range of music. There are adverts with an announcement that they will last 2 mins or whatever so one can turn the sound off, The advantage of this music over Sky is the wide choice so that there are channels for all kinds of choice as well as the opportunity to listen to local live stations throughout the USA. I still use Deezer but in a recent deal with i Tunes the sound quality seems to have deteriorated.

I then checked the writing of the previous two days and found that I needed to add the code for the Blogger which upload first before MySpace as there are usually message to also attend to. Could I remember or find the code and this led to dissatisfaction over the state of the downstairs with so much requiring immediate attention and the decision to make a systematic sort out, sort through, to find the required code and to organise and tackle the outstanding work in a systematic way, and having started this I also decided to make these notes as a reminder to myself that I need be on top of work to be able to enjoy working and my average daily experience. In fact this mishap led the desk top computer working again. Silver lining with every cloud blah blah

First area checked was the trolley by the window. Then emptied the waste bin and shredder and decided to attach the curtain fully to the rail so that it can be drawn properly at night and then vacuum the whole floor, I then went through the various piles of papers until finding the code, and consequently uploaded the latest completed Blog on Google and MySpace. However the clean and sorting and getting everything in order bug had bit so I vacuumed the hallway. I then placed the pile of completed cards into the relevant folders. I had cleared the table except for the laptop disconnected from everything else in order to fix the curtain and then recover with the brown cloth which I had washed and dried earlier in the week. The back of the computer had become very dusty and so I used the vacuum cleaner to clear the dust. I then reassembled just with the monitor and mouse and wunderbar, it worked as if nothing had happened. However one solution always leads to another problem and the printer has come up with a notice about routine maintenance which I need to check and the keyboard does not work which may be the cause of the problem as when the machine went wrong it was almost like a stuck key. However I am not tempting the fates and the intention is to first save on disk everything that I need to do before moving on and closing down although a restart has worked twice. The turning off later worked well but the printer looks as if has not recovered from a paper jam but I went to bed more content that recently. One reason being that a slight reorganisation around the desk and TV unit means that I can get behind to the book case without having to crawl under the table and that I can draw back the curtain properly and tie back which gives greater light space and enjoy all the plants and flowers without moving. Bonza bonza.

Yesterday was a reasonable to good day. I worked until time for the dentist which involved two fillings and the use of new laser equipment. £45 the cost.

I then made my way to the bus station where everyone was uncertain if the yesterday’s strike which affected Sunderland buses was continuing. I wanted the 35 service which appeared to be operating in pairs. The purpose of the visit was the replacement of the glasses and I have a frame similar to my present one with oval lens rather than the square shaped ones. This was less expensive and as a consequence the extra over the insurance worked out at £20 in additional money. It will be ready in three weeks. I have glass lens with are the slimmest varyfocals. It will be great to have pair of spectacles that I am able to wear every day instead of the present lens where the coating was scraped off the right had glass with the fall is visible to others although does not affect my viewing.

I celebrated the event by having lunch. I went to Wilkinson’s to see if they had any of the 40 page volumes and they were sold out and then I noticed the sign to the coffee shop and restaurant on the fourth floor and took the escalator. The restaurant coffee shop occupies the whole of the top floor so there are well over fifty tables across two separately decorated areas. The average price of a meal is £5 but they do pension specials with a choice of roasts and other dishes for £3 50. They operate on the same basis as Morrison’s in that you order the dish and are allocated a number written on a small sheet of paper. Nothing fancy like a display stand as at Morrison’s. When ready an assistant comes out calling the number and sometimes had to walk the length of both areas. My number was 67 and came quickly whereas others who had ordered before had to wait longer. The food was basic. Pork, some cabbage, carrots, mash potato, some peas and a miserable Yorkshire pudding. Nevertheless it was enjoyable and satisfying. Just as well because there was chaos at the bus stop. There are a dozen places along the High street and some buses stop twice at either end so often there are half a dozen stopping coming and going along the one way system throughout the day. Now there were long periods of minutes with not a bus in sight. There were lots of inspectors and other staff in yellow jackets making a note of the time when buses came. I got on the first, the E1. There was no sign of the E2 E6 or 35 which all go to South Shields. This one was packed with standing room squashed. The 35 is the direct route passing near Fulwell to Cleadon and then straight into Shields. The E 1 is next best because it follows the coast road to Marsden then goes in land before going back to the coast along the main promenade area and turns into Ocean Road stopping by the Park close to Law Road and short walk up hill home. Usually the bus empties along the outskirts of Sunderland and then at the stop close to Morrison’s and then in Whitburn. However the majority of people, including many children stayed all way as far as the stop before mine by the South Marine Park and opposite the funfair and beach. The weather was warm and bright although rain was forecast and it was mid afternoon, so the number coming to the attractions and amenities was excellent and I wondered if this was regular during the summer school holidays. If so it is surprising given the splendid beaches at Roker and Seaburn but there are nothing like the amenities and attractions of the front at South Shields.

It is 11.30pm and I have made progress. I am typing this on the re booted to the desk top which had been shut down and rebooted again. I could not get the speakers to work but the headphones are excellent which suggests there may be a problems with some of the USB slots at the rear. I have also commenced making disk of the all the current information on the desk top. I am use once only DVDs writes so I am wasting space by wanting to separate the information. I have to far created a disks for thee MySpace Blog writings 2008 and 2009 and the existing Google disk will continue to write.

The Wallander episodes concerned the problem of illegal immigrants coming to Sweden in container lorries and where an abandoned containers found with everyone dead except for a baby. The episode was intended to raise the issue as a matter of public debate in Sweden as an order of nuns was behind the traffic from the highest motives, using an internal voluntary body who in turn used criminals to bring in the refugees at a price. However in this instance the main motive of the criminals was to bring in drugs. Wallander’s daughter was one of those finding the bodies and this affected her greatly. The police discover that the baby was part of a family where the older children had travelled earlier and the episodes ends with them being allowed to stay because they have became orphans and placed with foster parents. The trade in humans wanting to come Europe to escape poverty, disease and persecution will continue as will the traffic in drugs.

Desperate Romantics came to and end and I wonder if the approach of the writers and editors reflects the life the group led. They quickly became a dislikeable group preoccupied with stealing each other’s women with Rossetti chasing every and any woman and then tiring and going in search of another. The programme also raised the issue of Ruskin’s preoccupation with under age girls although he vehemently denied his interest was sexual. The series ended with the death of Ms Siddons which was presented as suicide covered up as accidental overdose of laudanum. The series was visually stunning and people still enjoy their paintings but they made no other contribution to their society.

1788 Timothy Small's Gunrush, Durham Cricket, the Ashes and Sunderland win at Norwich

This was to have been a different kind of day but early on the desk top computer went peculiar and the rest of the day has been spent setting up the laptop with the desktop display unit, the printer, extension sound speakers and the wireless mouse. Only the keyboard remains unattached. I have approached the potentially work record disaster this way rather than immediately send for help for the desk top because I hope the problem is temporary but if not it may be some time before it can be repaired or replaced and the data not transferred to disk can be saved. This will have implications for the work programme, but I had been planning to concentrate or weight reduction and fitness between now and winter.

The process of setting up the lap top as a desk top has not been without its problems. Surprisingly the mouse was the easiest to organise as has been the a better sound quality. The desktop display proved to be a problem when I discovered the possibilities of different displays on the two screen and for a top achieved a desktop screen on screen two and nothing else until I eventually found the way to get back to showing the same display on both screens. I will leave the optional approach until another day, if ever! I then made the mistake of asking the computer via windows to find software for the printer instead of locating the disk, then found the disk which interrupted the download and eventually reached a stalemate until I removed the disk and let the download take its course.

I also put the rubbish out and retrieved, washed up and washed me, completed the ironing, gave the kitchen surfaces a good clean and the over top and commenced on the bathroom with the washbasin which is still in process. I also started the washing washing and drying but forgot how to open the machine door at the end of the process unintentionally restarted so had to complete the cycle before transferring the load to the dryer. The consequence of all this is that I decided to postpone to outing by bus to Sunderland for the replacement glasses.

My original intention was to write about two subjects which are in stark contrast. It has been a joyous few days of sport with Durham’s win against Warwickshire almost making it impossible for another team to win the champions, England won the last Test against all expectations and all three northeast football clubs won their matches over the weekend with Sunderland also winning well against Norwich away from home in the League Cup competition second round. Neither British driver won the Formula 1 Grand Prix and I missed the Athletics World Championships.

Then when I was just about to watch a film, I happened to change through the channels to find Timothy Small in a drama about which I had no advance information. Timothy Small is one of finest British actors of this day and so I stayed and found a major two hour dramatic event which was painful to watch because of the reality it portrayed. The drama is about what happens to a family when one of their children in gunned down.

Timothy Small plays a driving instructor whose approach is to spread kindness, avoid confrontations and unpleasantness. Over their years of marriage his wife has become the one to react to life in a more aggressive way so when two hooded youths push in before them in the local Mini market against her husbands advice she intervenes and the most insecure and disturbed of the young men pulls out a gun and shoots the daughter intending to silence the mother. She dies and the police are unable to move towards finding the culprits with no one coming forward, no witnesses and no clues except the cartridge which can be matched to the gun if it is found.

It is also drama which attempts to explain rather than justify how two young men became involved in the killing. One is weak with ambitions and wanting respect. He sees the killing as an opportunity to become part of the local drug gang network but quickly messes up and is knife cut as a warning. He retaliates by attempting to shoot the person with the gang network who reported his misbehaviour, having retrieved the gun from the canal when his partner in crime was ordered to dispose the weapon.

His partner comes from a family where the father is trying to put the past behind him. He grew up on one of the estates mentioned in the film which have become over run by drugs and associated criminal activity and where knives and guns are available at a price, The father is now a lawyer/counsellor representing and helping his former community, or at least this is the impression I gained of the situation. The son becomes caught up in the situation by having the wrong kind of friend.

The death and the lack of an arrest separates the couple as the wife punishes herself knowing that her failure to keep quiet and move away precipitated the killing of her eldest daughter with whom she had been having problems just before the incident, while the husband knows it is constant avoidance of issues which helped create what happened. They are unable to cope when the police liaison officer intimates the lack of development and trying to be helpful leaves the father alone to take a personal call on her mobile when showing him the available exhibits. Father has removed the cartridge shell and refuses to return it when the loss is discovered saying he wants to try and find out by what happened by going onto the estates and making his own enquiries. He persuades the liaison officer to put him in touch with someone who can help, the lawyer counsellor who in turn puts him in touch with a crack head whose first act is to arrange a meeting with a local supplier of weapons, one of several we are told.

The climax of the film comes when the young partner is advised by the counsellor to give the gun to Small and persuade his friend to say that the killing was an accident and therefore reduce the time they spend in prison, However the young killer will have none of this and together they kidnap the second daughter after fighting with the wife in an attempt to get the gun back from the home of the driving instructor. The first reaction of Timothy on his way to the police to hand over the gun and cartridges is to advise them of the kidnapping when informed of his wife but she encourages to him to take the law in his own hands as he is in possession of the gun.

It is at this point the title of the film becomes more clear. The counsellor has explained the empowerment which the guns brings to weak and inadequate human beings and the film makes the point that in this respect Small as the victim’s father is no different from the perpetrator of the crime. He is tempted to use the gun on his daughter’s killer when given the opportunity but realises that would make him the same as the young killer. At the very point when he decides to use the weapon just to capture the grovelling young man, an immature child at heart, a member of the drug gang fed up with the trouble he has caused for their enterprise, kills him.
The film should have ended at this point but moves to the funeral and the ability of their second daughter to play the cello once more. She had been unable to touch the instrument because the case was stained with the blood of her sister. It is a signal that the family are able to move on however difficult and permanent wounded as beings. The film therefore highlights that the dividing line between good and bad between hero and coward is a narrow and changing one for most human being, but more so for some more than others. It reinforces the unpalatable view that there are no quick fix solutions. The role of government is to provide the policing, judicial and custodial system to punish offenders when they are caught and limit the harm, at least for a time. The problem is that the custodial system is limited in what it cab achieve in terms of reform and rehabilitation and more likely the individual will become more professional and gain a network of associates through the experience. It is important that governments, specialist voluntary organisations, local government authorities and communities in general devote resources and attention to undermining the situations in which these individuals tend to flourish. The problem is a daunting one made worse by the influx of the criminals scum of Europe into the capital city and other cities and towns in the UK because of opportunities provided by an unfettered capitalist culture and membership of the enlarge Europe. This makes policing and intelligence even more difficult than before. There are however three areas where governments and our society in generalise in danger of throwing baby out with the bath water, although there is need to work new arrangements for the new situation.

The first issue is the alleged breaking down of traditional controls and respect for the authority. It is true that the various changes has created a situation in which the respectable middle class is no longer willing to accept the authority of the politicians, churchmen, self appointed moral guides and others simply because of the position they hold, or their existing wealth and power. The behaviour of members of the Royal Family, the near collapse of capitalism through the greed of bankers and speculators, the acquiescence to this situation by politicians many of whom have been revealed to have exploited their expenses beyond anything which the majority considers reasonable, the knowledge of the criminal abusive behaviour of churchmen and others in positions of authority and the increasing availability of education and information through the interned and 24/7 media, the rapid development of large parts of the UK into a multi cultural and racial society which has swamped previous populations, the rapid increase in unemployment levels and loss of homes, has all contributed to a situation where people question and challenged than just accept. However there has always been a large criminal underclass which congregates and infights for individual supremacy. The removal of some individuals into custodial care means that either other members of the criminal community take over or they maintain activities on behalf of those incarcerated for a time. Once crime becomes embedded in an estate or large community the only way to end it is to break up the estate and control and monitor all the individuals who formed the cancerous components. You have to tackle the problem specifically and it has little to do with general changes in the approach to authority and discipline by the majority of our country.

The second myth is that because these individuals misuse the state welfare system we should severely restrict or change the system for everyone else. By all means bear down on those who persistently use the system and a supplementary income to help further their illegal activities. However one has to be aware that the doing will only result in more traditional crime affecting other people more than before. Having mentioned that the USA government is reported to have paid 100000 people in Iraq a monthly sum to prevent them from becoming enemies of the new state, the provision of similar monies to the criminal classes could be viewed in a similar light as the lesser of two evils.

The third area is the desire to monitor and thereby control by gaining access to all the means by which the criminal class can communicate with each other and pass information on a European and world wide basis. It is understandable that governments like the ability to cast the widest net and then discriminate, especially as they now have the technology to do so. However this only creates the types of society which have been the cause of much blood giving over decades and centuries. The threat of terrorism is a priority for governments but it must be placed in perspective, given the situation which occurred because of the abuse of power by the Protestant unionism in Ireland, until the last decade and that which I experienced as a child between 1939 and 1945. The measures have to be commensurate to the situation.

I therefore wish that I had not seen the film as it quickly destroyed the mood I had been in beforehand, arising from some excellent sporting experiences.

I begin with Durham’s victory over Warwickshire. Victory had appeared to be the outcome as soon as Warwickshire elected to bat after winning the toss and Durham dismissed the visitors for 135. The main cause of the collapse was the improvement in the bowling of Graham Thorp who took 5 for 49 in 20 overs. This will make team selection a difficult task when Harmison and Onions return to play for the County as Durham now have Plunket, Davies and Claydon as well as Thorp as front line pace bowlers together with spinners Blackwell and young Bothwick, Breese and part time Blenkenstein. It was Blenkenstein who came on in an attempt to break a mini stand who was the surprise of the innings and match because he took three wickets and appeared to cause the Warwickshire batsmen great trouble. Durham took their innings slowly with Di Venuto 40 followed by Blenkenstein with 73, Blackwell 63 and Mustard and Plunket also getting runs to bring the total to 273 and a lead of 138. There was a possibility of the game being over in two days similar to what happened at Nottingham. At first it looked as if I was right as three wickets fell for 34 runs but then Troughton son and grandson of two actors with the senior the original Dr Who made his intentions clear and continued with a brilliant 111 given the circumstances, taking the game into the third day. This time is was the turn of Mark Davies who has had a difficult time since returning from injury who was the star performer taking 3 wickets for 19 runs from under 15 overs. He was supported by Claydon and Blackwell who each took three wickets and the last five going cheaply for 37 runs. This left Durham to get 102 runs which were achieved by Di Venuto and Chanderpaul each with 41 and the victory was by eight wickets. The arrival of Chanderpaul for Gordon Muchall strengthens the batting further and only Stoneman is at risk of being replaced as his succession of law scores continues. As predicted the three other division one championship games ended in draws so that the table now has Durham on 186 points and 7 wins, Notts on 149 and Somerset on 146 with three wins as has Lancs on 138 but having played one more game, followed by Sussex or 120 and Warwickshire on 119, Yorks 117 and Hants 116 as the also rans and poor Worcestershire on 57.

For the last two days of the game my attention was divided as the last Test of the Ashes series had commenced. From the outset I thought that an English series victory was unlikely although I hoped they would do better than the humiliating whitewash which occurred in Australia two years ago. What happened then has to be put into perspective in that in 2005 England had been on a roll under Duncan Fletcher and Peterson, Flintoff and Harmison were at their peak. The problems was that while Australia immediately planned their revenge, England celebrated their new celebrity status and went on partying with the outcome disaster. There was a new concentrated purpose in the England camp and the emphasis and ongoing performance. For Graham Onions to break through in the side has been a notable achievement and Steve Harmison has worked hard the departure of Freddie Flintoff from Test Cricket has given him an opportunity to perform at international level for the next two years, assuming the selectors do not go for an immediate team rebuild. This is a possibility given that for the fifth test the decided to bring in Warwickshire’s Graham Trott a South African by birth who elected to play for England like Kevin Peterson.

At Cardiff Australia appeared determined to continue as they had left off and only and outstanding batting performance by Durham‘s Paul Collingwood supported by Monty Panesar and James Anderson over two days prevented defeat. Panesar’s lack of form has meant Graham Swann, who can also bat has taken over, he and Collingwood with Anderson means they are held in special regard and will continues to do so. Then came Lords and the outstanding win against Australia after several decades. Captain Strauss with 165 and opener Cook 95, set the scene with a stand of 196 and England finished with a total of 425. With Anderson 4 wickets and onions 3 Australia were reduced to 215 and then a solid all round second innings batting performance with Collingwood and Prior steadying the middle order with 54 and 41, England were able to declare setting Australia 500 hundred runs to win. They got 400 of them with Clark, Haddin and Johnson outstanding. It was Flintoff with 5, his first in a Test at Lords and Swann with 4 that did the damage and England were 1 up in the series instead of 1.1

Rain affected the chances of a result at Birmingham. Anderson and Onions with 5 and four wickets respectively did the damage as Australia were kept to 263 after winning the toss and electing to bat. England with Strauss Flintoff, Bell and Broad getting runs completed their innings over 100 runs ahead at 376. Given the weather stoppages only a collapse in their second innings gave England any chance of a result but stands involving Hussey, Clark and North, the latter making nearly 200 runs for the fifth wicket left a draw.

Headingley has always been a good hunting ground for England and I was there for Botham’s Ashes victory when he turned the game on its head. This time Australia humiliated England winning by an innings and 80 runs. England won the toss and then were skittled out for 100 runs. Australia then noticed 450 with North and Clark once more and pointing scoring highly. While Broad and Swann each got 60 in England’s second innings, the side was out for 263.

It is therefore understandable that hopes were not high for the fifth test. Flintoff made it, but just about as he prepared for surgery on his knee immediately the match was over. Harmison replaced Onions who was nevertheless invited to stay along with Peterson and Panesar. It is not clear if the invitation was extended to Bopara. England won the toss on a dodgy wicket prepared for a result and found scoring runs difficult. There was a good all round contribution to the score of 332 with Straus once more setting the standards with 55, Bell with 77 and new man Trott with 41 run out. Then an amazing thing happened Australia had a good start with over 70 on the board before the first wicket fell and then they were skittled out for 165 with Broad having a brilliant spell taking five wickets 5 for 37 from 12 and Swann 4 for 38 from 14. Then it looked as the wicket which kept some balls low while others exploded was go to be the victor as three wickets fell for 39. Strauss was there again but the outstanding performance was that of Trott with 119 also supported by Swann once more with 60. England declared when Trott was out for nine wickets setting Australia two and more days to get over 500 runs. This is a total which no side in test history anywhere in their world has achieved, although despite the wicket, there was a general nervousness that the lads from down under might do it.

This got off to an excellent start with Watson and Katich putting on 80 runs before they both fell for 40 and 43. Was this the breakthrough? Pointing 66 and Hussey 121 said not adding another 100 runs in their partnership. Nerves commenced show and Collingwood dropped to difficult and one easy chance. Then it was a combination of Australia taking difficult and dangerous runs which was their down fall coupled with a brilliant throw from Flintoff which uprooted a stump for Pointing to be out when going strongly at 66. Again the wickets fell in pairs. Then five balls later a throw from Strauss broke the stumps and the replays showed that although the back foot was on the line it was not over it as required and the batsman was correctly given out. A few rubs later North was brilliantly out stumped by the wicket keeper and it appeared to be only a matter of time before the match went to England, But in cricket nothing is ever certain and Cardiff has become the benchmark for modern day survival. There was another mini stand of close on 100 and the crowd began to think the match would continue into the fifth day. Petersen decided to make an early start for home but got as far as the Vauxhall Bridge Haddin was caught by Strauss off Swann and the Harmison got a wicket as Collingwood held a catch with the score still 327. Then it was boys own stuff as Harmison had the next man caught by Flintoff and the very next ball had Clark caught by Cook, could the match end with a hat trick. It was nearly and five runs later it was over as Hussey was out for his 121. England and won the match by 197 runs and with it the Ashes series 2009. The crowd went wild and celebrations were long with everyone staying for the presentations of medals and awards and brief speeches from the captains.

All three North East Clubs in their respective matches over the weekend. Sunderland went a goal down to Blackburn where previous matches had ended 0.0.I know I was there. This time it was Kenwyn Jones who scored the goals in a hard fought game. The Boo also won at home 2.0 and Newcastle continued to confound expectations by a 2.0 win at Crystal Palace. On Monday evening I enjoyed watching Sunderland have an impressive match at Norwich shown on Sky. Sunderland were ruthless in their finishing which fortunately was not the case for Norwich who as many chances to score during the match. Sunderland fielded only 2 of the those who ha played in the game on the Saturday, Kenwyn Jones and Nosworthy. Scottish goal keeper, Craig Gordon was excellent as was new signing from Hull Frazer Campbell who nearly scored what would have the goal of the season. While Norwich have been leaking goals, the performance confirmed that Sunderland should avoid a struggle to stay in the Premier ship this year and a mid table placement should be the outcome.

1787 The 4400, Il Sahara Segreto, Torchwood, Mike Hammar

It is 10 am Sunday in August. I cannot be immediately precise because the calendar, temperature and other info on the desk top did not appear when I logged on. The computer has been playing up over the past week, shutting everything down and then starting up of its own accord, if left on while I watched TV.

I did not have a good night. I remember the dreams which I broadly understand, full of journeys and situation which did not turn out as they should in normal circumstances. It is in fact 23rd of August as the info became available when later in the day rebooted because the mouse was playing up. Some time ago, over a year and perhaps more than two I bought a wireless mouse but was not wireless organised at the time. I searched found the control unit which I then discovered had inbuilt software after searching for what I believed was a small disk and then changed the batteries and it worked so I can complete writing these notes which cover part of the last three days.

I have watched a lot of TV, and eat more than I should without much exercise, went to bed when tired and had the normal ration of sleep. I have also lost my mobile phone somewhere in the house. I sent a text yesterday morning. I remember checking it once during the day. I have not been out of the house and I feel too physically lazy to go in search at this moment but I am in the mood to write. I also have a vague notion of a theme for today with having commenced watching the 4400, a DVD gift set to mark the 70th birthday, prompted by watching another episode of Torchwood, recognising that the Torchwood time traveller had also appeared in a similar role in several episodes of Dr Who and where a preoccupation with children is of interest, understandable perhaps in view of the target audience, except that it is not the usual theme of Dr Who.

I also watched a strange Spaghetti Arabian on Saturday nights called il segreto del Sahara with Michael York, Ben Kingsley, David Soul and Andy MacDowell.

There was also James Wood as Mayor Rudi Giuliani and Stacey Keach in a Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer. The latter two are out there on their own.

A mobile phone cannot disappear in a house so I will wash and shave and try to find it before getting down to the writing. The idea of where the phone might be came to me while shaving after washing my hair. I was right and it was tucked in under the cover of the settee around the side corner. That has cheered me up a little. Most of yesterday was spent watching sport as I also plan today but first the Mike Hammer, working backwards to paradise, walking backwards reminds Helen Shapiro.

I had seen the Mikey Spillane before but I still got the plot wrong. The child of an actress is kidnapped while protected by Mike Hammer and for most of the film he suspects the child’s father as being implicated, correctly, and then the child’s mother, which was my belief. The child is recovered and the father was implicated because of gambling debt but the mystery focus was on a rogue Vietnam war unit which had originally smuggled Vietnam children into the USA for adoption but later kidnapped children in the USA, with the money used to fund the returning veterans who could not cope with living in the USA again. To enjoy you just have to like Stacey Keach and Mike Hammer for their middle aged angry man act. The story line does not really matter.

I am still not sure what I made the of the Rudy Giuliani story. The film tried to present him in a good light but still managed to reveal that he is a typical American politician, mortgaged to the political bosses and the conflicting interest groups while wrestling with his internal demons as an ordinary male human being.

My main interest as always is how far the film followed his recent image due to the 9/11 horror or provided an account of his life in the round. It attempted to do both through flashbacks to the past and to indicate something of the man behind the political mask through aspects of his private life. Born in 1944, he married after graduating from law school a second cousin Catholic. A fact which he used to gain an annulment having not obtained the required dispensation from the church prior to the marriage. My understanding is that obtaining an annulment depends on who you know and how much to are able to fund the church in different countries and at different times, so I am not in a position on how far that Rudi as an influential lawyer working in the office of the Attorney General in Washington helped his cause to marry the new love, a television personality, in 1982. The relationship lasted a dozen years during which two children were born.

He then became involved with his communications director with the relationship he attempted to keep secret until the story broke in Vanity Fair in 1997. Two years later he became involved with a fourth individual which he kept secret for over a year but then for some extraordinary reason announced the end of his marriage on Television before advising his legal wife of the decision. Understandably his wife was not impressed with his actions and disagreed with his belief that she also wanted the marriage to end.

The debate about how far the behaviour of a politician in his private life should affect his public will remain ongoing and I suspect depends on how the media respond to disclosure and the relationship which the individual has with his local community. Labour lost the by election at Norwich after the sitting member was told he would not be allowed to sit, following a National executive inquisition held in response to media criticism for a few of the Members because of the use of public money as expenses and which to his local community and the rest of us appeared to have been without rhyme or reason given that he did no differently from a significant number of members of the Cabinet and government notably the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The film presented Giuliani has having an exceptionally poor public political popularity rating shortly before the events of 9/11. He then divorced his wife and married the person who had help him overcome treatment for a prostate cancer from which his father had died at the age of 73. He is reported to have become estranged from his children.

What is without question among political interests on both sides of the Atlantic is that Rudy responded to the events of 9/11 in such a way which united the city and which behind the scenes organised the recovery in an exceptionally efficient way. Whereas the American President went to ground acting on advice, Giuliani was on the scene from the outset. He received an honorary knighthood from the Queen of England and Time Magazine named him person of the year. Since leaving the Mayoralty he ran for President last year, dropping out at the beginning of 2008 after having done well in the previous year. He has become a partner in a law firm which immediately changed their name to incorporate his.

I watched the first of the new X Factor competition last night which although allocated a 90 minute peak evening session was full of long advertisement breaks. The new series of TV auditions has been changed in that instead of singing without a backing tape before judges, each artist has a backing tape and sings not just to the judges but to a live audience of several thousand. During the week I heard a short radio contribution from someone who arrived at the 02 arena at 9am, and was given his audition at 11pm. The thousands who attended, an estimated 20000 were shown together on the outside concourse. This is presumably because the programme organisers did not want us to see that in fact while everyone has an audition it was in wooden cubicles before two judges. There is no information on the numbers excluded or on those who are allowed to by pass the first stage because of their proven singing experience and who may even be put through to the third stage of the new public audience auditions.

There was one aspect of the radio caller which also caught my attention in that the impression obtained was the 99.99 percent of those attending were serious competitors which only the occasional fancy dressed individual who could not sing. This could indicate that such individuals are trawled separately from those who in general attend the auditions. It is evident that the programme creating are looking for an unknown they can make into a start, for a dozen outstanding individuals who will creating a series of engaging finals and conduct a commercially successful tour following the final, and for other acts who will entertain the TV public during the audition series. They are interested in individuals having a good popular TV image, a commanding and engaging presence before a large live audience and who can go on to hack it as a recording star. Few have gone to make it longer that a year. Will Young and Leona Lewis are the exceptions although a few have continued to entertain through live appearances.

One aspect which I noted last year is that many of those who are selected for the boot camp are showed briefly without the opportunity for the TV audience to hear them sing. I suspect that the audition series is not edited until after boot camp and the selection of those to be managed by the four judges has been made. Therefore we are shown these individuals in the auditions and it is rare for those highlighted in the audition programmes not make the final selections. To counter this suggestion, this year selected individuals are being shown with their family support which in the instance of a young pop star male singer from South Shields, included his whole family. I shall buy the local papers tomorrow where I expect there will be further information about them.

I described earlier Il Segreto del Sahara as a Spaghetti Arabian because it has the format of the Spaghetti western, a traditional film story with twists, an epic quality, in terms of scenery, cast and film length together with an all start cast. Their full Italian edition is six hours with this TV English language over two. The music signals the emotions in a heavy handed manner. There is nothing subtle. Michael York is an archaeologist seeking a lost city which reminds of Petra in Jordan, in this instance a mountain where there is said to be treasure. The treasure attracts the attention of a vicious Foreign Legionnaire, Lieutenant Ryker(David Soul) who at the end close of finding out the secret but is killed by Michael York in a sword dual. It also attracts the attention of the local bigwig in the walled city who captures York during the film after he has become blind and after failing to reveal that he knows anything about the secret mountain is employed as a medicine man.

York has become blind after getting to the Secret having encountered Ben Kingsley as a local Sheik in control of a community around an Oasis. This is the first surprise because Kingsley plays a Polish Jew married to a Muslim with a daughter brought up in the two faiths and someone who provides the moral philosophy of the film. He had is wife and community are slaughtered by Ryker and other mercenaries even though his wife has revealed the way to the Secret Mountain.

Early in the film York rescues the beautiful Queen guardian of the Secret Mountain (played by Andy McDowell) from the clutches of Ryker, and she rewards his action later when he reaches the mountain and should be put to death. He is however blinded by the light which dominates the secret although the sight is recovered through the tears of the Queen later. Although they have become lovers their destiny does not appear together as she is duty bound to marry the custodian of the Secret, but when he is killed in a fight with Ryker the two are free. York also has a son although I am not clear if this a biological or adopted son, of the circumstances of the relationship. I believe he is brought up by Ben Kingsley’s family.

And now we come to the Secret. This follows on a long tradition of science fiction belief that human progress occurred because of the intervention of superior beings who inhabit distant places in the galaxy. The blinding light is in fact nuclear energy which at the end of the film is able to power the space vehicle back to its origins, however leaving an enlightened York with his Arabian Queen with supernatural powers, and his son, to live a happy ever after human existence.

I also mentioned earlier that by excellent programme planning a Sky Channel featured an episode of Dr Who which included the Time traveller of Torchwood. In the Torchwood the earth, and London in particular was threatened by the younger brother of the Time Traveller who he had to leave but for which he had never been forgiven. In the prior episode of Dr Who the Time Traveller had been involved in the serial which involved children being used.

This bring me to the 4400 and Sky 1 project where the first disk contain the double episode starter pilot and first of the subsequent series. Something unexpected enters the earth atmosphere at great speed slows up and bring 4400 people who have disappeared over the past century to one spot where in the USA where the majority decide to remain. After testing and observation over several months the families successfully petition the USA Supreme Court for their relatives to be released on the community. The pilot concentrates on a Korean War veteran who had a relationship with a white girl for which he was beaten up by his white comrades. He now found a country where inter racial relationships have become common place, but his home has been developed into a road underpass and he finds himself alone. While in quarantine he meets a girl who likes his former love and finds that she is the grand daughter although they are now of the same age. She is married with a baby daughter now a young girl and her husband has had her declared dead so he could remarry someone who the daughter believes to be her mother. These two displaced individuals strike up a relationship after she finds she has been returned diagnosed pregnant by her husband a decade before and no longer wants to have contact with her, One of the men finds his aged wife in a squalid institution and cannot cope when she dies and on finding that he has been bought out in his absence from the business cofounder and in his anger about not been given a position is able to use the anger to in effect blows out the man’s brains at a distance. Later it is discovered that the killed man was defrauding customers on the grand scale and the investigating team suspect that the 4400 have been returned for some purpose.

This appears to the so in the first of series proper in which one the returnees who works in the fish department of the of the local supermarket finds that the park has become over run by drug addicts and criminals and starts a clean up campaign so eh can return to place where he proposed to his wife and enjoyed picnics. He goes out at night to commence the clean up and prevents a girl being gang raped but in a later instance is killed by a knife. This appears to knock on the head the theory about being returned for a purpose until the local residents take it upon themselves to clean up the park.

There are two investigators appointed to try and find out why the 4400 were returned to earth, a mist unlikely scenario in reality and but one of the major flaws arising from the opening episodes. The continuity between the opening and next episode is a young girl who is able to predict aspects of the future and cannot help blurt out the truth despite advice that to do so will make her position difficult. Her parents are long since dead and she is unsuccessfully placed with foster parents who cannot cope with her predictions. She goes to live with the female investigator as an alternative to the girl becoming the subject of intensive and prolonged physical investigation and social observation in confined conditions. One feels she may well pose the answer to question where have the 4400 been and what is the collective as well as individual purpose of their return. I look forward to experiencing the next disk

1786 New Tricks

I believe the sixth episode of the sixth series of new Tricks is the last. I could probably find out if this is so before completing these notes, but I am confident that that not just the present series of six episodes has been rounded to a nice end, but the entire project. The concept was at the outset a great one, the solving of crimes which have lain unsolved in police station around the UK or which come to the attention because of a contemporary event . Instead of creating a new team of bright young things full of courage and passion you bring together three retired individualists from the police force, reflecting the changes in policing attitudes and behaviour since the 1950’s. And more over you bring together three outstanding, familiar and much love TV actors. who have also performed in distributed films and on the theatrical stage. You also commission other well known talented actors to participate in the self contained episodes and you have all the ingredients of something that will stand the test of time. The six series may not be of the ranking of Morse, or Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister but they are close to them and will be shown repeatedly on the different channels for generations to come.

I begin with James Bolam because he is my favourite of the three old codgers who comprise the Unsolved Crimes Team U.C.O.S headed by Angela Redman as a semi independent unit in a constantly battle to tackle historical crimes which interest then versus those senior officialdom wants sorted.

James Bolam has played a major part throughout my TV watching life and is special in addition to his work for being a local lad from Sunderland, born a year before me which makes him 71. While he appeared in such shows as Z Cars and films such as The Loneliness of the Long Distance runner and A Kind of Loving, it was the series the Likely Lads, a Jack the lad with the ultra serious Rodney Bewes 1964-to 1966 and then the follow up series in 1973 and 1974 which brought him to public attention.

For me it was the series When the Boat comes In, produced first in 1976, soon after my arrival in the North East, and which ran for 5 years which suggested that that James would graduate beyond the likeable rogue with a natural sense of humour who could be given scripts full of intelligent wit.

When the boat comes also starred Susan Jameson who was or became Bola’s wife and she too features in New Tricks as the wife of one of the trio, played by Alun Armstrong who has worked with James throughout his career. In When the Boat comes in a third major actor which I will mention now in case the opportunity o do so again does not arise, is the late Edward Wilson.

Edward plays Bill the Brothers of Susan in When the Boat comes In, part of the Seaton Family around which the series is built. Edward was born in South Shields and became the renowned Director of the National Youth Theatre for sixteen years until 2003. Left to take up a similar post in California, persuaded by Michael York who was a graduate of the N.Y.T. Sadly Edward developed and died from cancer at the comparative young age of sixty one. As with Susan he also appeared in an episode or two of the Likely lads.

The role which David Bolam played in When the Boat Comes in remains an important one for depicting with considerable accuracy the rise to power and a middle class of young ambitious young men from the North East and Tyneside before between the two World Wars who also possessed a strong working class social conscious. In the instance of Jack Ford, he survived World War 1 and became a major trade union figure political figure with he Labour movement who then goes into business for himself, goes to the U.S.A and to London. However he retains his knowledge and identification with the underdogs of his roots and dies not at Dunkirk or a Far East prisoner of War camp, but fighting the fascists on behalf of the Left in Spain. The series which is available on both DVD and Tape should be view before Our Friends in the North which covers the dark years of the fifties to seventies, also on DVD and Tape and followed by the Film Get Carter. There is a fourth chapter of the story yet to be written

James then starred with Barbara Flynn in the series I love the most, The Beiderbeck Affair, the Beiderbecke Tapes and the Beiderbecke Connection 1986-1988, off beat comedy adventure mystery series involving two teachers working in Leeds, He also appeared in two major characterizations, as Harold Wilson, in the Plot against the former Prime Minister and the murderer, Harold Shipman

In New tricks he plays Ex Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Halford, a widower whose wife was killed in a hit and run by a local psychopathic gangster played by Patrick Troughton, Rickey Hansen. The gangster confesses this to Jack at the end of the third series. Jack then attempts to murder Hansen but is stopped by his colleagues and then Hansen tries to murder Jack. In the last series the team have sufficient evidence to prosecute Hansen for murder and in the process of the investigation uses his son who in an early series discovered that it was his father who had him sent to prison which the father had committee because he lusted after the son’s girl friend. In this episode it is the son who eventually provides the information which brings his father down when he learns that father had slept with his illegitimate daughter and he therefore with his sister, although both were in ignorance at he time. His father had discovered the truth that the girl was he daughter of a stripper he had known and since the discovery career criminal had been financing the life of the girl abroad. The financially supporting the girl was not from concern or guilt but simple self protection, just as the informant which the third member of the trio, played by Denis waterman had used throughout his career was able to survive because he had information about the relationship safely stored which kept him alive

Dennis Waterman plays Ex detective Gerry Standing, a ladies man with three ex wives and several children with whom he meets from time to time for a meal, drink and a laugh. He is an old school copper who still thinks funny jokes against women and mother in laws or which are racist that as the one told in the last episodes of the man from Pakistan who says to his neighbour I am better off that you because I dont live next door to a Paki. The significance of this plays a major part in bringing the career criminal to justice through an existing member of the force coming up to retirement who is also of old school but straight, who fraternised with the criminals and at a throw back comedian who continue to practice their perverted craft on the Spanish Costa’s to this day.

Born in Clapham, South London, Dennis became a child star but it was into TV series which brought him national Stardom, The Detective series, The Sweeney in which he starred with John Thaw and, Minder in which he starred with George Cole. He also had a major role in the film Up the Junction and in several Plays for Today including two by Dennis Potter. It was during the 1980 that he appeared with Angela Redman with whom is recorded he had an affair which lasted close on two years.

I mention this because as with the character in the series Denis has been married three times for 9,10 and 11 years. He had two daughters by his second wife, one of whom also appeared in an episode of New Tricks, as someone who believes she is daughter but where a par entity tests reveals that she is not, but nevertheless Dennis tells her that she is. His third wife is the actress Rula Lenska. She was also part of a trio, in the famous series the Rock Follies in the mid 1970’s with Dont Cry for Me Argentina Julie Covington and Charlotte Cornwall, the half sister of John Le Carre. The marriage between “ Cockney “playing Dennis Polish Countess Rula was a stormy one of great interest to tabloid Readers. Of particular interest to me is that her father a Major, was in charge of the Polish mission to Gibraltar in World War 2, from where he was responsible for sending Radio Fee Poland. Rula is English born.

In this last episode it is the activities of Dennis which leads to not only to uncovering what happened to two antifascists activists but to the situation where the son is prepared to give evidence that he was in the car which his father drove mowing down the fictional wife of James Bolam.

The third member of the trio is Brian played by Alun Armstrong also an actor born in the North East, A Durham man from Annfield Plain, Stanley from where he attended the Grammar School at Consett. He is younger of the trio born after the war in 1946. He has had the greater dramatic career, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and in a starring role in Les Miserables as well as some forty TV shows. series and Films. He has been nominated for he Laurence Oliver acting award half a dozen times which he won in 1994. He played the character based on the Life of T Dam Smith in Our Friends in the North and Get Carter, and he also appeared with James Bolam in the Likely lads as well as the original production of Get Lost with James Bolam which inspired the Beiderbecke series.

In New Tricks, Alun has played Ex detective Inspector Brian Lane and Obsessive compulsive personality disorder recovering alcoholic, who has instant recall and a mind which digests considerable quantities of detail but is then able to see patterns and connections which others do not. He is forever getting in trouble with extremely poor social skills and his long suffering wife nearly gives up from time to time on managing him. It will be evident that I considerable sympathy with predicament of the character played by Brian

The team si led by Angela Redman from Brighton Sussex, the youngster at 52 and has only come to national attention during the past decade. She is Principal and co founder of the Artists Theatre School and one of her interests is the creation of work opportunities for the older female actor.

The career villain of the series is played by David Troughton, the son of Dr Who Patrick Troughton and I have been watching his son play cricket for Warwickshire over the past three day.

Among the other names who have appeared in the series are Jenny Agutter. Jane Asher, Stephanie Beacham, Honor Blackman, Isla Blair, Claire Bloom, Richard Briars, George Cole, Frances Le Tour, Hugh Fraser. John Fortune, James Fox, Roy Hudd, Cherie Lunghi Patrick Malahide, Bill Moody, Nadia Sawalha, John Sessions, Eric Sykes, Timothy West and June Whitfield, indicating eh influence of Angela Redman me thinks. The theme Tune- Its alright - is sung by Dennis who ahs had some success as a singer. The series is being shown internationally.

1785 Moral imperatives v Government Responsibilities

I want to write about sport and some good things but instead I feel duty to record the new horrors in Iraq which appear to have arisen directly from the withdrawal of USA forces to their basis and handing over responsibility for internal security to the Iraq government. Thus the US, the British and the rest of world that is opposed to terrorist states and terrorist religions have been outmanoeuvred again through a combination of media and public ignorance and sentiment. Of course it is horrible that young American and British soldiers are dying in a foreign land where a percentage of the population does not want them there. and it is no more horrible that the slaughter of Iraqi by Iraqi and the deaths of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of Iraqi non combatants who have died during the former regime and a direct consequence of the USA British intervention.

However as I head one young sounding Muslim woman say on the radio while I got myself ready for the day, we are in the era of the Muslim inquisition such as was experienced by Catholics over the world until some enlightenment came to the Catholic church and to the countries where it had become the dominant force in government and society. There will be some Catholics who even today would welcome the return of the Inquisition in relation to their faith, just as there are closet racists and white supremacists who will hold and pas on their prejudices what action government take. Intervention in Iraq may have been motivated by oil interests, perhaps capitalist interests, or political gesturing abroad to cover political inadequacy and incompetence at home and such like reasons but for me it was about opposition the religions and political inquisition.

Once the British and USA troops were restricted to a presence behind bases, the religious and political fanatics of Iran and Pakistan and elsewhere in the Muslim world saw the green light to organise terror in their efforts to achieve their aim of a fanatical Muslim state. There was an added problem because according one expert on the situation. the US government had been paying up to 100000 individuals around $300 dollars a month to provide them with information and keep on their side, that is $30 million month and $360 million a year.

I have started to read a history of the CND movement in Great Britain and the work commences with a chapter about what are nuclear weapons and what happened followed the detonation of two atomic bombs on the civilian population of Japan in 1945. It shortened the war and significantly reduced the number of allied casualties fighting an enemy that saw death in battle as honour and surrender and defeat as meriting suicide. It was the Japanese that made honourable the suicide bomber.

The insurance company who provided replacement money for the lost glasses asked if I had a criminal conviction so I said I had and they asked for an explanation which I then had to repeat to a senior officer so that it could be accurately noted to the database which is shared by insurers world wide. I explained what I did, the element of choice and that while I hated every moment of being in prison I did not regret having expressed my opposition to the use of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, biological and such like whether aimed exclusively at a battlefield army or indiscriminately at a population. There is no moral justification, as there was no moral justification with sending millions of men over the trenches in the First World War knowing that the majority would be slaughtered or injured for life, or fore the bombing by the allies of German cities out of revenge. I accept that there no such thing as honourable combat and I have always accepted that Governments have duties and obligations and that these will cause them to do all kinds of things which are morally unacceptable. This does not negate my belief that ends and means are synonymous and that the majority of those who live by the sword also die by it.

I was also interest by the proposal, I am not sure where, that those writing on the internet about political, religious and such similar matters should be required to put all sides of any argument is much the same way as public broadcaster are required in the UK or at least signal that the writing is biased in favour of one religion or anti religion one party or against one political party. I am in favour of the latter but only if it applies to everyone all the time. This means that the media should also disclose on the internet the original piece of writing or script and the editorial changes made and the political and religious affiliations of all those contributing to the final work published. It is all very well having principles and policies but applying them effectively every day is more an art.

So to sport and Durham Cricket and weather permitting the game against Warwickshire at the Riverside could be the one that effectively settles the championship for Durham. The day did not look promising weather wise until after lunch when the sun came out in long burst and the temperature was hot. I had unintentionally timed my arrival to coincide with the umpires coming to the wicket and the news that Warwickshire had elected to bat.

After two overs Smith changed the bowling bringing on Thorp for Davies. In the early afternoon I was standing at the boundary fence when I was joined by a regular member just as Davies was coming over and who he greeted obviously having spoken to him before, he explained that her had a problem with his bat and although he could bowl again, he was not required given the performance of his colleagues. Thorpe took five wickets for 49 runs an amazingly former captain Dale Beckenstein who came on when the third pair had put on close to 70 and looked if they were settling in had Ar Botha caught when he was 23 and followed this up with Frost for 19 and Surrey for 0. Warwickshire were quickly doomed and despite some resistance by Tahir for 10 were all out for 135 with Sussex who followed Surrey in the batting order. Getting top score of 35.

Durham did not have it all there own way in their first innings with Di Venuto going with Stoneman when the score was 43, Di Venuto was looking exceptionally dangerous having thumped the first three balls on the innings for 4 and was 40 when dismissed with Stoneman getting the other 3. Smith went the score was 87, and Chanderpaul who still one of the great batsmen in the world playing today still finds the English County Game difficult and after scratching around was out for a zero thus taking Durham to 97 for four. It was at this point Benkenstein took on his main role as a batsman and took the score past that of Warwickshire before the day closed, He was joined by Ian Blackwell and both reached their fifties the following morning. The game started 45 minutes late because of rain and there was only about 40 minutes with lunch taken early. Durham had progressed the score to 219 for six with both Beckenstein and Blackwell out. It will be surprising if the lead does not progress beyond 100 so with Warwickshire unlikely to get over 200 in their second innings, only continuing bad weather will prevent Durham having their 7th victory of season getting 18 or 19 points and taken them to 185 points. Hampshire, second from bottom in the table are going exceptionally well at second from the top Notts so even if Notts get a draw this will widen the gap with Durham further. Sussex are nearly 500 for three weeks against Somerset so that game looks like a draw given the pitch or a Sussex win who are again no threat to Durham whereas Somerset are presently third. This only leaves Lancs with outside chance against Yorkshire savouring their first win batting carefully to reach 236 for 7 by this morning when rain has stopped play, so a another draw looks the likely outcome leaving Durham almost impossible to catch up. However I still remember the 12 point lead of Newcastle at the top of the Premiership which Manchester United overcame to take the title.

Newcastle also had a win at home the previous evening. Shola Ameobi scored his fourth goal of the season early on and but for goalkeeper would have had two more. However Newcastle’s frailties are still there and they were lucky to avoid an equalizer for as the second half progressed Sheff Wednesday looked more and more likely to gain the honours from the match, Newcastle held on and finished the evening equal 1st with 7 points and fourth because of goal differences. The interesting fact is that there was a bigger crowd at Newcastle over 43000 than at Sunderland to watch their defeat against Chelsea 41000. This confirms my belief that the people appreciate it is better to watch a team fighting for the Championship than trying to avoid relegation in the Premiership.

The event of the night was Burnley beating Manchester United 1,0 at their first home game at Turf Moor for over three decades. I think I shall say that again. Burnley beat the champions Manchester United by one goal to nil last night. There was dancing in the Kings Road.

I have watched one film, The Human Jungle made in 1954. A policeman passes his law exams and looks forward to spending more time with his wife and avoiding the periods of his job. He is persuaded with little difficulty to take over a precinct where the force has become inward looking allowing the local crime organisation to flourish. The death of one of the girls from the local strip joint 50’s style is the focus of the film and it is inevitable that the police solves the crime, despite the efforts to blacken the name oft he force by the crime boss and obtain his removal.

I enjoyed a previous edition of Torchwood having been interested by the recent series called the Children and which is a cross between the X files and Dr Who. In this episode a number of children are time and dimension disappeared into a rift, it was not explained why it was children and not all ages who disappeared in this way. The female member of the team discovers that her boss knows what has happened and is caring for those who have returned. The focus is the son of a woman that the Torchwood woman is asked by her policeman friend to investigate . The former children are being cared for in an old dilapidated underground wartime facility on an island. Although the boy has only been missing for months he has aged 40 years and is grossly disfigured. Against advice the Torchwood member brings the mother to meet her son who at first cannot cope with his appearance but then realises it is her child and wants to take him to look after him. Then the two realise the impossibility as the former child lets out an ear shattering scream which continues for the greater part of each day. The mother presses the girl not to put other parents in the same position. The truth is not always the best solution for everyone.

There was an element of this about the final Do you Think you are? Present series. Martin Freeman is an actor who starred in the comedy series the Office which brought fame to Rickey Gervais. I did not think he or the series was funny, amusing or entertaining. I can understand why the investigation of the paternal background of Martin Freeman is included in this series but not as the final episode unless it is to give a further warning to family historians that there are skeletons in more family cupboards than heroes and heroines.

The interest was his great grandfather and mother. His grandfather had died at Dunkirk as part of the Ambulance service and Martin was moved to find a plaque at the regimental Headquarters as well as documentation on the incident which caused the death. He was interested how the great grandparents came to Hull and discovered that the great grandfather had been an Organist and blind from birth and attended one of the national schools placed their by his parents who wanted him to have a better life than they could give him and their other children.

The programme revealed that after this education he had become a piano tuner in the Worthing area and played the organ at a local church, He had also become a supplier of piano and organs, married and had a large family of seven children. For some unstated reason it appeared he had been asked to leave the church although the implication was some kind of scandal. There was a gap in what then happened to him although it is then established that he was married two further times, having a child by the second wife and then a dozen children by his third wife six of whom had died in early infancy in succession. This led to the revelation that his wife had inherited a sexually transmitted disease from her father and that one consequence is that it affects the birth of children with miscarriages, followed by death in infancy and then early childhood from inability to thrive. This explained that the couple then had six more children. The great grandmother outlives her husband by several decades being twenty years younger than he on their marriage and she went on to marry twice. To reassure that the revelation was not as special as might be considered, the programme was at pains to point out that in Victorian days one in ten of the population were believed to be carriers of the disease which tends to raise questions about the emphasise suggesting that people had become more promiscuous and prone to sexually transmitted diseases as one outcome of the swing sixties.

I cannot end this piece without also mentioning that there was a lack of appropriate concern on the part of officialdom about the abuse of female blind young people in specialist institutions in the past and by specialist workers in the community. Hopefully the failures of the past have been remedied.