I had to drag myself out of bed this morning and this led to thinking back to when I was a child and used to dread going to school on some days and at some times but I cannot remember having to struggle in similar fashion to get myself up. I would, bleary eyed, make my way to the station at Wallington when I started work at the age of sixteen years to catch the seven thirty train which would get me into Victoria around ten past eight and then I would have twenty minutes to catch a bus down the Vauxhall Bridge Road to sign the book around 8.30. A member of the senior staff closed the book at 8,45 by drawing a line, but was flexible if he had heard in advance that someone would be delayed so they could present their arrival as 8.44. I used to speculate what it would be like not to have to get up and stay up late and then get up when one felt ready.
I cannot remember having much difficulty rising between five and six to get to the office to start drafting the majority report on a child care enquiry in the early 1980;s when I was forty. I would work on the report until ten or eleven then switch to my day job unless there was a 10 o’clock meeting when the latest would 9.30 when I would need time to prepare, although even then I would have gone through the papers before going to bed the previous evening. I would then work until I had completed the day job tasks which might mean staying until six or seven. Most of my other colleagues would not be in until 8.30 or nine, go home of they lived in the borough for lunch and then be among the first away late afternoon, but there was always papers to read in the evenings and some also like me found themselves reading and dictating over the week ends. I always like to have correspondence drafted for my secretary first thing in the morning. I used to use a dictating machine and a portable typewriter until the arrival of the word processor.
When I stopped having the work responsibilities for others I still got myself up as early as possible whatever the time of going to bed the night before. The problem now as it has been for over years is having to get up several times during the night to go to the toilet, together with being overweight and old age. It has made going out to events in the evening difficult.
I was in the process of getting up this morning and I listened to a the radio where someone was talking about the world fishing championship where England is in the running again after a not so good day yesterday when the Russians came from no where to take the lead in team and individual events. What struck me as amazing is that some competitors were attracting a large number of spectators. It had never occurred to me that fishing was an spectator sport or ought to be treated as a sporting event. Fishing should only be for food. Having said that I can see the appeal as a challenge man against a small being and winning and enjoying being outdoors. There are anything up to a hundred fisherman most weekends on South shields river pier. Oddly I could find no news report of this event. Interestingly the BBC does not regard Angling as a sport and the EEC is debating whether to insist that recreational anglers to fish at sea should submit returns on their catches which in turn would count against the quotas.
It was a good decision yesterday not to go to the cricket as it was being shown on TV. Durham played well having been sent into bat with Mustard getting 100 having been out three times in the 90’s this season. People were well wrapped in coats even though the sun did come out late afternoon. I stayed to watch the Essex openers take a different approach to getting the required runs, concentrating on a run or two a ball rather than the big hits. Without Harmison, Onions, Davis or Thorp presumably rested for the big match later in the week, we were going to struggle to take wickets, especially with Cook on form. I went out get milk, fruit and salad and to take packaging and a couple of items to the Council waste disposal centre. Young spinner Borthwick was given an opportunity and alas he went for 60 runs off five overs. I returned in time for England’s Friendly at Wembley which they won 2.1 before a crowd of estimated at 50000, as warm up prepared for the World Cup qualifying game on Wednesday. This was followed by the X factor where I failed to recognise an outstanding new act although there were a couple of female singers and 16 year old boy who the judges appreciated. There have been fewer groups highlighted this year so far. I made some work progress but not as much as on Friday.
On Sunday the main event was to have been the second one day international between England and Australia at Lords. Australia were again asked to bat as England hoped the pitch would be lively in he early morning with the game commencing at 10.15 and then calm down when they were into bat and for the first three quarters oft he match this appeared to be the right decision. Australia were held to a total of 240 and this was reached because a couple of high scoring overs otherwise the target should have been in the order of 225 to 230. England then got off to an excellent start with Strauss scoring well and Bopara holding up his end continuing to struggle to find his form. There then was a mini collapse and only Collingwood held on ending with the highest score of 50. Australia now lead the series 2.0 with the seventh at the Riverside. The weather forecast has changed and next week promises to be good although there is heavy and persistent rain also forecast this month following on from Atlantic USA hurricanes.
Because of the inevitable I switched to the two hour 2004 film version of Vanity Fair based on the William Makepeace Thackeray novel and which follows BBC dramatizations in the 1960’s 1980’s and 1990’s with Reese Witherspoon as Beck Sharp (Crawley) Eileen Atkins, Geraldine McEwan, Bob Hoskins and Jim Broadbent. Such a short version was bound to cut corners given that the 1998 version lasted five hours.
The story concerns respective fortunes and misfortunes of the clever, ambitions “orphan” Becky and her Ladies Academy friend Amelia who takes her into the family home where she takes an interest in the Brother who works for the East India company. However he is warned off by the man Amelia has been engaged since her youth Captain George Osborn and he is just as ruthless and deceitful as Becky.
Becky then moves into the household of Sit Pitt Crawley as governess to his daughters and when the man’s wife dies he proposes to her only to find that she ahs secretly married his second son. This causes a right with her employer and his wealthy sister who did favour Becky’s husband until the marriage and switches to the other son.
Amelia’s father meanwhile becomes bankrupt and this prevents the marriage to Captain Osborn but under pressure from his father to marry for money and position and from his friend Dobbin, sounds a faithful friend with that name, who secretly loves Amelia persuade Osborne to marry her although they couple are not suited.
The lives of the two families are set in the time of the Napoleonic wars and men are summoned to Brussels to participate and attend the famous real life ball given by the Duchess of Richmond on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo.
In the film Captain Crawley is portrayed as a man genuinely in love with his wife but penniless and in debt without family support and because of gambling debts, although he is able to give Becky money before the a battle having had a good run at the card tables. She on the other hand takes an interest in Captain Osborn and they unsurprisingly hit it off although Becky is quite willing to switch her interest of Napoleon’s officers should they win the battle. Amelia breaks with Becky and then misfortune strikes as while Captain Crawley survives Captain Osborne does not and Amelia becomes a destitute mother, her husband having also been disinherited by his father. The grandfather then decided to provide for her on the understanding he brings up his grandson and his daughter in law has little to do with the boy. Dobbin also provides support and purchases her piano which is among the items auctioned off when the father becomes bankrupt. She thinks her husband has doe this and this act helped to creates a myth about their relationship which takes over her life following his death.
Whereas Amelia is devastated by the gulf which develops with her son, For Beck, motherhood is an encumbrances and she seizes the opportunity when she is taken up by the worldly and powerful Marques of Steyn. He pays of Crawley’s debts , provides financial support which enables to son to attend a residential public school and introduces Beck to Society and which leads to being presented to the Prince Regent.
The financial support from Steyn is insufficient for Beck and her husband’s lifestyle and she borrows from everyone including their servants whose life savings she misuses. When her husband discovers the extent of financial support from Steyn which has been kept from him and the suspects the nature of the relationship he abandons his wife and is then sent to become Governor if a distant Island, arranged by Steyn and for tells Becky should she leave London and live in Europe.
Dobbyn and his friend, Amelia’s brother who had wanted Becky but been warned off by Osborne return after spending a decade in India. Dobbyn takes up with Amelia but is only allowed to be her friend, but also acts as a guardian towards her son, The son has inherit from his grandfather who also provides for Amelia. Dobbyn accompanies Amelia brother and son on a trip to Europe where they encounter Becky living as con artist around the card tables with the suggestion of having sunk lower. It is at this point that the film diverges in a major way from the book. In the film and the book when Becky and Amelia meet again, Becky reveals the truth nature of Captain Osborne showing Amelia the note he had written to her before the Battle of Waterloo and this results in her reappraising Dobbyn especially when she learns it is he who bought the piano back for her. In the film they marry and the impression given that they live happy ever after whereas in the book Dobbyn realises first love can never be recaptured. Thackeray is reported to have been in love with the wife of his best friend, a love unrequited. In the film Becky also is alleges to have found lasting happiness when she takes up with Amelia’s brother and goes off with him to India. My understanding is that in the book while Becky does accept the interest of the younger Crawley who is shy and fat but made money as a tax collector in India, he dies in suspicious circumstances, suggesting that Becky has got rid of him. However if so this was a big mistake because her husband had died earlier and therefore his brother would have succeeded to the title and estate. Instead although she calls herself Lady Crawley and lives well because her son who has inherited the estate looks after despite her previous indifference towards him.
While Becky has several setbacks Thackeray appears to be favouring the adventurer against the lifestyle of those who lead plain, simple and honest lives.
If so this contrasts significantly with Sodom and Gomorrah, the two and half hour 1960’s epic with Stewart Granger. And Pier Angelli and Stanley Baker. The film was one f several attempt to make entertaining films with a message out of stories from the Old Testament.
The film opens with an end of a an orgy scene in the heavily fortified walled city of Sodom which is a bitter rival of Gomorrah, Sodom’s economy is based on the manufacture of salt using slaves and which it sells at a premium to its rival city. Sodom is run by a firm and bright Queen much to the envy of her brother played by Stanley Baker who converts her position and is plotting gain power with the help of Gomorrah and some of the officers in the army.
He sends the head slave on a mission to meet the people of Gomorrah but she is captured by a look out expedition from Sodom is persuaded not to reveal who is behind her mission and she and her sisters perish to be replaced by someone destined to become Lot’s wife,
Lot is the appointed leader of a branch of the Israelites who are crossing the desert in search of a new life on the banks of the Jordan. His leadership is contested by a man who is also to play a significant role in this piece of fiction. Lot does a deal with the Queen which allows him use of the land on one side of the Jordan in payment for a quantity of wheat for seven years. He is horrified that Sodom keeps slaves and part of the deal is the offer of sanctuary if they manage to escape across the river. He present a horse and she present her chief slave who at first resent the role as housekeeper to lot and which involve wearing the same clothing as other women. The Israelites build a dam and prosper and quietly prepare for the defence of their community as part of the deal with the Queen who is aware of her brother’s treachery so that when the attack comes she ensures that her enemies are sent out to help the Israelites while keeping her trusted troops in the city and her brother at her side.
her brother to her side. The plan for the advancing army t be led along the dried up mouth of the river in to a ravine where the Israelites aware with slings behind rocks as do the archers of Sodom. They then release oil from container either side of the ravine into a narrow pit which is fired thus preventing the attackers from advancing and they are able to assault them from the rocks up with sling shot and arrows. However Lot’s rival has gone over to the other side and he and the one of the plotters cut the oil flow so that the fire dies down and the attackers are able to advance. The solution is to break the dam which effective wipes out the enemy. However meanwhile the village encampment has been destroyed and lots accepts the hospitality of Sodom. Lot has also married the former slave girl leader and one of his daughters is marrying his trusted assistant while the other has taken an interest in the life of those in the city until she is subject of an aggressive assault from Stanley Baker while returning from one of his secret missions.
There is no agreement amongst historians and archaeologist that the two cities existed although there are remains in the area and one theory is that they were destroyed in an earthquake leading to the conviction that this was God’s wrath for the life style. The Bible in is use of knowing to communicate sexual knowledge tells the story of two angels visiting Lot and the local people spotting strangers clamoured to know them and goes on to allege that Lot offered his two daughters for the citizens to do what they willed. The story goes to with famous ending when his wife is turned to a block of salt for looking back when ordered not to do so.
The film got off to great start with the titles in German and of course Stewart Granger was always Stewart Granger in whatever he did.
I cannot remember having much difficulty rising between five and six to get to the office to start drafting the majority report on a child care enquiry in the early 1980;s when I was forty. I would work on the report until ten or eleven then switch to my day job unless there was a 10 o’clock meeting when the latest would 9.30 when I would need time to prepare, although even then I would have gone through the papers before going to bed the previous evening. I would then work until I had completed the day job tasks which might mean staying until six or seven. Most of my other colleagues would not be in until 8.30 or nine, go home of they lived in the borough for lunch and then be among the first away late afternoon, but there was always papers to read in the evenings and some also like me found themselves reading and dictating over the week ends. I always like to have correspondence drafted for my secretary first thing in the morning. I used to use a dictating machine and a portable typewriter until the arrival of the word processor.
When I stopped having the work responsibilities for others I still got myself up as early as possible whatever the time of going to bed the night before. The problem now as it has been for over years is having to get up several times during the night to go to the toilet, together with being overweight and old age. It has made going out to events in the evening difficult.
I was in the process of getting up this morning and I listened to a the radio where someone was talking about the world fishing championship where England is in the running again after a not so good day yesterday when the Russians came from no where to take the lead in team and individual events. What struck me as amazing is that some competitors were attracting a large number of spectators. It had never occurred to me that fishing was an spectator sport or ought to be treated as a sporting event. Fishing should only be for food. Having said that I can see the appeal as a challenge man against a small being and winning and enjoying being outdoors. There are anything up to a hundred fisherman most weekends on South shields river pier. Oddly I could find no news report of this event. Interestingly the BBC does not regard Angling as a sport and the EEC is debating whether to insist that recreational anglers to fish at sea should submit returns on their catches which in turn would count against the quotas.
It was a good decision yesterday not to go to the cricket as it was being shown on TV. Durham played well having been sent into bat with Mustard getting 100 having been out three times in the 90’s this season. People were well wrapped in coats even though the sun did come out late afternoon. I stayed to watch the Essex openers take a different approach to getting the required runs, concentrating on a run or two a ball rather than the big hits. Without Harmison, Onions, Davis or Thorp presumably rested for the big match later in the week, we were going to struggle to take wickets, especially with Cook on form. I went out get milk, fruit and salad and to take packaging and a couple of items to the Council waste disposal centre. Young spinner Borthwick was given an opportunity and alas he went for 60 runs off five overs. I returned in time for England’s Friendly at Wembley which they won 2.1 before a crowd of estimated at 50000, as warm up prepared for the World Cup qualifying game on Wednesday. This was followed by the X factor where I failed to recognise an outstanding new act although there were a couple of female singers and 16 year old boy who the judges appreciated. There have been fewer groups highlighted this year so far. I made some work progress but not as much as on Friday.
On Sunday the main event was to have been the second one day international between England and Australia at Lords. Australia were again asked to bat as England hoped the pitch would be lively in he early morning with the game commencing at 10.15 and then calm down when they were into bat and for the first three quarters oft he match this appeared to be the right decision. Australia were held to a total of 240 and this was reached because a couple of high scoring overs otherwise the target should have been in the order of 225 to 230. England then got off to an excellent start with Strauss scoring well and Bopara holding up his end continuing to struggle to find his form. There then was a mini collapse and only Collingwood held on ending with the highest score of 50. Australia now lead the series 2.0 with the seventh at the Riverside. The weather forecast has changed and next week promises to be good although there is heavy and persistent rain also forecast this month following on from Atlantic USA hurricanes.
Because of the inevitable I switched to the two hour 2004 film version of Vanity Fair based on the William Makepeace Thackeray novel and which follows BBC dramatizations in the 1960’s 1980’s and 1990’s with Reese Witherspoon as Beck Sharp (Crawley) Eileen Atkins, Geraldine McEwan, Bob Hoskins and Jim Broadbent. Such a short version was bound to cut corners given that the 1998 version lasted five hours.
The story concerns respective fortunes and misfortunes of the clever, ambitions “orphan” Becky and her Ladies Academy friend Amelia who takes her into the family home where she takes an interest in the Brother who works for the East India company. However he is warned off by the man Amelia has been engaged since her youth Captain George Osborn and he is just as ruthless and deceitful as Becky.
Becky then moves into the household of Sit Pitt Crawley as governess to his daughters and when the man’s wife dies he proposes to her only to find that she ahs secretly married his second son. This causes a right with her employer and his wealthy sister who did favour Becky’s husband until the marriage and switches to the other son.
Amelia’s father meanwhile becomes bankrupt and this prevents the marriage to Captain Osborn but under pressure from his father to marry for money and position and from his friend Dobbin, sounds a faithful friend with that name, who secretly loves Amelia persuade Osborne to marry her although they couple are not suited.
The lives of the two families are set in the time of the Napoleonic wars and men are summoned to Brussels to participate and attend the famous real life ball given by the Duchess of Richmond on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo.
In the film Captain Crawley is portrayed as a man genuinely in love with his wife but penniless and in debt without family support and because of gambling debts, although he is able to give Becky money before the a battle having had a good run at the card tables. She on the other hand takes an interest in Captain Osborn and they unsurprisingly hit it off although Becky is quite willing to switch her interest of Napoleon’s officers should they win the battle. Amelia breaks with Becky and then misfortune strikes as while Captain Crawley survives Captain Osborne does not and Amelia becomes a destitute mother, her husband having also been disinherited by his father. The grandfather then decided to provide for her on the understanding he brings up his grandson and his daughter in law has little to do with the boy. Dobbin also provides support and purchases her piano which is among the items auctioned off when the father becomes bankrupt. She thinks her husband has doe this and this act helped to creates a myth about their relationship which takes over her life following his death.
Whereas Amelia is devastated by the gulf which develops with her son, For Beck, motherhood is an encumbrances and she seizes the opportunity when she is taken up by the worldly and powerful Marques of Steyn. He pays of Crawley’s debts , provides financial support which enables to son to attend a residential public school and introduces Beck to Society and which leads to being presented to the Prince Regent.
The financial support from Steyn is insufficient for Beck and her husband’s lifestyle and she borrows from everyone including their servants whose life savings she misuses. When her husband discovers the extent of financial support from Steyn which has been kept from him and the suspects the nature of the relationship he abandons his wife and is then sent to become Governor if a distant Island, arranged by Steyn and for tells Becky should she leave London and live in Europe.
Dobbyn and his friend, Amelia’s brother who had wanted Becky but been warned off by Osborne return after spending a decade in India. Dobbyn takes up with Amelia but is only allowed to be her friend, but also acts as a guardian towards her son, The son has inherit from his grandfather who also provides for Amelia. Dobbyn accompanies Amelia brother and son on a trip to Europe where they encounter Becky living as con artist around the card tables with the suggestion of having sunk lower. It is at this point that the film diverges in a major way from the book. In the film and the book when Becky and Amelia meet again, Becky reveals the truth nature of Captain Osborne showing Amelia the note he had written to her before the Battle of Waterloo and this results in her reappraising Dobbyn especially when she learns it is he who bought the piano back for her. In the film they marry and the impression given that they live happy ever after whereas in the book Dobbyn realises first love can never be recaptured. Thackeray is reported to have been in love with the wife of his best friend, a love unrequited. In the film Becky also is alleges to have found lasting happiness when she takes up with Amelia’s brother and goes off with him to India. My understanding is that in the book while Becky does accept the interest of the younger Crawley who is shy and fat but made money as a tax collector in India, he dies in suspicious circumstances, suggesting that Becky has got rid of him. However if so this was a big mistake because her husband had died earlier and therefore his brother would have succeeded to the title and estate. Instead although she calls herself Lady Crawley and lives well because her son who has inherited the estate looks after despite her previous indifference towards him.
While Becky has several setbacks Thackeray appears to be favouring the adventurer against the lifestyle of those who lead plain, simple and honest lives.
If so this contrasts significantly with Sodom and Gomorrah, the two and half hour 1960’s epic with Stewart Granger. And Pier Angelli and Stanley Baker. The film was one f several attempt to make entertaining films with a message out of stories from the Old Testament.
The film opens with an end of a an orgy scene in the heavily fortified walled city of Sodom which is a bitter rival of Gomorrah, Sodom’s economy is based on the manufacture of salt using slaves and which it sells at a premium to its rival city. Sodom is run by a firm and bright Queen much to the envy of her brother played by Stanley Baker who converts her position and is plotting gain power with the help of Gomorrah and some of the officers in the army.
He sends the head slave on a mission to meet the people of Gomorrah but she is captured by a look out expedition from Sodom is persuaded not to reveal who is behind her mission and she and her sisters perish to be replaced by someone destined to become Lot’s wife,
Lot is the appointed leader of a branch of the Israelites who are crossing the desert in search of a new life on the banks of the Jordan. His leadership is contested by a man who is also to play a significant role in this piece of fiction. Lot does a deal with the Queen which allows him use of the land on one side of the Jordan in payment for a quantity of wheat for seven years. He is horrified that Sodom keeps slaves and part of the deal is the offer of sanctuary if they manage to escape across the river. He present a horse and she present her chief slave who at first resent the role as housekeeper to lot and which involve wearing the same clothing as other women. The Israelites build a dam and prosper and quietly prepare for the defence of their community as part of the deal with the Queen who is aware of her brother’s treachery so that when the attack comes she ensures that her enemies are sent out to help the Israelites while keeping her trusted troops in the city and her brother at her side.
her brother to her side. The plan for the advancing army t be led along the dried up mouth of the river in to a ravine where the Israelites aware with slings behind rocks as do the archers of Sodom. They then release oil from container either side of the ravine into a narrow pit which is fired thus preventing the attackers from advancing and they are able to assault them from the rocks up with sling shot and arrows. However Lot’s rival has gone over to the other side and he and the one of the plotters cut the oil flow so that the fire dies down and the attackers are able to advance. The solution is to break the dam which effective wipes out the enemy. However meanwhile the village encampment has been destroyed and lots accepts the hospitality of Sodom. Lot has also married the former slave girl leader and one of his daughters is marrying his trusted assistant while the other has taken an interest in the life of those in the city until she is subject of an aggressive assault from Stanley Baker while returning from one of his secret missions.
There is no agreement amongst historians and archaeologist that the two cities existed although there are remains in the area and one theory is that they were destroyed in an earthquake leading to the conviction that this was God’s wrath for the life style. The Bible in is use of knowing to communicate sexual knowledge tells the story of two angels visiting Lot and the local people spotting strangers clamoured to know them and goes on to allege that Lot offered his two daughters for the citizens to do what they willed. The story goes to with famous ending when his wife is turned to a block of salt for looking back when ordered not to do so.
The film got off to great start with the titles in German and of course Stewart Granger was always Stewart Granger in whatever he did.
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