1835 Talking to Sophie Calle

I did not know Sophie Calle until the autumn of 2006 when in my sixty seventh year. I regret this alongside my failure to understand performance and concept art until making the effort in the summer of 2002 after the opening of the Baltic contemporary art space on Tyneside and seeing the film on the life of Jackson Pollock. It was not until a visit to London a few weeks later that I bought the Nikos Stangos editing book Concepts of Modern Art and the last two chapters Christopher Reed on Modernism and Identity and Roberta Smith on Conceptual Art changed my life in a more fundamental way than the discovery in 1999 that my father had become the Catholic Vicar General of Gibraltar.

I do not mean know in the biblical sense, although my accumulated experience suggests that we can know more of an individual through their work than by living with them. What we know is our interaction with the time period of their work or our period of direct contact and even where another discloses their thoughts, internal images and sensations, it is always an edited experience and with only limited disclosure of their subconscious for those able to interpret with some accuracy.

In 2006 I had not been to contemporary theatre, or out to much else between 2003 and 2006, fully engaged as I was in the creation of the installation then called 101 Public and Private Art and now 100.75 Public and Private Art. until the redesigned Newcastle Playhouse was open again. On the 27th of September 2006 I visited to new second space at the theatre to see Exquisite Pain, a performance art work lasting two and a half hours without interruption and created by someone called Sophie Calle. I liked the old second space at the Playhouse which I previously visited usually to see actors of the Royal Shakespeare company because of the intimacy between the players and the audience less than 100 souls sitting within the performance space. Now the space was on the ground floor and could become an additional back space to the main space and auditorium, to as in the instance of this first use as a separate space a second auditorium with perhaps 200 uncomfortable seats in a traditional single slope to the theatre. I had not made an immediate note but written about the experience for my AOL Blog a month later 26.10.2006 and which I then published in a revised form here on as 31 in March 2007 and then on Google this year as 1031.
I had used Jokerman script for the original piece.“26.10.2006 .The use of Jokerman script for Exquisite Pain (27.09.2006 Newcastle Playhouse) is at one level appropriate. It is not a play but a performance art work where the setting of a seated audience for two and a half hours is inappropriate, one needed to be able to walk about” and in my instance join in.

“12.03.2007 if you have not been to the theatre to experience acting for sometime then Exquisite Pain is not the work to go and see. It is not a play but performance art using exceptionally talented actors. (I can say this because I also watched them perform a total theatre experience of the history of The World in Pictures, two days later).

You sit with increasing discomfort for two and a half hours without interruption. The discomfort is physical and emotional and is an appropriate way to experience the work. I would have preferred to have walked about a bit but keeping within listening distance.

This autobiographical work, previously performed by the artist and available in book form, is by Sophie Calle, born in Paris in 1953. In 1985 her lover and older man failed to meet her as arranged in New Delhi midway between where she had been for several months and experience, rather than traumatised and was able to work through the disappointment, humiliation, and victim guilt, because she was a creative using photo, memorabilia and words, but kept a record of how her perception of the event changed through linear time.”

“26.10.2006 The performance consists of one person telling the story of dealing with a traumatic experience and how the view of that experience changes over time, one blames oneself, where she had previously lived, She was devastated by the one blames the other person one gets angry at being affected so much yet because one wanted and hopes for resolution reconciliation one clings the hope for a different outcome because that it is a possibility but the reality is that when you compare such an experience with the experience of others you realise that however painful, it is insignificant to the realities of the succession of tragedies and horrors of others which are told in a dead pan and sometimes humorous way.”

13.03.2007 Sophie Calle could have just created a performance work in which she recounted the same experience over the subsequent days, weeks and months, reporting and observing changes in detail, consideration, feelings, attitude and judgement. This could have been a complete work. She did not.

On her return to Paris, she asked a group of friends to answer the question, "When did you most suffer?" Their stories of pain, each of them accompanied by a photograph, interplay with Calle's own story and daily reflections—"It is now seventy-five days since the man I love left me"—creating a testament to the heartache of romantic rejection. 130 illustrations, 71 in colour available through Amazon.”

30.11.2009. I write this on the train to Newcastle. Sophie appears to see herself first as a voyeur albeit a self controlled one me thinks, and an exhibitionist second. Both words tend to be regarded in only a pejorative way by the popular media and have conditioned the general public accordingly. Both require courage whether undertaken in a public or private way.

“27.09.2006 the university car park was free tonight, I usually pay £2. I enjoyed the salad and timed everything much better. It is the right thing to do to take the car although it would be sensible to work out the motorway way route back. It is ridiculous that you cannot enter the theatre at this level with the choice if steep steps or walking around the theatre up the slope.”

“28.02.2007. The revised travel arrangements to the Playhouse and other evening outings to Newcastle are now working well. I still visit my mother and then take the car to the Hewarth short stay car park adjacent to the taxi rank and metro station. I eat the picnic meal in the car and then continue the journey by metro train. On the way there is now a sign which suggests it might be possible to enter the theatre directly from the car park. It is.”

30.11.2009 The University has now built its main public reception building on the car park and there is now a grand staircase entrance by the side of the building which leads to the space with the splendid university student union building on one side and the Playhouse Theatre on the other. I assume one can no longer take the car close the theatre anymore but have not taken time to explore this further or been to the theatre for a year.

“27.09.2006 this is my first experience of the new second theatre space. For on the Town when both spaces were combined the audience sat on tiered seating the width of the second space facing into the main auditorium and banked seating. Previously we sat on similar seating in a semi circle around the stage which I like to call eyeball theatre. Now there is conventional tiered seating with not much space to move legs unless you sit on an aisle or the front row where you will feel part of the performance. I chickened out and sat mid row, fortunately one vacant seat so there was some manoeuvrability. My ticket was free as part of a five main theatre subscription packaged. Many in the audience were students. Unsurprisingly there was a plea for funds at the end and I decide to give £10 which is slightly more than the average of £7 requested. Free programme included.”

“13.03.2007. The incorporation of the stories of the experiences of Calle's friends was inspirational. Each story communicates an aspect of physical and emotional pain but the accumulation of experience helps to put her experience into perspective

At the end of the World in Pictures chorus makes the valid point that however much the average member of the audience enjoys, appreciates, is moved or challenged by the event, it will become submerged under layers of new experiences of varying intensity and significance.”

26.10.2006 There was also an after performance session with the two actors, and the company director chaired by a local cultural figure. I had only 'discovered' this extraordinary company through the internet during the afternoon beforehand and had become so interested that I abandoned my work programme. The amazing aspect is that the core actors had been together throughout their working lives having come together at university. At the discussion I made a clanger by concertinaing this time, having misinterpreted an aspect of the internet information. I also wanted to know if the order in which the stories of the friends are recounted is changed according performance. It is not although if the work was mine I would have included the variations”- to see if by doing so my view of what had happened to me, changed 30.11.2009.

“13.03.2007. Calle's work and the performance by the Forced Entertainment company is at the core of my work and confirms that what I am doing is only original in its particular form, at least I hope that this is the position, but the concepts are already aspects of the work of professional contemporary creative of international reputation. However I do not regret only entering back through the portal of my occupational dimension of four decades into my first period of full time creative endeavour. Now I have a lot to say even if I continued to be limited in the means of expression.”

29.11.2009. I have met Sophie Calle again two days ago. The experience was unplanned because at the last moment I had a free day in London and had read Time Out, looking first at the cinema listing and discovering that a film about the Seraphine of Senlis was to open at midday, decided to attend the first performance the Curzon Renoir in Brunswick Square. I then looked at the major space exhibitions which are listed alphabetically but on the third page under Critic‘s choice there was her name Sophie Calle, announcing that she was revealing more of herself at the Whitechapel Gallery from 11am. This became my priority visit until an evening engagement and I quickly worked out how to get to Aldegate East which is behind the City area where I had worked 50 years ago unsuccessfully trying to sell office machines for an Italian company and on a road to Stratford from Tower Bridge which I used several times a year over a period of several years.

I should have arrived for 11 but made a mess of the travel as a consequence of devoting insufficient time to learning the route from East Croydon Station. As will be evident to anyone reading any of my writing I have a learning disability which prevents the immediate recollection of grammar and vocabulary and to ensure that I remember anything and although I spell check, reread and revise any writing, usually once, I continue to find errors, sometimes rendering a sentence incomprehensible. I sometimes leave my work uncorrected.

30.11 2009. For some reason about which I am no longer sure I took the train to London Bridge rather than direct to St Pancras and this resulted in having to climb the stairs at London bridge over platforms and then down to the platform, where fortunately the train from East Croydon to Bedford arrived a few minutes later. I had not lost time but had the additional effort. However what I should have done is get off at Farringdon and take the Hammersmith and City Line to Aldegate East from there. Instead I continued to St Pancras and then had to walk the full length the station to the booking hall at the front and to the Hammersmith and City line which is one the same platform at the circle and district lines. As I was to discover on my way to King Cross station later that evening there is now a new booking hall between the far end of St Pancras and the present side entrance into Kings Cross and which was opened to the public for the first time on Sunday. I do not know if this will also cut the distance to the Hammersmith and city line.

In any event having arrived at the St Pancras platform trains came and departed along the other routes for 15 to 20 minutes before one of two trains in succession going towards Aldegate East were announced. Thus I had extended the journey time by half an hour and it was after 11 before I arrived at the art space and was pleasantly surprised to find that the station entrance and exist is part of the gallery building and that for several years I had driven along the road on my way from Wallington via Tower Bridge to Stratford. I also quickly realised it was in the area where the British Olivetti City office had been located and where each day accompanied with other members of the selling team we had made our way to a bacon roll and coffee breakfast hideaway from the supervisor.

I m just have the address somewhere which I hope to find one day, although the breakfast cafe may be long gone as much of this part of London.

Petticoat Lane is as always but with little evidence of customers on the Friday. From Wikipedia I gather that on Sunday morning there can be as many a thousand stalls covering the wider area and while tourists visit it remains primarily a place to go for clothing. I was struck by two neighbouring shops which specialised in formal suits and dresses for young people, including waistcoats. I assume this is for formal occasions as I cannot recall seeing a child in such attire. There were also two stalls/shops selling luggage at very low prices. Nearby is Brick Lane and its market of fruit and vegetable and which is the home of the Bangladeshi community in this part of London an area previously occupied by Irish and then Jewish immigrants. On my explore I discovered Toynbee Hall the original University Settlement Hall in which those interested in social work could provide services to the underclass in the local community and which continues to this day in an area now overshadowed by the Gherkin and other City Towers and the encroachment of corporations and hotel chains. Lenin visited Toynbee Hall and Clem Atlee worked there as did Lord Profumo who devoted his life there after the Keeler Scandal.

Later after the visit to the Whitechapel Gallery I found an area of street seating close to the East London Mosque which can accommodate 4500 people, next to which is also the London Muslim Centre, which has facilities for several thousand, for the purpose of eating the prepared salad brought with the previous day. Nearby was the London Bell Centre workshops and a little way further along I passed a small group of beautifully attire young Muslim women standing talking and giggly oblivious that they had stopped across the road from the Nag’s Head Gentleman’s club out of wish an Asian gentleman was exiting. I wonder if the various Royals and national politicians who have visited the Mosque and centre noted the incongruity of local authority planning approval being given for such a facility in this neighbourhood.

I knew of the Whitechapel gallery but had no knowledge of the nature of its space which is not surprising as after closure it reopened only earlier this year having doubled in size following expenditure of £13.5million. Having deposited by bag and resisted the temptation to visit the book shop I entered the new ground floor gallery space behind the new restaurant to be confronted with the Nelson Rockefeller 1955 commissioned tapestry of Picasso’s Guernica which for the past couple of decades has hung outside the Security Council meeting room at the United Nations building in New York. The tapestry is set against a blue backcloth the significance of which was to emerge in the installation notes.

Around 1975 on my visit to the South of France I experience a major work of Picasso on War and Peace in a church at Vallauris where Picasso lived from 1948 to 1955. I cannot remember when I acquired the large block reproduction of Guernica which now hangs in the room in which spend most of my days working and experiencing.

The reason for the presence of the tapestry at the Whitechapel is the work of London based Polish creative visual artist Goska Macuga who is known for the presentation as installations historical objects and documents. In 2003 a blue curtain was hung over the tapestry as Colin Powell delivered his speech on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Goska has placed his Guernica against a backcloth of Blue in from of which there is a large table similar to that used by the Security Council but with inlay of documents which reflect keys moments in the history of the Whitechapel where there have been meetings and discussions and where groups are invited to do likewise during the year long presentation of the installation. What was new to me is that the original Guernica was displayed at the Whitechapel in 1939 after it had been on display at the 1937 Paris Exhibition. Moreover Clem Atlee had addressed a meeting before the picture a large reprint of the photograph of the event was the centrepiece of a newspaper produced for the 2009 event and which I fear I mistakenly put out with the now free London Evening Standard. I will obtain another if still available when I revisit just before Christmas.

Before entering the ground floor space which is devoted Ms Calle’s Take Care of Yourself I stayed alone in the Zilkha Auditorium where Inci Eviner is showing perpetually her film Harem 2009 based on a 19th century engraving which looks more like the inside of a lunatic asylum than the sexual playthings of a Sultan of Constantinople. The film has a hypnotic quality despite the contrived grainy effect.

It was then I was ready to meet Sophie Calle once more although the front stage was occupied by a mural of video screens where a score of the 107 women she contacted from an opera singer to rock artist responded on film interpreting an email received from a partner breaking up with her. The performance are also on a continuous loop but switch between them for the sound and which is the English speaking Premier of the work which she took to the Venice Biennale in 2007, the same year that Tracey Emin occupied the British Pavilion. Around the walls are large format responses to this most extraordinary of emails, including from the chief of police and psychiatrist I ordered an edition of the book on the work while travelling back to South Shields today.

I found copies of all the official guides to the British leading participants to the Biennale on one of the top gallery floors together with photos and information including a group photograph at a lunch which represent a history of British art with Henry Moore and JMW Turner, Ben Nicholson and John Tunnard at the opening in 1948, Graham Sutherland 1952 Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud and Reg Butler in 54, John Bratby 56 Victor Passmore in 60 Bridget Riley 68 David Hockney 78 Anthony Gormley and Anish Kapoor. Damien Hirst and Julian Opie 93, and the single contributors over the past decade with Mark Wallinger, Chris Orfili, Gilbert and George before Tracey and the video installation Steve McQueen this year.

I was then ready for Calle’s Talking to Strangers, inviting people to use her bed and then photograph them as well as asking resident’s of the Bronx to take her to their favourite place.

Seven times before my life was fundamentally affected and reshaped by unplanned events or unexpected experience and the combination events last Friday has created the eight with the work of Sophie Calle pivotal. As with that day in the Spring of 2003 when I was exhilarated by the experience of the Saatchi 100 and followed this with another first to the Tate Modern, Friday got better and better with my visit to the film on the life of Seraphine of Senlis. For this bitterly cold night on the return home I am more than content to go to bed talking to Sophie Calle.

1834 The day before meeting Sophie Calle and Seraphine

I have had an excellent and memorable long weekend in London with my first highly enjoyable experience of Lebanese food at La Roche, St Martin‘s Lane, followed by an unexpectedly satisfying three course prix fixe lunch with wine and coffee at the Café Rouge, Victoria station. There was my first visit to the Whitechapel Gallery to experience the work of Sophie Calle, only one of handful of large space exhibitions where I was overcome with WOW and also a close identification with the work which I need to test its reality. In contrast this was my most disappointing visit to Tate Modern where only one work was of interest and nothing provoked Wow or a search for notebook and pen. I have not been to the science museum for several decades and was much impressed with the strides made to cater for the most young of children and their parents. I was fortunate to attend the first day showing of a film about the life of Seraphine de Senlis and an evening of Baroque music by candlelight with the Festive orchestra of London at St Martin’s in the Fields, lazed an afternoon at the Royal Festival Hall, eat spiced chicken wings in a quiet corner of St Pancras station and a prepared salad close to the East London Mosque having visited the area where I worked for British Olivetti 50 years ago close to Petticoat, Brick Lane and Toynbee Hall. There were five conversations with strangers and my only regret was not to have brought my camera to have taken a shot of four beautifully dressed Asian young women talking excitedly about the social function they were about to attend across the road from the dodgy looking Nags Head gentleman’s club.

The journey to London, which I now make only three or four times a year, compared with a dozen or more during the 1990’s and around 50 during the twenty years as a local authority chief officer, was the best I can remember. The sun was bright for the walk from my home to South Shields station for the Metro train to Newcastle and I left early to call in at the Wetherspoons for an English Breakfast and coffee noting the number of early morning beer drinkers, many of them regulars, mixed with those taking breakfast, morning coffee or waiting to enjoy an early lunch. There was time at the station to visits Smiths for a copy of Time Out as a last minute development meant that I might be spending the weekend on my own and had made no plans about where I might go and what I could experience. I had also selected the train time as the best price for the midday early afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to find it was scheduled to be an exceptionally fast journey with only a stop at York before Kings Cross.

I had chosen a table seat although I had decided not to have my laptop to hand but to finish reading Kate Hudson’s book on the History of the CND movement. As I ashamedly admit from time to time I am still of big body but the young woman occupying the window seat was even larger and I therefore resisted the opportunity to sit opposite another young and attractive girl to go further along the carriage to an unoccupied seat without a seat ticket and where the window seat was also free as the individual booking the place did not arrive. A lady of my generation, but younger by a few years, was faced with having her case on her lap because there was no space left at either end luggage compartment and a notice asked for the luggage not to block the aisles. The suggestion it was placed below the unoccupied seat, was readily agreed and as a consequence enjoyed a conversation all the way to York. Subjects included the take over of the line by the British Government from National Express, the opportunities of the national bus pass for long journeys, the flooding in Cumbria with the loss of life of the policeman leaving a widow and four children, the death of so many young men in Afghanistan, wartime memories and flooded fields alongside the track on the approach to York, a city which is under constant threat of flooding almost every year. After she departed at York I read and promised to read through the book again soon with notebook to hand for a writing.

I did not have to wait long at St Pancras for the Brighton Thameslink train to East Croydon having purchased a single journey ticket at the automatic machine. There was time to notice that the area under the station width departure and arrivals board at this end of the station was now converted into a sales area for breads, cheeses, continental meats, olives and wine with large kitchen type tables to sample the food and drink as well as take away. I did not need to buy anything for the evening as I had eaten a French baguette with salami on the train down and decided to enjoy a soup, some pot noodles, grapes and dates for supper. This left a large prepared salad of lettuce, tomatoes, a sweet yellow pepper, cucumber, olives and a mixed bean salad for the following day. I was in my room on the 7th floor of central Croydon Travel Lodge by six pm

I decided to watch the first four episodes of the 4th and last series of the 4400 on the DVD I had brought with me, rather than the TV, missing Question Time but catching part of the weekly cocoa time political banter between Diane Abbott, Michael Portillo and what’s his name! For a day spent in packing, unpacking and travelling it has been an enjoyable one. On the train I had studied Time Out and marked possibilities. On page 46 there begins the notices for Major spaces and Exhibitions and on page 48 the was the announcement that Seraphine, winner of seven French Academy awards including best picture, was opening at the two Curzon’s cinemas, two Odeon’s, the Barbican and the Coronet Independent on the following afternoon. I must confess that it was only when her work was displayed in the picture that I associated the name with the work, which had never appealed, although by the time the film ended several of large canvases did, but fairly low in the pecking order of works I would like to have close by had I the funds and inclination to do so.

On page 49 under major space Critics’ choice. The fifth and final was Sophie Calle. I will write separately about the Sophie Caller experience. I immediately turned to page 50 where the Whitechapel Gallery was listed alphabetically in the major space section. There was a half page advert for the Seraphine film in film section where I looked to see if the children’s film UP was still showing somewhere in 3D.

Under literary events I noted that Professor Robert Barsky from the USA was talking at Peace News about the work of Noam Chomsky at 5pm on Friday at Houseman’s almost 50 years to the day I was offered a temporary job there over for a month until Christmas. Martin Bell was at Wanstead Library that night and Stephen Poliakoff at Foyle’s also on Thursday at 6.30. Jules Holland was at the Royal Albert Hall and James Morrison at the Wembley Arena. There was a Mozart Requiem on the Friday evening, the Baroque on the Saturday. There was an England National Opera Production of Turandot on Thursday evening with the Messiah on Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. Separately before departure I had checked out events, paid and free at the South Bank, including at the National Theatre where Richard Griffiths and Frances Le Tour were starring with Adrian Scarborough and Alex Jennings in the Habit of Art, a play about Benjamin Britain meeting with WH Auden. There were other possibilities all depending on whether I was to be on my own or not. I also wanted to visit the British Music experience since World War 2 at the Millennium Dome where the ATP tennis tourney was taking place with semi finals days on tournament Friday and Saturday and where interest would depend on the progress of Any Murray. Before going to bed I knew I would be on my own until the following evening and decided on Sophie Calle and Seraphine. I then found it difficult to sleep.

I had been up at 5.am in order to try and get cheap Travel Lodge accommodation for the cricket next April and May and had been amazingly successful getting 12 nights in all for £102. This included five nights at Nottingham and three in Leeds and then four in London after discovering that there was a relay of La Boheme from Covent Garden. Having booked the accommodation I then found there was no relay at the Odeon Covent Garden which on further thought was logical in that why would people pay several hundred pounds to watch the opera in the Theatre if for under £10 they could see the same show at the cinema a few yards away. I was to learn the following day that it was not being shown at the Curzon’s although Carmen from La Scalla and It Travatore from Barcelona were. Then I had a moment of good fortune with was to herald the rest of the weekend. There was a relay showing at the Odeon Wimbledon. I have been to the Odeon once when staying at the former home of my birth and care mothers. I am staying where I am staying now in central Croydon and a short distance away outside East Croydon Station there are trams to Wimbledon. I booked a ticket and according to the seating plan was the first person to do so.

I had gone to bed around eleven pm on the Wednesday night, between two and three hours earlier than usual. I had not managed to sleep or so it seemed the following morning. I had risen for an hour between 2 and 3am for a milk drink but this did not seem to work. I had tried to count chicken. I have no recollection of any sleep or waking dreams. On Thursday evening I was too excited about the following day to sleep. Usually what happens is an anticlimax. This occasion it will remain not just a day remembered but perhaps the eight day in a decade which had significantly changed the rest of my self aware experience, and in this instance for the better.

1833 Music of many colours before the serious and the tragic

I had intended only to write about musical matters, a film about the life of Celine Dion and the 1950’s Hollywood production of the Jazz Singer sandwiched between the original Al Jolson version and that of Neil Diamond half a century later. There is also the Rock Concert for children and the X Factor. Then there is I Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana.

There has also been an excellent England 50 over win against South Africa and Sunderland beat Arsenal at home and one Monday Newcastle had long drawn out and hard fought win over Preston away from home. I have eaten well but wasted nearly an hour trying to find the renewal form for car tax as well as attending to other financial matters. It was Wednesday before I got round to ringing the renewal office in Wales and discovered that there has now been further improvement. Last year I spoke to a human being who while taking details checked electronically that I was insured to drive the vehicle which had a Ministry of Transport Test Certificate regarding road worthiness. This year I was relayed to a different number where everything was done electronically in a matter of minutes as fast as automated instruction options were given and I could key in the information. What brains who designed the system folks, this marks a step in the evolution of humanity.

The main development which overshadowed music is the extensive flooding and damage to property in neighbouring Cumbria and which in turn is overshadowed by the death of a service policeman, married with four children. Last night regional TV was holding a competition arranged by the national lottery in which the general public can vote for one of pairs of good projects to allocated the funds for a needy addition to their voluntary work.

One was a Mental Health Charity based on a town in Northumberland, Blythe which I passed through earlier in the year in search of Wilkinson’s and folders for holding display sets. The Other was the North East Rescue service in which volunteers are prepared to go out in all conditions, locations and times in search of missing persons. They use four wheeled land rover but need a command vehicle in which they store their equipment, house electronic communication and information and hold meetings to organise a search undercover, all of which has to be done in the vehicle cabs or outsider at present. Sadly the Blythe project will miss out because of coincidence however unfortunate and tragic. One of the additional problems this time is the destruction of bridges such has been the force of water, cutting the town of Workington into so those living on the North side have a journey of over 40 miles and up to two hours because of traffic jams to reach the town centre for which some could walk across the bridge. Fortunately the Train line is working and that mains services which were carried under the bridge have been re-laid or relayed. I was not sure which applies.

I also want to note the most interesting of the four episodes of Garrow’s Law which appeared on Sunday night Sir William Garrow PC that Privy Councillor of State not Personal or public computer! The programme deals with his first years as a barrister appearing for defendants in criminal proceedings where the common outcome was death and the second transportation. Barristers could ask questions of a witness against the accused but could not address the jury directly. Prosecuting barristers and judges frequently dined socially at which the political and social approach to the law was discussed. This was the era of the rotten borough when a community with a handful of voters could send one or two Members of Parliament to Westminster while the new cities such as Birmingham with sixty thousand males eligible to vote sent no one. The franchise was restricted to male property owners. There were jury trials who were hand picked and were expected to reach decisions quickly while sitting in the open court.

On real life Sir William did set out to change the system into a fairer one and through his rise to power and standing was able to do so, He lived for eighty years from 1760. After his success in winning many hopeless causes at the Old Bailey he became a Member of Parliament, the Solicitor General and the Attorney General and then a Judge and when he retired at the age of seventy two he was appointed to the Privy Council. He was responsible for the development of the Adversarial system here in the UK and which also developed in the USA where elsewhere, notably in France there is the Inquisitorial system which I believe is a better approach.


The BBC attempted to convey something of the era in which he first worked as a barrister with four hour long dramas. How far he was involved. if all in the actual cases used in the programme and drawn from Old Bailey records was not stated but the last was the most engaging and I suggest important because it concerned one of the leaders of the London Corresponding society, prosecuted for High Treason and where if found guilty he would have been hung drawn and quartered. In fact two of the leaders were found guilty in one instance and transported for 14 years. The purpose of the society, largely formed of trades people with tailors, watchmakers, shoemakers and weavers forming about a third of its recorded membership of 347 was to widen the Franchise, although many were also against organised religion hold the view that reason and nature were the way to experience God and the issue which provoked the government most into action was their opposition to the wars with France. There was concern about the spread of branches to Manchester, Sheffield Stockport and Norwich and in particular plans to hold a UK national convention when meetings began to attract thousands of interested people
In the fourth drama the emphasis was an unscrupulous juridical system heavily influence by the state for political reasons and where the best friend of the accused was a government spies. In fact the government then used planted informed widely as it has done ever since and which all governments always do. The extent of monitoring and intelligence gathering is extensive and today the state has extensively greater powers to do so in relative secret through the development of electronic communications and monitoring systems as well as national and international databases.

An the end of the trial Garrow makes an impassioned speech about the ideals of democracy, justice and freedom to as well as freedom from and on what should be the limits of the power state which was intended to have relevance to day as it did then. The programme was timed with the opening of the independent commission into the causes of British involvement in the Iraq War. The BBC News channel Red button and the Internet are providing live coverage of the open sessions and there is to be a site where some background papers are to be made available.

So to the music with first the film, an unauthorised biography of the Canadian singer Celine Dion. A singer whose name I knew well but knew nothing of her life or that she had won the European Song Contest or remembered she was the voice behind the song in Titanic. My impression is that the film set to be an honest and frank account of her early life as a singer life. She was brought up in French speaking Canada as part of a huge Catholic family where she was the youngest of fourteen children who were all brought up musically minded and both parents sang popular music and encouraged their children to perform with them at was has been described as a local piano bar. They also composed songs and with the help of her mother and a brother, Dion created a tape of her first song in French- It was only a dream when she was twelve years of age. The brother discovered that the manager/agent for someone whose record album they had purchased was called Rene Angelil and sent him the recording. He was so impressed with the voice of the girl and that he decided to devote himself to making her a star, mortgaging his family home to finance her first record.

At first in Quebec and then throughout Canada and then the rest of the world her work as an adolescent singer became known and appreciated and as she was the first Canadian artist to achieve a Gold record sale in France. At eighteen after seeing a Michael Jackson concert she told Angelil she wanted to be an International Star like him. He realised that there had to be changes so she he arranged for her to become internationally English speaking, she had surgery to improve her features and she concentrated on creating a new adult image from that of the child star. While her status progressed it was not until the late 1990’s and in her mid twenties that she achieved the international stardom which was her ambition and which has continued to this day.

The film appears to have dealt with her relationship with Angelil in an honest way in that when it became evident that the relationship between the two was becoming close her mother is alleged to have stepped in to ensure that the relationship remained professional given the difference in ages. The film suggests that the relationship developed later but was kept secret from the public until Rene had a heart attack. The factual aspect is that Rene had married twice before wedding Celine, the first in the year that the singer was born and that he had a child by each of his wives. He is well known to have become a successful high stakes gambler and poker player. Celine gave up her worldwide engagements when her husband developed throat caner from which he recovered. I liked the film and will look out for her records.
I have now seen three versions of the Jazz Singer. The first was the Al Jolson 1927 version and the second the 1980 Neil Diamond. I was disappointed by the Neil Diamond when I saw it in theatre film because I had forgotten that it was a remake of the Jolson and thought it was about a Jazz singer which it is not. I have now seen the 1952 version which has Peggy Lee playing the famous singer who became his wife. There is a fourth version made in 1959 as part of a TV series and with Jerry Lewis in the title role, although there are no copies now of the production.

The story should be known to most people of my generation as it follows closely that of the early of Al Jolson himself. The story is of a good Jewish singer who is expected to follow in the footsteps of his father the Cantor at their synagogue. The young man has other ideas and wants to go into show business variety and leaves home to do so, with his father effectively disinheriting him as his son as a consequence. The young man retains contact with his mother. He establishes a relationship with a established singer who is not Jewish with adds further to the alienation with his father. Just when he is about to open in a big show his father becomes dangerously ill and the return home for a conciliation, taking his place temporarily in the Synagogue for one of the most important religious dates in the Jewish Calendar. Father recovers sufficiently to accept his son’s vocation and to hear him sing in public. In terms of choice of music and singing voice this is the weakest of the three films although Peggy Lee was one of the great Jazz singers of my generation who died at the age of 80 in 2002. The Jolson and Neil Diamond films are worth seeing several times in any lifetime.

As gala charity raising rock and pop concerts go that for Children in Need last week was pretty good with Robbie Williams taking the stage immediately after Take That, and Cheryl Cole doing a raunchy version of her recent hit, Kathryn Jenkins proving what singings is really about and Annie Lennox continuing to show what a class act she is as well as good soul. I tend to feel Paul McCartney is overrated although I enjoyed his Hey Jude led finale. I also saw Sunday‘s Antique Road show on the i player and which came from Bletchley were the first computer was built and sued as part of British intelligence. Why all the records and evidence was destroyed remains a mystery but enthusiasts have rebuilt the computer and some of those who worked there and who are still alive have been able to admit that they did. During the programme two women who had met the Beatles when children were interviewed. Paul had been at a pub when asked about food in the days before this became the main function of Inns and he had been taken back to their home by his parents and he had entertained them afterwards with the guitar the girl was learning to play and had sung Hey Jude before it had been recorded and released to the public. The other girl had attended a meal provided the Beatles after they had done a gig at Stow school for which the quartet had been paid £100. The two women had photos, letters and signatures which were said to be worth between £1000 and £1500 but the memories were priceless.

What astounded me about the Children in Need concert is that it is usually difficult to hear the singers because the audience screams and shouts most of the time and for which the X factor is to blame. Last, and this, week the programme continues to show that the audience likes to ignore the advice of the judges, except Simon, and that it is a singing competition for those who can make a successful popular music record and album. The programme is timed to that the winner of the contest has the the most popular release at Christmas Time and more recently the charity song which includes the top ten performers also becomes the best seller for at least one week.

For the past six weeks we have been entertained by two Irish sixteen year old twin boys who have distinctive hair styles and are full of energy and have learnt to dance but cannot hold a tune. Originally they were also obnoxious but with the right team behind them and Louis Walsh doing his best to avoid being without anyone to mentor after first couple of weeks they survived to knock out a good singer from Wales but who lacked the charisma which is needed to break into the pop world these days and stay there. This week the boys got their comeuppance as the judges found that the public had also voted down what many regarded as the best make signer left although he again lacks charisma. Danny, the sister of you know who, mentors the very likeable single mother Jewish singer Stacey Solomon who has a voice on a par with Leone and last year’s winner. As the public clearly have not taken to Leon, the male challenge comes from Joe from South Shields who I agree with Louis is likely to be a good musical show lead performer and Simon’s school teacher who has plenty of attitude which did not work with the public which they interpreted as conceit. The dark horse is a pretty sixteen seventeen year old without a strong voice who despite attacks by the judges especially Louis the public has not placed in the bottom two. Louis hoped last week was that the choice between the lad and his duo the judges would keep John and Edward in because they were better entertainers that the pretty boy and in truth it is entertainment and commercial potential that Simon and the judges are looking for.

Most people know the aria from I Pagliacci although I suspect most are unaware that the composer was Ruggero Leoncavallo whose greatest known work is La Boheme. The one Act opera usually is usually performed with Cavallerria Rusticana, another one act opera by Pietro Masacani and which I experienced this week with the Met Opera Player and where both roles are performed by Placido Domino. The sound quality was not good which defeats the purpose and I will look to see if there is another video on the site. The Met Player site promised that last year’s finals of the National Auditions would eb broadcast from November 17th but so far no joy and similar the live Royal Opera House performance of Don Carlos where I caught only the first act is promised to be coming soon on the BBC i player for Channel 4. Both male lead tenor roles were performed by Placido Domingo

Turiddu is young villager returning from military service to find that his fiancée has married someone else who is wealthy and seduces another village girl in revenge. Equally jealous by this development Lola starts an adulterous affair with her former fiancée. The truth of the situation emerges and it is the young girl who is excommunicated from her church because of the affair. Lola goes into the church mocking the girl left outside and who then advises Lola’s husband of his wife’s infidelity. Turiddu comes out of the church and invites everyone to his mother’s wine shop. Lola’s husband arrives and the women leave. The husband issues a Sicilian challenge of a fight to the death. The opera ends with news of the death of Triddu. Among those who have made audio recordings of the opera are Beniamino Gili, Maria Callas, Victoria del las Angeles, Renata Tebaldi, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras. Franco Zeffirelli made a film in 1982 with Placido Domingo and the symphonic Intermezzo was used in the film Raging Bull and the Godfather Part III.

Pagliacci is a play within a play. It features a troupe of touring players where the wife of the head of the troupe is having an affair with a member. The troupe perform a play in which the wife of Pagliacci played by the head of the troupe is also having an affair but with a different member of the troupe. In the opening Prologue Pagliacci reminds the audience that actors have feelings too and that the show is about real life. The players arrive in a village where they are invited to the local Inn for a drink before the evening performance. Observing the interaction between the wife of the troupe head, Canio and a member villages draw this to the attention of the Cano. He laughs this away saying that what happen in the performance is one thing but in real life he will not tolerate anyone making advances to his wife. Another member of the cast says he is in love the wife while the husband is away drinking in the tavern. She scorns him but is afraid of what her husband will do if he finds out that she is having an affair. Her lover comes and asks her to run away with him. The husband returns hoping to catch the adulterous couple together but the lover escapes with the wife saying. I will always be yours. Canio threatens his wife with a knife but his friend disarms and says the man will give himself away in the play. It is at this point that Cano sings Venti la grubba-Put on the costume.

The play follows closely what has been happening off stage and at crucial point Canio cannot go and demands to know who his wife’s lover is. She asks Pagliacci to remember that they have an audience and he sings the famous No! Pagliaccio non son! and explains that he is pale because of the shame she has brought him. The crowd believing this is still the play cheer his emotional performance in the play. He is still distraught demanding to know her lover and he grabs a knife and stabs her and then as her lover comes to her aid Canio stabs him and says- The play is over.

The most famous recordings have been by Maria Callas, Tito Gobbi, Pavarotti and Domingo, Gigli, Victoria de los Angeles and Montserrat Caballe. The opera has had major impact on popular culture from music to film and TV

1324 The Lord of the Rings the Fellowship

12.00 My prologue added after the writing in much the same way as the prologue was added to the Lord of the Rings at the end of their creation. After a short period of hesitancy I decided to undertake the experience I have planned for several years, that is to watch the three extended versions of the Lord of Rings Films in one sitting with appropriate intervals and written commentary. I have the full dramatization broadcast by the BBC radio, the books and the theatre editions of the films. I also have three of the pewter goblets Frodo, the Ring Bearer, Gandalf the wise wizard, such I my appreciation for the original works and its translation into sound and then vision. It is a work which satisfies at every level of my experience and imagination because it can be enjoyed as a fantasy adventure and as struggle between the forces of light and dark in the universe within societies and the individual human being. The films as theatrical experiences are special because of the way the story has been brought to life in a believable reality achieved first because of the inclusion of major acting talent such as Sir Ian McKellen, Peter Cushing, Ian Holm, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler Viggo Mortensen and John Rhys Jones, with new talents Elijah Wood and Orlando Bloom with the most extraordinary of cinematography, music, make up and visual effects. The trilogy was nominated for 30 Oscars, winning 17, with the best picture for the final film recognised as a proxy for the series, where all 11 nominations won awards for the Return of the King. There was but one unsuccessful acting nomination but Visual Effect was awarded the Oscar for each of the three films. The three films were conceived and created over the course thirteen months 1999-2000 with 274 days of shooting using 150 locations in New Zealand and seven units as well sound stages in Wellington and Queenstown. Because the Hobbits had special feet and ear the actors were on stage no later than 5am for the two hours of make up which involved standing for over an hour while the feet set and then over an hour at the end of the day as the feet casts were unglued. What aggrieved one of the Hobbit actors is that on fifty of such days there was no actual inclusions of the feet in the scenes shot during the day. However what the average cinema goer never appreciates unless they stay for the credits in the number of component specialists involved in very scene so that one failure of a camera, a light, an actor being late or not ready can mean a hold up for several hours, costing tens of thousands of pounds. To do anything well in life let alone striving for perfection involves preparation, preparation, and preparation. When the actors had gone off to their restaurants, to relax or to prepare for the following day, Peter and the editing team would assemble with the film shot during the day, usually a half an hour task but in this instance for three to four hours. The films use real set creations such as Hobbit Ville, created in a hill side, and bigmintures, scale models bigger than usual in the greatest of detail to stand up to close and prolonged camera work. A major feature of all three films is the contrast between the size of Hobbits, Dwarves and Elves from four feet and smaller to the Men and other human size creatures. This was created in two ways. There were Physical frameworks so that the interior of Bag End Hobbit home was created adult size and Hobbit size with the Bree Pub created at Giant size and human size. There were then three heights of actors. Four feet actor stand ins, some experienced actors and others children who were shot in scenes with movement involving human sized actors, sometimes with synthetic faces made from the actors, to giant size figures created by a specialist actors wearing a special stilt outfits which enlarged the body in all dimensions. The actual shooting varied from traditional forced perspectives where the two actors are distance separated proportionate to the size difference required, to filming the same event two or more times, involving actors using the two differently sized sets and then brining them together. There was much blue screen shooting for the actors when the scene involved the miniatures and much computerised creations of monsters and especially of Gollum where every body part movement was recorded individually and then recreated on computer in the consistent form of the being. Because the Director wanted he atmosphere of the film to resemble an ancient time, Middle Earth, about eight to ten thousand years before now every shot was digitally worked on using colours and light effects to bring the images of the book into being as reality and not as a comic or cartoon and the music was created mope as an opera than a film score and when the shooting ended the work began to created for the theatre films work which would engage and move anyone without any knowledge of the books and audio series and not alienate the majority of those who ere familiar. Peter Cushing who knew the original author of the work had read the books once a year since and jumped at the opportunity to be involved in anyway. Such was the approach to the making of these films and the confidence of the studios and financiers to several million dollars, that there were subsequent shootings over the next three years until the three were released in theatre and then the DVD extended editions were worked on. This was not just adding deleted scenes but creating new scenes with new music scores integrated into the whole adding about half an hour to the original length of three hours. For the first film The Fellowship of the Ring half the original scenes are extended and there seven new ones and at the end the addition of a new credit sequence in which every member of the official fan club is listed! For me the great joy of the DVD’s is that there is not just one sound commentary but four, starting with the Director and writers and the last, that of the Actors, Thus if you wish you can watch the original films shown in theatre 3 hours x 3, the DVD versions 3 x 3.5 and then the commentaries 3 x 4 x 3.5 about 60 hours for the films and then the extras which amount to another twenty hours of visual and audio material and then as long as you want to take over the photos and paintings. They are a model and university for anyone wanting to have a life in the film making. It has the same philosophy as I have for contemporary visual and conceptual art.
13.00 The first film is underway accompanied by a glass of Grand Lescure 2006 Comte Tolosan in South West France, a collective of some 400 members today Cane de Fronton. This wine comes from Jean Paul Chanteraud is the wine maker with Jack Verdier, its Director, name after the English Officer parachuted into the family’s back garden during World War 2. The meal was roast chicken with stuffing, mini sausages and nine small pieces of roast potato.

14.30 the first part of the film, The Fellowship of the Ring has been re-experienced in which the history of the Ring Prologue is extended although as which much else in the films is an approach to the depth and integrity of story in the books. There has been much speculation about the meaning of this fantasy adventure with its forces of evils appearing to control the fortunes of creatures for long periods until the those of innocence and faith, with a love of life and human failings, but great heart, decide to confront where most turn away in fear or perish. Thousands of years ago in Middle Earth before the story of the work begins, the Dark Lord Sauron forged the Great Ring of power and which can only be destroyed within the fires from which it was created. The Ring carries the power of invincibility destroying and enslaving anyone who opposes the power of the wearer. However the Ring has a life of its own enslaving any other wearer to its forces, thus it is so with the use of any forces and the misuse of power which is not dedicated to the service of others. Sauron also had created sixteen other rings of lesser power subject to his overall control. Nine he gave to the Nine Kings of Men, human beings who were corrupted over time and become the undead or Ringwraiths, but some Men remained free and opposed to the rule of Sauron. Seven rings he gave to the dwarf Lords with three coming into the care of the Elves who came under siege from Sauron but with the help of the Men of Numenor they defeated Sauron and took him prisoner. There was then a comparative short period of some 100 years during which Sauron turns his captors against each other, until what became known as the Last Alliance of Elves and Men defeated Sauron’s armies in his land of Mordor. The One Ring was cut from the finger of Sauron whose spirit fled to recoup his strength. There was then opportunity to destroy the ring by taking it into Mount Doom the volcanic fire from which it was created. Alas it was not and eventually after a battle with the Orcs the ring was lost in the Great River Anduin for two thousand years. The Ring was then found by a Hobbit, Deagol but his friend and a relative Smeagol kills him for its possession and after fleeing to the Misty Mountains Smeagol turns into a loathsome slimy, treacherous creature called Gollum. Sometime later another Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, on an expedition adventure encounters Gollum’s cave, takes possession of the ring after finding that its wearer becomes invisible and ageless, but without understanding its significance. The three books of Lord of the Ring are themselves divided so that in total there are six, making the six parts of the three films. The story and the film opens as Bilbo Baggins is to retire to the Dwarf Kingdom of Rivendell to complete his autobiography and holds a great party with fireworks, alcohol, food and merry making at which his long time friend the wizard Gandalf join him and where the decision is taken to leave the Ring behind for Frodo his adopted heir. Gandalf having been shown the ring decided to investigate its significance (this in the book takes nearly two decades and his return coincides with the recovered Sauron having captured and tortured Gollum learning that it had been taken by Bilbo Baggins back to Hobbitland, so he commands the now undead former Kings of Men who go in pursuit. The films take a number of story shortcuts from the book even the extended editions and this has so upset the purists, that some have got together and created an eight hour version by deleting all the additional scenes or changed scenes from the book. In the first part of the first film Frodo is asked to take the Ring to Rivendell for its future safekeeping and to first meet up with Gandalf along the way at the village of Bree. Gandalf goes to consult the head of his order about the discovery, this is Sauruman, a more powerful wizard by Christopher Lee, only to discover that he has become an agent for Sauron, and is therefore able to temporarily imprison Gandalf during which time the Orcs, a race of underworld creatures and allies of Sauron uproot the great old oak trees of the forest in order to create new weapons and a new hybrid fighter with a view to assisting in re-conquering Middle earth land once the Ring is repossessed. The first film is about Frodo played by Elijah Wood, asked to take the ring to Rivendell, He is joined Samwise Gangee, in the film a simple but honest and loyal Hobbit Friend. And then by two other young Hobbits who in the film are drawn as carefree characters with at tendency to unintentionally cause mayhem and unleash dark force by their pranks (Pippen and Merry.) The four are rescued from the undead former Kings of Men at Bree by the lone searcher and defender (a character which I suspect was used in the space adventure series Babylon Five) and which in the Lord of the Rings becomes Aragorn, the deliverer, played at short notice by Viggo Mortensen. These Five manage to make their way to Rivendell although Frodo appears to be mortally wounded at one point but is rescued by Arwen the daughter of the Elf Lord Elrond, and she is also the lover of Aragon although they are rarely together. As Frodo recovers in Rivendell he finds that Gandalf has also come there apologising for his failure to meet at Bree and explained what happened to him. The decision is taken to call a meeting of all the interests threatened by the re-emergence of Sauron when it is decided that the Ring has to be destroyed and cannot be kept in Rivendell as the Elves are moving on. As a consequence the Fellowship is formed to accompany Frodo and includes the Prince Elf Legolas, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys Davies as a Dwarf Gimli who dislikes Elves and Sean bean as Boromir a prince of the Stewards of Gondor, each with their own backstory.

15.30 A change of plan from first experiencing the three films in day. I realised that there was a programme I wished to see this evening a new Sky One Terry Prachett, the Colour of Magic then there is the opportunity to view the next episode of Lost on its release date and then the cricket where the continuation England’s Innings is crucial if they are to win the Test series. I also decided that I wanted to go through each special edition in their entirely, which is major undertaking as there are not one but four complete audio commentaries so that if you with you can view each film five times, six if you begin with the cinema edition, then the extended version, the Director and writers commentary, the design team, the production and post production and finally the cast. As the theatre film lasts three hours and the special edition another half hour, this will take over 20 hours for this part of the special features by which time you should have a good idea of how the film was made and why various decisions were taken and which serves to draw attention to the limitations and inadequacy of some many other DVD’s including special editions.

17.00 The second part of the first film involves the journey of the Fellowship to Mordor where they are forced to go underground into the Mines of Mori as their journey over the Mountain Caradhas is stopped by Sauruman. However their passage through the mines is held up by confrontation with the Orcs and a Troll and then as they are about to escape they are challenged by a kind devil, an enveloping being of fire and darkness which was very similar to my recollection of the waking dream devil demon which I experienced in childhood when I was ill and which has remained a vivid memory. Gandalf appears to perish stopping the demon as the other escape. They find shelter at the elvish realm of Lothorien where the rulers Galadriel Cate Blanchett and partner Celeborn help prepare them for the trials ahead, giving them gifts of use in their quest. Arriving at the Parth Galen having travelled the river Anduin Borodin seeks the Ring for himself believing this is the way to protect his Kingdom but Frodo seizes it back reaching some enlightenment that he must complete the task on his own, leaving Sam for a time, but he later reunites and they set off together, Meanwhile the others minus Gandalf become involved in a fight to death, which sees the end of Boromir and capture of Pippin and Merry. Faced with the breaking up of the Fellowship Aragon showing his natural leadership leads Legolas and Gimli to rescue Pippin and Merry. The first film ends here. There are seven additional scenes in the extended version Concerning Hobbits at the beginning after the extended Prologue, At the Green Dragon Inn, The Passing of Elves, the Midgewater Marshes, Gilraen’s Memorial, the Departure of the Fellowship, and a list of everyone in the official fan club as final credits. Half of the original scenes are extended, some substantially. The film has grandeur of landscape and a transcendent beauty which is significantly enhanced by the evocative score created by Howard Shore and with two original songs Aieon and May it Be which was sung by Enya. The four academy awards achieved of the 13 nomination were for Music, Cinematography, Visual Effects and Make up. White it was given a Bafta for best film and for Direction. It was an expensive film to make around $100 million but grossed over eight times making it one of the top ten grossing movies worldwide. I watched it in theatre one evening in a packed cinema, fearing the experience would spoilt by a very noisy audience, but within moments there was a shared silence as everyone became engrossed with a sense of awe responding to the some of the more emotional moments with, especially when the Fellowship having bonded with each other and the audience is broken up. Even with the extended edition liberties are taken with the epic nature of the book in terms of time. The seven year backstory siege becomes one battle and the seventeen year search for the origin of the Ring by Gandalf is compressed while the preparations for commencing his journey appears to occur in one day, whereas in eh books it is a matter of months. One positive change is that the Director decided that the characters should evolve rather than remain evolved as they tend to do in the books. There was one link which I was only reminded of when watching the film again is that the Hobbit Ville reminded me of TeleTubbieland.

At 18.00 I watched Sir David Jason in his new role in the bringing to television of the Colour of Magic. This is a three hour adaptation shown over two evenings This is the first the Discworld series of books but the second Sky shown work, with The Hogfather last year. This work is made up of chapters which form mini stories, The work features Rincewind the trainee Wizard at the University of the Unseen, expelled because he has failed to complete level 1 after 40 years. After his departure he encounters Twoflower a tourist from a small nation which underpins the great nations and which reputedly full of gold, a point well made when the tourist attempts to pay with currency from him his country which the is found to be pure gold compared to the theoretical gold coins of the currency. Sir David is offered the job of guide for two of these coins a day and is given four days upfront whereupon he attempts to leave the city with his wealth, but is held and required to fulfil his task and ensure that the tourist comes to no harm. Meanwhile the sub plot involves Tim Curry as the villain after replacing the University head and behind the departure of Sir Davis who he fears will get in the way of his bid for power, Christopher Lee plays the voice death adopting a voice which is strongly reminiscent of the depressed electronic help in the Hitcher Hikes Guide to the Galaxy "Marvin" Jeremy Iron plays the Patrician. I have no idea how far the TV production follows the book but it was splendid Bank holiday fun

I had a tin of sardines with crackers for tea and a salami salad with olives and banana around 19.00. Around 21.00 a bowl of light cereal but this was not enough so at 22.30 a cheese sandwich and coffee.
The new experience of significance on the day is the pre Spring break episode of Lost which centre on the return of Michael who has made it home with his son but is tormented by having had to commit two murders to free his son and is now instructed to destroy the freighter as the means of saving the other survivors of the plane crash and redeem himself in this way. However Sayid does not accept Michael’s version of events and discloses the situation to the Captain while Ben urges his daughter her lover and her mother to go to the secret destination where the others are located but on the way the lover and the mother are killed and the daughter surrenders herself.

22.00 I watch the football as Man U beats Liverpool after they go down to ten men following a stupid piece of persistent commenting to the referee, and Arsenal with going 1 up at Chelsea lose after a couple of substitutions which did not humour the crowd. In the cricket England look well set to make another big total when Petersen was out after a brilliant instinctive low stretching catch. I have worked out how to switch to the 3 pence per text option on the phone but progress has been slow.
23.00 I watch more cricket, have the salami sandwich and strong coffee, check out MySpace, play lots of chess.
00.30 I write some.
02.15 To bed
05.00ish another waking where I was too tired to check the time and returned immediately to bed and guess the hour from my memory of the level of light.
08.00 Again the change in the number of wakings and I begin to think that the switch from tea to coffee may be a factor. I debate whether to continue with the decision yesterday to work through all DVD’s rather than see the film stories and decide on the DVD’s so that I would for once concentrate on the technology of acting and film making rather than the emotions and coherence of the story. O8.30 The first DVD extras is about the Actors coming together for the first time and then the involvement with the film. The content is such that it quickly engages my full attention as I begin to understand the enormity of the undertaking. I wake this day with another blue sky morning aware from the news when switching on the internet computer that the death toll of USA service men and women in Iraq has reached 4000 while because of a different intensity of commitment significant progress ahs been in he search for a cure for Parkinson’s disease. I will return to the impact of the Fellowship creation DVD after watching the highlights of the after tea session of the third Test in New Zealand. A country where there has been no inclination to visit, in terms of elsewhere in the world. The switching of attention is worthwhile as Strauss powers ahead to his 150 and beyond and the team approach the 500 ahead score with 5 wickets remaining. A judgement will have to be made over night whether to continue in the morning and for how long in terms of giving Strauss the opportunity to make a double century, a possible decision from awareness that should New Zealand avoid the psychological effects of the situation and bat strongly such a total is not out of reach given two full days, therefore continuing for the morning and increasing the score to 550-600 ensures that a home victory is out of the question, However a draw is not the objective in this situation and we need to win to win the Test series and therefore we need to ensure that New Zealand make some attempt to win and rather than playing for a draw.

9.00 One new fact about the film is that Viggo Mortensen who plays Aragon was not the first choice but only a couple of days into shooting the Director and writers realised that the original choice, Stuart Townsend had been cast too young and he was released while a search was immediately made for someone appropriate. Viggo was considered the man and available and was suddenly confronted with the offer to pack his bags and in effect spend the next year of his life in New Zealand which would have implication for contact with his son aged about 11 or 12, my impression is that he was separated from his wife and the boy’s mother at this time, He had achieved an impressive body of film work about a third of his films I have seen but he had not registered with me in terms of an identifiable face and off screen personality. By one of those coincidence connections… watching the Third Test and decide to play go through the 21 Lord of the Rings DVD’s, Viggo completed A history of Violence as his second major film after the Ring cycle was finished and The History of Violence is one of the two DVD’s sent this weekend by the DVD internet postal club. He had no knowledge of the books when he received the phone call from Peter Jackson and only had a couple hours to decide but his son knew he book and immediately told him to take the role, it is said. It is evident from the information gained from the DVD and the internet hat he had he not achieved success with his acting he has had other creative means to fulfil himself having published eleven books of poetry and photographs and of his paintings. I will leave interacting with other actors as I work through the DVD’s during what will be now the rest of this week.
9.30 The second feature looks at the film making process in the life of the four Hobbits in the Fellowship which involved getting on set at 4.30 5 to have their Hobbit feet stuck on and their ears as well as other make up a process which took two hours during which they were required to be on their feet so that the foot additions dried in the right way. There was another long session at the end of shooting. One of the actors worked out that although there were required to go through this process on 275 days, on fifty the feet are not shown on camera. In addition the creation of their physical appearance and the learning of what was involved in each shoot, which could involved being transported by helicopter to the various locations throughout New Zealand with some fifteen being used, they was also the work with blue screen and with their doubles who were under five feet. These were used for movement scene with normal height and extended height characters as one of the main ingredients of the film is those involvement of little people, the Hobbits, the Men and those of Height. Some times the juxtaposition would be achieved by shooting the same scene with the two actors or actors separately and then bringing the two together through the computer. I have watched the work on Gollum before which involved filming the actor and then transcribing this into computerised movement to creating the on screen character and much computerised.

1323 8th 24 with Das Boot at Easter

12.00 The priority of the day is to sort out a new mobile phone. It is not used much but I need it work when required and over past ten days there have been growing problems. I only need an inexpensive pay as you go with no fixed monthly payments. I do not need most of the extras which make a phone a mobile communications system for listening and downloading music, using the internet, hands free wireless, taking and storing photographs and mini videos and whatever else can be thought of to increase the amount of monthly subscriptions and special add ons, except when I am travelling which is not a regular occurrence. If my financial circumstances were different then I would become a user of the latest technology because it is at the core of being a contemporary artist, but this is something for the young as I have always found the understanding, handbooks and explanation leaflets confusing and time consuming, and the process of trial and error, potentially disastrous in terms of what can and has gone wrong.(Little did I know how things would develop).

13.50 I had lunch early, a cooked meal of beef stir fry, after completing the third volume of the self employment records from the years 1992 1994 set numbers 9810 9814. with the last set having 36 cards, These sets mean that I have reaching a daily average of 4 , which is still below the 6 reached in the second year, and will endeavour to continue at this level and get a good start for next month taking time to get my main sub project work underway in terms of a first draft. I have made the decision to write what I need to write regardless of the quality of the writing or the structure and focus. Get what I need to say or paper and then work on it until it as I want others to read. I have been anxious that if I do this and something happened then it will be regarded as the best I could achieve hence the inclination to get a little right as perfect as within me at a time and then even if it is incomplete, I will have demonstrated something of my capacity and which will then enable everything else and the way the project has developed to be placed in perspective.

Time to go and look at a new mobile phone having discovered there is network shop locally. It is typical that I have passed the store on now countless walk through the town centre not connecting (clever) that one of the three may be four stores included my own network

15.50 It is perhaps too soon to be triumphant but so far the day has gone well as I now have a new super phone for far less than anticipated and with various possibilities, and my existing number with credit transferred. I was in the midst of buying a phone marked £50 when I was able to upgrade to one with greater specifications for the same price and would usually have cost £50 more. However I have so far been unable to find the model on the internet either under the network or the make which explains that it has been superseded rather than there has been a problem, There is now a cheap mainly text option at 3p per message. The camera will be useful if I encounter any incidents as in the past, or do not have my camera with me. Similarly the internet could be useful especially when I am on the move and especially if I an connect phone to lap top with the wireless connection. It will take the rest of Easter weekend to work out, if not longer but I am determined to master before the day is done, so to speak. Meanwhile there is the football after what could have been an even more disastrous Test match which I blame myself for forgetting to tune in last night when I am sure we would not have lost the first three wickets for just four runs.

16.45 Phone being charged and still amazed at what the technology will do at the price, Newcastle are now 2.0 up and wait for it Sunderland are 1 up away from home I will repeat that, Sunderland are 1 up away from home, both matches are being listened to on the radio. One on the TV radio and one on the Staples. The Boro are also 1 0 up yes we have won our first away game of the season. Newcastle have won for the first time in 13 matches. For the first time since the commencement of the season I look forward to watching the replays and this time there are two to enjoy.

19.30 I listened to the euphoric supporters across Tyne and Wearside as everyone senses that today’s wins open a gap sufficient to make relegation now unlikely, but one more win, two would be better, or one win a couple of draws should see the teams safe and everyone begin to think of next season, such is the nature of the belief, the hope and the commitment. No where else outside of Merseyside does the success or the failure of a team would affect the whole community. I remember the days when walking to Roker Park from my home and people in the houses would come out to their gates to ask about the result and the game. In the office after derby games victorious supporters would had out printed cards offering their commiserations for the defeat! I have reviewed my writing for the past 24 hours and published. I expected it would bed time before the battery on my new phone was charged up but I checked and it is ready so I can begin to learn. I have some free send picture credits, use of internet and other freebies for a up to ten days with the new phone and continued connection but first I need to finding my way around the system checking that my numbers have been transferred or set them up, credit also been passed over and so .. embarking on all things new. I will also watch the football replays and some cricket although two new subscription DVDs arrived in the post I am still set on a Lord of the Rings Day but the DVD’s and Lord of the Rings will now have to wait. There is the Grand Prix .

17.35 There are important features which I had not previously identified such a voice recorder and the taking of short videos as well as photographs. There is also synchronisation with windows media player, direct printing and a radio. I have moved into the future the 21st century has arrived.

20.30 Watch replay of Newcastle V Fulham. Not as a convincing first half impression from radio commentary, admittedly in the background to that for Sunderland. Strong snow storm which I did not notice if it also came to this area.
22.00 Michael Owens’s goal which secured the victory for Newcastle was excellent but it was a nervous time for much of the second half when Fulham refused to give up There was little time between the end of this game and Sunderland’s where the odds were much stronger against any result, and the team was without the striker Kenworthy which resulted in more balls to feet than to head and with playing two up front there was more prospect of making the few opportunities to score count. Both teams had their chances and at one point the general consensus is that the Villa goal keeper handled the ball outside his area. The Chopra goal was extremely well taken and the response of the away supporters who have seen so much failure and disappointment was understandable euphoric. Having made the journey to and from Villa Park in a day, I know the contrast between the two feelings so well. With one you are drained and tired and the journey seemed to get longer with each mile while with the other you drive hard to get home in time to watch the replay on Match or the Day, or the ITV alternative in the days before Sky did the full length or longer length replays. The only regret about this win is that my one friend who is also a football fan supports the Villa, however the Villa did give the Toon a good going over.

23.00. Earlier for the evening meal I had salmon sandwiches, followed by some grapes and coffee. I made some progress with the phone but decided it required my full attention and left until the morning. I used part of the time watching the matches to photograph the completed volumes of self employment receipts 1992-1994 which amounted to some 700 pictures. It was earlier when I was looking for my magnifying glasses that I discovered the missing set and a half of MySpace Blogs which I could not find about a month ago. This resulted in finishing the Development Volume, as it seemed appropriate place to include the duplicates, the first occasion that I have intentionally duplicated work in this way, and while I have avoided including copies in the master work, but historical habit of making mistakes when not concentrating has to be shown in the way the work is constructed in addition to reporting and commenting on my experiences in that first job writing motor vehicles licences and registration log books. The consequences is that in addition to finishing the set which completed the volume the first set of the new volume is completed but I will leave adding these to the records for Sunday.

00.15 I have been watching an interesting German film on BBC2 , made in 1981, Das Boot, the boat may well be the most authentic portrayal for life in a submarine in war time that has been made, although it is an odd feeling watching them hunt British Merchant vessels and evade Allied destroyers. The horror of war is real to both sides. I do not watch the film in its entirety because I remember about eh cricket and there has been an amazing turn around. It is Kevin Petersen rather than the constantly injured Flintoff who is showing that his first performances indicated a major batsman who will stand the test of time. Without his century and support from bowler Broad, England’s total would have been under 100 whereas they reached just over 250 and then Sidebottom, a new face at this level, performed brilliantly creating a collapse of the home side after they had a promising start, taking seven wickets with Broad taking the other three, completing the demolition after tea with a lead of some 80 and then the opening batsmen redeemed their previous efforts and were 90 for 2 at the close.

02.30. I went to back to the film after watching the cricket a little. It is not entertainment in its strict meaning as the men undergo much hardship, fear, guilt and remorse at what they have to do and being in constant peril. The films shows men working mechanical miracles in getting the vessel off the seabed at great depth after a series near successful depth charge attacks by the allies. However the boat is repaired and makes it way home to great acclamation only for the allies to mount a major bombing raid which sinks the submarine and many of he men who endured and overcame the hazards of the mission are killed or badly injured within minuets of arriving home

06.00 This is a guess because it was light when I needed to rise.

09.25 I get up after a struggle in which I was awake for what seemed sometime, But the significance is that there was only one getting up, the second night in succession that I had long uninterrupted sleep and the first time of two nights in succession that I can remember for at least five years although I have not kept records in the way that I am now doing.

10am I have played some chess to game 25 of the present run 479 wins of 489 played over the past three weeks with ten draws, and then I work on this writing before beginning the phone which requires full alertness.

11.am In switching to check the score I find that the Asian Grand Prix has been run and that Lewis did not make the podium and this therefore alters my approach to the day. I will have some coffee and concentrate on the phone. I listen to the Papal Easter address and watch the Blessing as torrential rain sweeps Vatican Square. Such is the nature of faith. I wish sins could be swept away as easily as with a Papal Blessing for those who are fully repentant. It is a comfort that many others are healed and this helps their attempts not to sin again which has a beneficial effect on society and counters those who once in sin accept the situation and progress deeper into the abyss, This is what the Lord of the Rings is about, although it should be enjoyed as brilliant fantasy adventure, with the books red first, then the radio series and the talking books, then the three films in theatre, then the special extended version with extended scenes, new scenes and a new score, plus all the extras on the 12 DVD version.

1322 7th 24 with Hannah Hauxwell and the Curse of Steptoe at Easter

12.00 The Bach Saint John Passion is being sung in German. The first receipt is for 20 copies of Guardian Newspaper which had printed my article explaining the general reasons why I had prematurely retired from my work, that the creation of generic social workers within social service department had been a major error as well as original way the departments became organised. This arose because so many unqualified men without any experience or ability to manage the child care services had been put in charge and I blame this for much of the criminal violence, physical and sexual which befell children in care between 1971 and 1991. These men did not understand the nature of public child care or the threats to the children within public care as well as within the community and the need for carefully selected dedicated and skilled officers, in practice, staff supervision and management.

It was over a decade before a subsequent a government adopted my recommendation for the recreation of child care departments but under the umbrella of Education Departments and for the social services concerned with adults to be brought under the health services or more closely allied to them.

14.00 Benianimo Gigli was the classical tenor of my childhood adored by my birth and care mothers and whose records were among the first she ever purchased when she was able to afford a wind up gramophone. It is one my regrets that it was sold along with the gramophone when I was a teenager. I managed to find a version of Schubert’s Ave Maria sung by a young chorister for the creation service of my mother, with a few bars for arrival and then a full rendition at the conclusion. I thought of that and of her and my childhood when listening to Gigli version this morning along with Caterine and Torna a Sorrento, where I was to visit and attend the Film Festival in 1965 along with other adventures as part of a tour through Belgium, Germany Austria, the Italy, Switzerland France and home within three weeks in my second car, a Morris Mini estate, the first was the Ford Prefect bought new for my 18th birthday by my care mother from the money she had received from the Industrial Injuries Tribunal, for the loss of an eye at the factory where she worked. There is also the Angus Dei and many other favourites on disk one, I decided on the Brendel before disk 2 as he plays Mozart’s Rondo in A the Sonata in major, in B Flat major and in C Major

14.15. I have completed a seven set first volume of the self employment receipts for 1992 and 1993 after I registered for self employment 9798 9803 and after a coffee commence work on the second.
15.00 A period of silence

17.00 The second volume of self employment records 1992 1993 had been completed 7804-7809 and I place an order for more blue lever arch files at the price of 69 pence plus VAT. There will now be deliveries on Tuesday and Wednesday so I will not be able to go out on either day until the orders have been delivered. I watch a WW2 1951 made film about the use of Frogmen which centres on the relationship between a special operations group who lose their commander officer and the man appointed to replace him, Richard Widmark, and the Chief, played by Dana Andrews, A young Richard Wagner also has a role in the film It is a conventionally told story of the time in which the new leader proves himself and justifies his disciplined and cool approach which puts their mission first but does not ignore the welfare of everyone involved. Afterwards I watch episode 15 of a series on the last six months of World War 2. In this hour long episode Lord Haw Haw is executed by hanging after capture, the battle for Okinawa continues to take it toll on both sides and the Japanese refuse to surrender despite the bombing of cities with the loss of over a quarter million lives of non combatants. The build up towards using the A bomb is also covered, My complaint has always been on the decision to use the bomb on cities and not on unpopulated area first. Before I had studied history, the events which led to First and second World wars and the nature of the regimes in Germany and Russia, I considered the decision to develop the Atomic and then Nuclear weaponry a disaster for humankind, until and then I understood that wanting to know, curiosity, experimentation, testing, problem solving were all inherent parts of the human experience, and that individually and collectively we had to first understand and then learn how to use the forces within the universe constructively and creatively, or perish prematurely by them. There is always no turning back to a different time, but we can and should study past times with the same objectivity and scientific method as we approach the future. Back in 1945 there was an inevitability about what happened, however awful the immediate and long tern consequences. There was no way the Japanese would voluntarily surrender. It was not within their psyche, and it is understandable the Generals and the Politicians feared that to break the Japanese spirit they would have to repeat Iwo Jima and Okinawa inch by inch over its Empire. I now accept that a warning explosion may not have worked, but it should have been tried. That remains my complaint. In its way it was an appropriate film to watch on this day.

19.00. The second meal of the day comprised two Salmon fishcakes of the quality where you can see large flakes of salmon as well as taste with baked beans and a banana.

20.00 The delight of the day was a programme which reminded of the life of Hannah Hauxwell and her present day life in a village in her eighties and with restricted walking ability. I was one of the millions who was first introduced into this simple but remarkable woman who managed a Dales hill farm after her parents died and who at 46 looked much older. In 1972 she was the subject of a documentary Too Long a Winter was designed to show the live of those who worked in the High Pennines. She lived in the house built by her grandfather, without electricity or running water. The impact of the programme was such that the phones of Yorkshire TV were jammed for several days with people making offers of help. A local factory put up the money so that electricity could be brought to the home and she received thousands of letters, from all over the world as the programme was shown. Then twenty years later the original producer Barry Cockcroft and camera man went back for A Winter too many, as she decided it was time to sell up and move into a cottage, but beforehand she was the guest of honour at the Women of the Year Gala. Books about her life were also produced and she was then taken by Cockcroft to Paris, Venice and Sorrento and on holiday to New York. This evening she was shown in her cottage which had become jammed packed with possessions which she admits she is unable to discard. What was evident is that the person who conquered the nation’s hearts several decades before had not changed, and hopefully would enjoy the renewed attention in her life.

21.00 There is a new USA glossy import, a kind of updated Dallas, set in New York. which merit’s no attention, the suicidal daughter who wants to be an actress but cannot act, the son full of angst who is into drugs and gambling, the state attorney general who has national political ambitions but is into his seventh different relationship with a transvestite, the preacher son who won’t recognise in public his illegitimate son, the wife who has tried hide a forty year relationship with the family’s legal adviser and fixer who has recently died in questionable circumstances, and the head of the family, the wealthy influential Man of America who brings in the son of the family Counsellor, now working as a lawyer for the poor and disenfranchised, after the death of his father, (the body is missing from the helicopter whose mechanism appears to have been tampered with). He is married and seduced by the offer of $10 million dollars a year to do his good works, keeping on his practice and staff while he attends to the needs of the family 24/7, and this possibly includes the needs of the daughter, not previously mentioned, who has a torch for the hero, but manages a succession of disastrous relationships with men only after her money and influence of her father. My thought was the he is the son of the family head in this incestuous mish mash designed to appeal to the jaded palettes of the Dallas and Dynasty soap. The hero is an idiot by the way. He seriously proposed that in exchange for becoming the best paid family counsellor fixer in the land he could work office hours, and remain his own master. If it was not Easter I would be inclined to summon a Biblical plague on them. Then at 22,00, the second brilliant find of the evening, a dramatization of the on stage relationship between Wilfred Brambell and Harry H Corbett and of their private lives. Steptoe and Son proved to be an extraordinary successful situation comedy about a Rag and Bone man and his son, watched by 22 million viewers in the UK alone written by Alan Simpson and Ray Galton of Hancock’s Half Hour, What made the programme essential viewing for a third of the nation was the relationship between the two men, touching the fundamentals of all love hate relationships where people have become interdependent but wish they were not. There were eight series of five to eight programmes between 1962 and 1974 plus a final Christmas special making 57 shows, and unusually a radio series followed from the television success, and also two feature films. The on screen relationship reflected something of the lives of the two men, Harry Corbett was born to a military father in Burma, old enough to serve at the end of World War 2, his mother died when he was three and he was raised by an aunt in Manchester. In one telling moment in tonight’s drama documentary the Curse of Steptoe, his first wife, the talented actress Sheila Steafel declares that for a marriage to work at least one of the couple has to be an adult, as their relationship came to an end when he commenced an affair with an actress met in a film which he hoped would enable him to return to serious acting, but where he was pressed into playing someone who had made it from the working class and still retained his roots, a la Michael Caine. From the second marriage he had two children one of whom became an actress. Harry H died of a major heart attack when only 57, 12 years younger than me, frustrated that he was never able to achieve the acting success forecast for him as the British Marlon Brando. While Harry started life with a void, Wilfred Brambell spent the greater part of his life hiding his homosexuality, and finding it difficult to come to terms with this aspect of his life, becoming an alcoholic with the latter affecting his ability to learn lines and keep to schedules. He was in fact only 13 years older than Corbett, but was able to play an older man several decades than his true age appearing in the Quatermass series on 1953 and 1955 and 1984 in between. He was married but separated after his wife had a son by their lodger, Roger,. Even though homosexuality between consenting adults became legalised he avoided the attention and publicity in the UK by becoming an early sex tourist holidaying in Far East, but established a long term relationship to whom he left a substantial sum when he also died within a couple of years of Corbet aged 73. He was given other opportunities including a Broadway Musical which closed after one night. The drama documentary was followed by an episode from the series, the holiday which emphasised the depth of the two acting performances, something which the two actors in the drama documentary did exceptionally well to match but also underlined the exceptional abilities and special interaction of the originals.

01.30 I go to bed concluding it had been a better Good Friday than anticipated, a day which I had become more focussed on the 101.75 work in translating the 200 boxes of material in cupboard store into sets and volumes before the cost of doing so becomes out of my reach.

09.30 For once I have no recollection of getting up during the night but of prolonged dreaming. I know I resisted getting up with light and went back to sleep again, but did I really pass a whole night without needing to rise? If so I will have to examine the ingredients of the day beforehand.

11.00 Just a coffee has helped me to this point. My mobile phone is being difficult and I will get myself up properly, have a brunch and try and find a new replacement phone. My priority of today. And so it was to be and not as I expected.