Wednesday, 28 July 2010

1942 Seaburn Marriott Leisure and films

Today I was to have a urine sample to the GP practice Health centre and had a blood sample in preparation for the annual check up review after the trip to Manchester for the cricket. However I had a restless night and could not resist eating just three or four liquorice twists, forgetting that I had needed to fast until the samples were taken. I would have to repeat the action the following day. Having risen early to put the waste bin out I decided to go and register for the reduce rate promotion at the Seaburn Marriot Leisure Club. It is one of the better decision of recent times. Although it is perhaps seven years since I was last a member I was able to complete 14 lengths 140 meters of the pool in two attempts together with two sessions in the sauna I have felt 100% better since returning home having walked from the supermarket to get some of the cherries and some grapes at the station grocers and then had a good shop back at the supermarket with a dozen packets of the transparent pockets at £1 per 100 instead of the usual £1.80 and higher at staples. I will have to see if there are others at the Bolden Azda.

The other pleasing aspect of the visit to Leisure Cub is that as once junior assistant is now the manager and recognised me when I went to investigate on Friday and that immediately on entering and then at departure I encountered two individuals who I have known over the year as well as making friends with a more recent member.

Tuesday was an even better at the pool as I managed 20 length and a good sauna. It is having a good effect on my metabolism and my feet. Wednesday was not so good because I delayed departure and although I had a good stint of 12 lengths before the Sauna it became crowded with families. I will try and make it four days in a row before the Oxford trip with an early start. In more than one respect I have had second thoughts about the Oxford trip.

Sunday evening proved an exceptionally interesting one although whether it will be regarded as make believe or a reality will not be revealed until the next 24 to 48 hours passes by! Later I revised this to another 24 to 72.

When listing recently seen films I omitted to mention Damn United originally based ob the book about the 40 odd days which Brian Clough spent as Manager of United. The family understandably were unhappy with the book although I thought film captured the essence of Brian’s life as it placed what happened at Leeds in the perspective of his careers as a professional footballer and then as Manager.

I liked the situation at Derby which showed the double slight which Don Revie then Manager at Leeds showed Brian first by ignoring him as he went to the stadium entrance to greet the man he admired, his team having won promotion to the then First division. Revie had the habit of stopping the team coach outside the gates of the stadium and walking the last 100 yards. He then doubled the slight by immediately leaving the ground with the team without stopping to have a drink with Clough. Clough never forgot that incident and there was a bury Revie mentality which took him to Leeds. He also right the Leeds were a dirty team who won by force rather than skill but the idea that you can change such a team by your personality was a serious mistake although understandable.

He had taken Derby from relegation threats at the bottom of the second division to winning the championship but he then fell out with the management as his career as a TV personality took over. He then had a short spell at Brighton before the Leeds challenge came and he eat humble pie with Peter Taylor before the call to Notts Forest arrived as they performed their magic with the team winning the European Championship not once, but twice and in succession.

One of the great tragedies was their final disagreement which meant that Peter died without the two having spoken to each other. Brian the retreated into drink once the door have been closed to the England job. He remains one of he great achievers in football both as a goal scorer and as a manger but someone whose life had its tragic moments.

I have seen four films since although one Hairspray the musical I only experienced part of as it was excruciatingly awful other than a homage to fatties everywhere. It does however manage to combine horrendous stereotyping teen dancing with the serious subject of the segregation which existed in USA societies until the latter part of the last century, officially. However is has had considerable popular success as a West End and Broadway musical and as a school musical along with High School the musical in addition to commercial.

Up Periscope is one of those World war II films which portrayed the command structure as a talking rule book with no flexibility to manoeuvre according the circumstances of war and armed combat. It was also vehicle of semi straight James Gardner, where there were only occasional flashes of his sardonic manner. The movie is itself a homage to the 1943Destination Tokyo. Edmund Obrien played the rule book quoting captain of the submarine taking Gardner to an island where he has to steal a codebook.

The Carry on series with the busty Barbara Windsor and her secret real life lover Sid James is also a standard fairly innocent Bawdy Romp playing the possible meanings of the Dick of Dick Turpin. In this instance the Highway is played by Sid James the local Robin Hood Vicar who with his assistant Barbara hold up the rich to give their clothes and baubles to the parish poor. Although this is the contradiction because the film portrays the parish as fornicating, lecherous drunkards. Hattie Jacques plays the long suffering Vicar’s housekeeper, Kenneth Williams plays the stupid worse than Clousseau Kenneth Connor plays one of two Bow Street Runners sent by Bernard Breslaw. Kenneth Connor, Peter Butterworth, Bill Maynard and Joan Sims make up the team. Capturing Dick is based on the theme that the villain as a birthmark you know where

I did also catch parts of the Tom Fielding classic romp of Tom Jones, brought to the screen by Tony Richardson and John Osborn with Albert Finney and Susannah York, and with David Warner making his first appearance along with stalwarts of Dame Edith Evans, High Griffiths.

I have mislaid by bank card and reported it missing and was promised a new one would arrive in 3 to five working days. I should have telephone last Thursday or Friday as the request had not been recorded but fortunately the bank statement shows there has been no misuse. The assistant offered to speak to the supervisor to see if a new card could be issued and posted to arrive before Thursday. He phoned to say that the best was likely to be Friday however this morning it arrived and I was able to make the monthly credit card payment without interest

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