It was not only sunny this morning but warm and I felt so much better than yesterday. Perhaps it was going to be a better day for everyone.
Unexpectedly when I was get myself self up mid morning there was a knock at the front door which I assumed was the postman but instead it was a fresh fish sales party. I had been waiting for such a call for some sea bream if available and they had a supply. It was expensive so I bought five for £30, each pack containing two pieces prepared with bodies without heads or tails but large and thick. I will try one tomorrow as I have steak for this evening
It was then time to pay in to the bank a £50 cheque having won a prize in the constituency Labour Party lottery, posting a letter to the Treasurer enclosing my own cheque for the same amount to paid into ward funds.
I went on to Wilkinson's for a large pack of scouring pads/sponges and bought two packs of Ball pens which I seem to consume or lose by as many as the two five packs purchased. I notice they are selling photo frames with glass on board and clips for £1. I had paid several times this amount when buying from Staples for the 101 photos, needing another 101 to complete the proposed work presentation. If I have the nerve to show the work with all the potential implications and unintended consequence then I should but these before they disappear, Once only opportunity. But what if I do not get my nerve back? Perhaps I should get a stock in so to have the work ready to be shown after I am gone. That would be sensible which reminds of the need to sort out what is to happen to work, what ever state it is in, soon. However I am in the mood to put decisions requiring thought and calculation to one side.
I had obtained a copy of the free Metro newspapers on the way into town and read this for a relaxed few moments on one of the benches. I had checked in Smiths for the free CD of the day with the Daily Mail but had not interest in the Adam Ant disk.
I had taken with me the Dolland and Aitcheson sun glasses, and old pair in a gaudy frame where one arm needed to be repaired but as expected there was no branch in town, Boots and Vision Express. I must look up on the internet. I check and remember where the store is in Sunderland opposite the Argos and near the McDonalds. Thursday activity?
I made a salad for lunch and then a banana watching the daily doze of antique buying and selling. One of the channels is repeating the series of programmes where some of the best sales on Flog It are being recaptured. There was a Troika vase an extraordinary large piece which several hundred pounds may even have been close on a thousand fetched, I bought my vase about the same year but his was an almost unique piece bought for only £16. The couple had no money for food or more petrol on the journey back home. It had been kept in the garden shed for years.
Throughout the day and over the past few weeks I have continued my struggle to play 101 successful games of level two chess in uninterrupted sequence. Over 1000 games have been played with a win rate of 95% 1086 of 1141 and the highest run of 71 games with two others of over fifty but usually I crash to a draw and sometimes to defeat around twenty to thirty games. I continue to enjoy also plying Hearts where the win percentage is now up from 10% to 36% 466 12 with the best winning streak 26 games against a losing streak of 23, but the greatest pleasures comes from games of Spider Solitude where after settling at around 75% wins overall I have recently increased to 81% 194 of 237 games with the longest winning streak 237 and the losing 4.
It was time to go to the pictures at Boldon Cineworld stopping for the Asda for some sweeties where I bought three packets two of liquorice allsorts and one of mixed toffees for £2 about a quarter of the cost if they had been bought at the cinema. And so the much talked about film which although shown for several days now attracted a large audience of mainly middle aged and older people. The Duchess is based on a true story and I have subsequently confirmed that the basic facts of the film are accurate. The story is interesting because it mirrors aspects of the situation in which Princes Diana, a descendent found herself in. In the instance of Georgina Spencer, it was her mother who pushed her into a marriage arranged by her father the 1st Earl Spencer and great grand son of the Duke of Marlborough when she was less than eighteen years of age to William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire with a great Palace in London which was the effectively the headquarters of the reformist Whig Party which the Duke financed. In addition to being an Ancestor of Princess Diana, she was also responsible for the present Duke of Devonshire via her grand daughter.
The film suggests that her mother was explicit in telling her daughter that her first and foremost function was to provide the Duke with a son, and that having achieved this objective she then lead her own life as one of the wealthiest and influential ladies in the land if she wished. The Duke preferred the company of his dogs and whoring rather the society of politicians, artists and playwrights but was also a man with a great sense of duty and protecting the family and its good name in public.
The film is based on the research undertaken by several authors of biographies of an extraordinary woman given the era in which she lived in that she became a more influential figure within the Whig party than her husband and a leading figures in society setting the fashion trend and with men of all ranks flocking to her feet because of her beauty and personality.
She struggled however to produce the son with several miscarriages and two daughters who the Duke is said to have ignored. He is also brought into the household the daughter of an affairs when the girl's mother died and she was brought up, in so far as children were brought up by Georgina, or anyone occupying her social station at that time, although eh books suggests that she loved all three girls as well as her son and that in the end gave up the love of her life because of the threat she would not have contact during the rest of their childhood and that the political and social ambitions of her lover would have ended abruptly The films suggests that she and her lover had wanted to marry but this was refused by the Duke with the support of her mother. This may not have been regarded as of major historical significance except that the lover in question was, Charles Grey, the second Earl Grey, who became British Prime Minister 1830-1834. Grey's family came from Northumberland and Durham. (I once interviewed the present Duke of Northumberland but otherwise my only knowledge of contemporary young aristocracy was some four decades earlier when on a first class train journey back from London to Newcastle I was joined at my table in the dining car by a party of Bright Young Things returning for weekend after a hectic week in London. They drank the available supply of half bottles and whatever else was available. The party stretched to the adjacent table and the contrast between their lives and those I was investigating as part of a panel of enquiry in the untimely death of a child was stark, although I also looked in the mirror as I was indulging in an excellent meal with wine myself.
Charles Grey, who tops the Monument in the centre of Newcastle rather like Nelson in Trafalgar Square was responsible for the Reform Act of 1832 and the Abolition of Slavery in the UK. This was some two decades after the death of Georgina when he was in his sixties. Becoming more conservative as well as older he retired from the office leaving the premiership to Lord Melbourne, whose life interested me once after buying his biography by David Cecil. Georgina and Charles had a daughter born after the couple were forced to separate as lovers although they did meet as part of Society subsequently. Their daughter was brought up in Northumberland by the first Earl Grey. Georgina had gone to France on a an extended tour holiday, where she gave birth to the child at Aix en Provence, a place which I have visited during the period of years when I travelled extensively around France during holidays to the South of France and northern Spain, although I also visited northern France from the coast to Paris. Their daughter married into the minor aristocracy and army, with her descendents also playing a part in public life. She died a widow at the age of 67 in South London, Norwood, close to where was raised.
However Georgina and William Cavendish also became notorious for something else in that some two decades before her death Georgina befriend Lady Elizabeth Foster who was separated from her husband who had kept control of her three sons. She then started a relationship with the Duke as a means if regaining the care of her sons and for the next two decades they established a Ménage a trios', although the film suggests that this was a stormy and difficult situation until after the separation from Early grey and birth of their daughter. Lady Elizabeth became the second wife of the Duke after the death of Georgina. There was a large audience for an afternoon performance similar to that for Mama Mia which the public adores and the critics hate poor lost and misguided souls .
I returned home for the evening meal and started work registering completed work sets intending to continue through England's important World Cup Qualifying game against Croatia in Croatia but stopped when the game become interesting with a convincing 4.1 win after the home side had been reduced to ten men and with Theo Walcott the 19 year old scoring three goals, thus showing what a good decision it had been for the previous English Manager but one to have taken the young man to the previous World Cup although he did not play him.
From having speculated that we might not qualify everyone is talking about winning the actual Cup such is the fickleness of critics and fans. It looks as if Newcastle will be able to appoint a manager until after Saturday which is wise anyway, The self appointed media spokesperson for some of the fans continues to be against a boycott though mentioned a match and protect outside the crowd. He is confused for a letting of steam is just that, pointless except that hopefully it will prevent action which could harm individuals and the club long term. The only way to force the owner to sell the club is not longer make the club profitable and this involves a large boycott of ticket purchase and club merchandise.
I am tempted to go into Newcastle with my camera on Saturday and see what happened although the priority is Chelsea at Man City around 5m and Sunderland's away game on the radio. I am delighted that the BBC is giving less emphasis to the number of Gold and other medals won at the Para Olympics than the efforts of individuals to overcome their handicaps and compete with others of similar level of disability from around the world. There are many inspiring stories.
The quantity of work planned for the day was also reduced because of watching the second part of the four hour version of On the Beach. I had missed that this was a two part edition and had thought it was odd that the TV version ended on such an optimistic note eliminating the main part of the story. The TV version suffers from being too long although in many ways the two two hour films are valid as stand alone experience with the greater emotion generation by the second. The difference between the two version is one of credibility. Back in 1959 I was one of hundreds of thousands who believed what happened was not just a possibility but a likelihood whereas now we have become complacence and do not expected the big bang destruction.
I use the term Big Bang advisably as scientists have completed their thirty years of work creating a gigantic particle mover and exploded under a large chunk of Switzerland in order to understand more about the creation of the university as we presently know it. The project has costs tens of billions of dollars and will take a decade or two to reach its maximum generation and provide the answers to the question. Even if it fails the work is likely to have spin offs which could affect the future of human kind and our solar system including the question of long distance travel through space. I hope to live long enough to find out something of the impact of this project.
I also watched the last half hour of Apocalypse 10.5, although I could have watched the whole programme if I had been willing to stay up another hour. As expected the father and daughter combination to save the world are reunited despite father being caught up in the destruction of Los Vegas. Towards the end of the film it looks as if they will save Northern America being divided into two continents as the population of a number of states including Texas is moved to safer areas. Alas nature had the last word. For the most interesting part of the concept would be how the USA would cope with being divided geographically into two countries. Now that is putting lipstick on the pig.
Unexpectedly when I was get myself self up mid morning there was a knock at the front door which I assumed was the postman but instead it was a fresh fish sales party. I had been waiting for such a call for some sea bream if available and they had a supply. It was expensive so I bought five for £30, each pack containing two pieces prepared with bodies without heads or tails but large and thick. I will try one tomorrow as I have steak for this evening
It was then time to pay in to the bank a £50 cheque having won a prize in the constituency Labour Party lottery, posting a letter to the Treasurer enclosing my own cheque for the same amount to paid into ward funds.
I went on to Wilkinson's for a large pack of scouring pads/sponges and bought two packs of Ball pens which I seem to consume or lose by as many as the two five packs purchased. I notice they are selling photo frames with glass on board and clips for £1. I had paid several times this amount when buying from Staples for the 101 photos, needing another 101 to complete the proposed work presentation. If I have the nerve to show the work with all the potential implications and unintended consequence then I should but these before they disappear, Once only opportunity. But what if I do not get my nerve back? Perhaps I should get a stock in so to have the work ready to be shown after I am gone. That would be sensible which reminds of the need to sort out what is to happen to work, what ever state it is in, soon. However I am in the mood to put decisions requiring thought and calculation to one side.
I had obtained a copy of the free Metro newspapers on the way into town and read this for a relaxed few moments on one of the benches. I had checked in Smiths for the free CD of the day with the Daily Mail but had not interest in the Adam Ant disk.
I had taken with me the Dolland and Aitcheson sun glasses, and old pair in a gaudy frame where one arm needed to be repaired but as expected there was no branch in town, Boots and Vision Express. I must look up on the internet. I check and remember where the store is in Sunderland opposite the Argos and near the McDonalds. Thursday activity?
I made a salad for lunch and then a banana watching the daily doze of antique buying and selling. One of the channels is repeating the series of programmes where some of the best sales on Flog It are being recaptured. There was a Troika vase an extraordinary large piece which several hundred pounds may even have been close on a thousand fetched, I bought my vase about the same year but his was an almost unique piece bought for only £16. The couple had no money for food or more petrol on the journey back home. It had been kept in the garden shed for years.
Throughout the day and over the past few weeks I have continued my struggle to play 101 successful games of level two chess in uninterrupted sequence. Over 1000 games have been played with a win rate of 95% 1086 of 1141 and the highest run of 71 games with two others of over fifty but usually I crash to a draw and sometimes to defeat around twenty to thirty games. I continue to enjoy also plying Hearts where the win percentage is now up from 10% to 36% 466 12 with the best winning streak 26 games against a losing streak of 23, but the greatest pleasures comes from games of Spider Solitude where after settling at around 75% wins overall I have recently increased to 81% 194 of 237 games with the longest winning streak 237 and the losing 4.
It was time to go to the pictures at Boldon Cineworld stopping for the Asda for some sweeties where I bought three packets two of liquorice allsorts and one of mixed toffees for £2 about a quarter of the cost if they had been bought at the cinema. And so the much talked about film which although shown for several days now attracted a large audience of mainly middle aged and older people. The Duchess is based on a true story and I have subsequently confirmed that the basic facts of the film are accurate. The story is interesting because it mirrors aspects of the situation in which Princes Diana, a descendent found herself in. In the instance of Georgina Spencer, it was her mother who pushed her into a marriage arranged by her father the 1st Earl Spencer and great grand son of the Duke of Marlborough when she was less than eighteen years of age to William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire with a great Palace in London which was the effectively the headquarters of the reformist Whig Party which the Duke financed. In addition to being an Ancestor of Princess Diana, she was also responsible for the present Duke of Devonshire via her grand daughter.
The film suggests that her mother was explicit in telling her daughter that her first and foremost function was to provide the Duke with a son, and that having achieved this objective she then lead her own life as one of the wealthiest and influential ladies in the land if she wished. The Duke preferred the company of his dogs and whoring rather the society of politicians, artists and playwrights but was also a man with a great sense of duty and protecting the family and its good name in public.
The film is based on the research undertaken by several authors of biographies of an extraordinary woman given the era in which she lived in that she became a more influential figure within the Whig party than her husband and a leading figures in society setting the fashion trend and with men of all ranks flocking to her feet because of her beauty and personality.
She struggled however to produce the son with several miscarriages and two daughters who the Duke is said to have ignored. He is also brought into the household the daughter of an affairs when the girl's mother died and she was brought up, in so far as children were brought up by Georgina, or anyone occupying her social station at that time, although eh books suggests that she loved all three girls as well as her son and that in the end gave up the love of her life because of the threat she would not have contact during the rest of their childhood and that the political and social ambitions of her lover would have ended abruptly The films suggests that she and her lover had wanted to marry but this was refused by the Duke with the support of her mother. This may not have been regarded as of major historical significance except that the lover in question was, Charles Grey, the second Earl Grey, who became British Prime Minister 1830-1834. Grey's family came from Northumberland and Durham. (I once interviewed the present Duke of Northumberland but otherwise my only knowledge of contemporary young aristocracy was some four decades earlier when on a first class train journey back from London to Newcastle I was joined at my table in the dining car by a party of Bright Young Things returning for weekend after a hectic week in London. They drank the available supply of half bottles and whatever else was available. The party stretched to the adjacent table and the contrast between their lives and those I was investigating as part of a panel of enquiry in the untimely death of a child was stark, although I also looked in the mirror as I was indulging in an excellent meal with wine myself.
Charles Grey, who tops the Monument in the centre of Newcastle rather like Nelson in Trafalgar Square was responsible for the Reform Act of 1832 and the Abolition of Slavery in the UK. This was some two decades after the death of Georgina when he was in his sixties. Becoming more conservative as well as older he retired from the office leaving the premiership to Lord Melbourne, whose life interested me once after buying his biography by David Cecil. Georgina and Charles had a daughter born after the couple were forced to separate as lovers although they did meet as part of Society subsequently. Their daughter was brought up in Northumberland by the first Earl Grey. Georgina had gone to France on a an extended tour holiday, where she gave birth to the child at Aix en Provence, a place which I have visited during the period of years when I travelled extensively around France during holidays to the South of France and northern Spain, although I also visited northern France from the coast to Paris. Their daughter married into the minor aristocracy and army, with her descendents also playing a part in public life. She died a widow at the age of 67 in South London, Norwood, close to where was raised.
However Georgina and William Cavendish also became notorious for something else in that some two decades before her death Georgina befriend Lady Elizabeth Foster who was separated from her husband who had kept control of her three sons. She then started a relationship with the Duke as a means if regaining the care of her sons and for the next two decades they established a Ménage a trios', although the film suggests that this was a stormy and difficult situation until after the separation from Early grey and birth of their daughter. Lady Elizabeth became the second wife of the Duke after the death of Georgina. There was a large audience for an afternoon performance similar to that for Mama Mia which the public adores and the critics hate poor lost and misguided souls .
I returned home for the evening meal and started work registering completed work sets intending to continue through England's important World Cup Qualifying game against Croatia in Croatia but stopped when the game become interesting with a convincing 4.1 win after the home side had been reduced to ten men and with Theo Walcott the 19 year old scoring three goals, thus showing what a good decision it had been for the previous English Manager but one to have taken the young man to the previous World Cup although he did not play him.
From having speculated that we might not qualify everyone is talking about winning the actual Cup such is the fickleness of critics and fans. It looks as if Newcastle will be able to appoint a manager until after Saturday which is wise anyway, The self appointed media spokesperson for some of the fans continues to be against a boycott though mentioned a match and protect outside the crowd. He is confused for a letting of steam is just that, pointless except that hopefully it will prevent action which could harm individuals and the club long term. The only way to force the owner to sell the club is not longer make the club profitable and this involves a large boycott of ticket purchase and club merchandise.
I am tempted to go into Newcastle with my camera on Saturday and see what happened although the priority is Chelsea at Man City around 5m and Sunderland's away game on the radio. I am delighted that the BBC is giving less emphasis to the number of Gold and other medals won at the Para Olympics than the efforts of individuals to overcome their handicaps and compete with others of similar level of disability from around the world. There are many inspiring stories.
The quantity of work planned for the day was also reduced because of watching the second part of the four hour version of On the Beach. I had missed that this was a two part edition and had thought it was odd that the TV version ended on such an optimistic note eliminating the main part of the story. The TV version suffers from being too long although in many ways the two two hour films are valid as stand alone experience with the greater emotion generation by the second. The difference between the two version is one of credibility. Back in 1959 I was one of hundreds of thousands who believed what happened was not just a possibility but a likelihood whereas now we have become complacence and do not expected the big bang destruction.
I use the term Big Bang advisably as scientists have completed their thirty years of work creating a gigantic particle mover and exploded under a large chunk of Switzerland in order to understand more about the creation of the university as we presently know it. The project has costs tens of billions of dollars and will take a decade or two to reach its maximum generation and provide the answers to the question. Even if it fails the work is likely to have spin offs which could affect the future of human kind and our solar system including the question of long distance travel through space. I hope to live long enough to find out something of the impact of this project.
I also watched the last half hour of Apocalypse 10.5, although I could have watched the whole programme if I had been willing to stay up another hour. As expected the father and daughter combination to save the world are reunited despite father being caught up in the destruction of Los Vegas. Towards the end of the film it looks as if they will save Northern America being divided into two continents as the population of a number of states including Texas is moved to safer areas. Alas nature had the last word. For the most interesting part of the concept would be how the USA would cope with being divided geographically into two countries. Now that is putting lipstick on the pig.
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