The horrible weather of November and December has been overlaid by some glorious days of sunshine over the past ten days. Yesterday without knowing what kind of weather day it was going to be other than dry I had a great change of mind on waking and decided to set off for Headingley Leeds to watch Durham in the third day of their county championship against Yorkshire.
I considered going to Headingley for all four days of the game prior to the seasonal Travel Lodge sale, but after the disappointment of the game and weather last year, and the inability get low cost accommodation, I decided to wait and see what happened in the opening games. Encouraged by the Durham’s near win at the Rose Bowl the York’s clear win at Worcester was noted after their successful third placed season last year. Listening to the opening day commentary I was struck how defensive were the commentators making the point that Worcestershire was woeful and that Yorkshire without their outstanding opener Jack Rudolph and with injury to their bowlers Bresnan and Shahzad would find the season difficult depending on the their new opening partnership.
Durham won the toss and elected to bat and after a great morning with 100 runs on the board there was a collapse both sides of the luncheon interval from 105 for no wicket to 136 6 and 196 7, Di Venuto had made 74 but it was Richardson (67) with Plunket, and then Plunket with Thorp (41) who edged the total to a respectable 327 with Plunket undefeated on 66.
Yorkshire started disastrously with Lyth out first or second ball and with McGrath out when the total 43 Durham were on top. A stand of over 50 runs eased the position until immediately after lunch 7 wickets fell for 33 runs and the team were all out at 149, 16 runs later 198 behind. Everyone expected Durham to apply the follow on but they batted again, with difficulty with wickets lost at 21, 25 and 53 and although the overnight total reached 62 or 64 without further loss making effectively 250 for 3 with two full days to play the outcome of the game was by no means certain. Nevertheless as the sun came up immediately with the dawn I determined to set off.
I had some selected salad and once on my way went to the supermarket for some French bread to make up lunch and tea, having prepared a flask of coffee and soup; I added a carton of melon slices and two light Danish pastries. I then had to return home having realised I had left my credit cards at home, and also then forgetting a hat and sun tan and not remembering until parked at the ground.
The journey was enjoyable although I also forgot to bring with me one or two of the cricket CD’s of Fred Truman or Dickie Bird. I stopped almost as soon as setting off for a cup of coffee and one of the Danish and getting to the ground and being able to park close by became a worry when a sign came up that the A1M was closed at Leaming Bar over the Saturday and Sunday. However it had not closed by the time I reached the junction and I was able to park at the end of a road with the Sir Len Hutton ground across the main road opposite. I enjoyed the rest of the coffee and the second Danish and entered the stadium just after 9.45 when it was open to non Members. I paid £10, a concession; although it would have been only £5 if purchased in advance and after a comfort break made my long way round to sit behind the bowling arm close to the horrible new Green coloured stand which also serves as a teaching block of the Leeds Metropolitan University.
At lunch I investigated and found that it is now possible to walk all the way around the ground and therefore it was a short walk to the gates and over to the car where I first enjoyed the soup and then three quarters of the French Bread with a salad of Feta Cheese, black olives, spicy salami, coleslaw and some pasta, cucumber pieces and dried tomatoes. After this I spilt the can of coke and when removing the double floor mat noticed the missing phone from earlier in the year which I thought was long lost. Amazing. T has been a week for losing and findings.
As for the cricket Durham laboured slowly during the morning losing two more wickets to 135 5 with no one doing themselves new credit. However my this time Benkenstein was getting the feel of the pace and together with Richardson they launcher an assault which saw some great strokes and some hard hits so that the former and reinstalled captain reached another hundred for the county and went to 150 before going out to a catch in the deep top end the innings leaving Richardson in his first premier county game 73 not out so he is second in the county average with 140 to Benkenstein 150 with stokes at 95 which shows the batting strength so far this season.
However Yorkshire did not find the pace attack such a problem second time round and although two wickets were lost for 80 odd runs by the close I was pleased I had not decided to stay overnight because I suspected Sunday was going to be a long day of toil if the sun continued to shine. A drink to Pepsi at the club cost me £1.80, outrageous and even more so was a small cup of coffee, sufficient for me from the Costa stand or a name similar for £2.39.
Although the sun shone with the dawn and continued all day Sunday I was not tempted to repeat the trip to the cricket and listened to the commentary for parts of proved a long day in which Durham struggled to obtain the necessary wickets. Pyrah 87 with Bairstow 81 lifted Yorkshire spirits took the score from 158 to 225 and then 323 raising hopes of a draw and Durham the prospect of not winning two away games in succession when the odds favoured them doing so. However as the last hour of play was reached despite hold out for 11 overs with last man Ashraf Pyrah was out to young Borthwick, one Durham’s three promising youngsters with Richardson and Stokes the other two. The win took Durham above Yorks by 8 points at the top of the Championship but Warwickshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire, the current Champions all with one win from their only game the next two rounds of matches should provide a more accurate perspective. Yorkshire host Nottingham and Durham Sussex on Wednesday and a week after are at home to Warwickshire. Win both games or a win and a draw should indicate if first game form marks a third good season for the county out of four, similar to Sussex whose four championships were divided by a failure.
I love watching Master Chef with the food extraordinary sometimes delicious as Wednesday and sometimes making me angry at the expense and luxury living of those where the food is a way of life. Most of the food on offer at the start of the finals was exceptionally desirable commencing with the creation of a Croquembouche for its creative designer Michel Roux. This consist of a tall pyramid structure of some sixty individual balls of choux pastry filled with crème patisserie in a cylindrical pyramid cone and held together with brown sugar which also includes a sugar web. Three of the four contestants failed in the composition of the choux and or the crème but all managed to create a look alike pyramid. The exception was the female contestant of Italian background whose work resembled a pyramid but scored top marks for both her choux covers and their contents. Roux then demonstrated some of his favourite puddings including one of summer fruit which involve a juice of sweet wine and a little red, topped with champagne
The last four then prepare a pudding dish each with three treats to delight the Duke, the Duchess and Dowager Duchess of Bedford at Woburn abbey. They impressed with one exception,
Finally they served sandwiches and pastries for 16 Battle of Britain Heroes at the former the form RAF station at Northolt. Tempting were smoked salmon and caviar finger sandwiches, Whisky-cured sea trout, lapsang souchong and maple mustard sandwiches, Prosciutto and fig finger sandwiches, Lancashire cheese and reds onion marmalade sandwiches, orange and jasmine tart, goosenargh biscuits with chocolate garnache filling, and a medley of mini sables.
I was in the Mood for some good Jazz and Treme after finding that the Summer Whitely Bay Festival held at a hotel some distance away from the town for a number of recent years and scheduled to and last year is returning for a weekend in the autumn. I cannot say I enjoyed the programme as the story took a decisive twist into disappointment, but I presume only because of a decision of John Goodman not to participate in a second season. In the programme John has an attractive wife and delightful daughter. He is a Professor of English at the University and had written successful books although his publisher has been waiting several years for the completion of his next work having paid out a large royalty for the work. Goodman was an active participant in the first of two m carnival events which have been shown so far, had developed a following for his rants on You Tube about the way city and national government was treating the City after Katrina and the failure of the flood defence system.
Last episode he could not get into the spirit of Mardi Gras and returned home on his own, got drunk and upset his wife with his boorish behaviour. This time there signs that something was building up when the gulf between him and the majority of his students widened as they criticised having to read an old book and appeared to have no appreciation of what the books was about or Goodman’s analytical approach, His expression said what am I doing here. It was then evident he had reached a stonewall in trying to write his required work afresh. He appeared to have sorted out the demons when he complements his daughter on her appearance and gives his wife a loving kiss of goodbye. He is then seen taking the cross river ferry and cadging a smoke from a stranger who is struck by the behaviour of the big man. When he checks to see what John is up to at the back of the ferry, he is not there.
Annie continues to be turmoil over her relationship with Sonny telling him she wants to play with other musicians. A friend tells her that this was a slight more personal than promiscuity and is not surprised he has asked her to leave, which he does. She starts to play with his as he does. She is invited to a party for the release of his latest record organised by Davis who sends out flyers calling for musicians to participate and hot women. She has an engagement but says she will call another time hinting at a developing relationship after they shared Maris Gras day.
Sonny contacts and says he made a mistake and wants her back but while she continues to be torn between head, heart and body suggests they meet for coffee.
Albert who is Chief of an Indian Tribe of which there are about score in New Orleans ranging from half a dozen to a couple of dozen members. They dress up once a year on Saint Joseph’s Day, and because of this and my associations with St Joseph I take a special interest. They are called Indians because they wear self made elaborate Native American Indian costumes to show their support and identification as former slave Negroes with the plight of the original owners of continent and the events has had is riotous moments coming into conflict with the police. Albert is now being watched carefully by the local authorities and the security at the empty Caillope projects has been strengthened to prevent further access.
He is approached by two local community relations officers who admit he will be a target on the day and pleads with him not to respond to provocation and that the same message is being delivered to his colleagues on the force.
Toni wants an independent autopsy for Daymo after being contacted by a relative of his who was telephoned by the police/prison authorities to say they had her son, who she explained was sitting before her and therefore the assumption made is that while they had the correct surname they had got the wrong Christian name which adds to Toni’s view that the situation including cause of death requires further consideration. LaDonna refuses to delay the funeral for an autopsy as holding one will not bring her brother back or alter the situation. She has to delay the event because discovering that the family tomb has been badly damaged in the flooding and requires two and half thousand dollars to repair. Antione offers money which she accepts on the understanding that their sexual encounter at Mardi Gras will not progress. She has to seek further financial help from her estranged husband.
Janette continues to operate her successful mobile catering business and impresses her parents by her efforts although are keen for her to return home, marry someone such a lawyer and produced grand children. She says that the contents of her restaurant will produce some funds to reimburse the financial help given by her parents. She is engaged to provide food at a major outdoor concert event but after a great start it goes wrong because of a violent storm. She returns home to find water coming through the roof and decides this is the last straw and will accept the parental offer. She meets Davis and complains that he has not been in contact. They still sleep together. She is determined to leave nevertheless.
Solomon Kane is a the character is a 1928 work of fiction and also a comic book He is a Puritan out to vanquish evil in all its forms and inhabiting a world fo devils, sorcerers, and evil men without redemption.
In the 2009 released film the story begins before Solomon became a Puritan and was an adventuring mercenary fighting in North Africa in 1600 and encountering a demon, the Devil’s Reaper who announces that because of his life the hero much accompany him to Hell. Solomon escapes saying he is not ready and returns to England where he takes sanctuary in a monastery in the countryside where he finds contentment until the Abbot has dreams which reveals the man must go back to his family estate in the South West. He meets a Puritan family on their way to the New World who offer him a lift but he declines and is set upon and left for dead, but then found and treated by the Puritan Family.
On their travels they encounter a villages where everyone appears killed except for a little girl but Solomon is justifiably wary and giving her a cross to hold she leaves a mark on the daughter who cared for Solomon before turning into a demon and going off.
He accepts the invitation to accompany the family to New World but on an overnight break he and the younger son of the family observe a murderous group taking villagers into slave captivity and they are discovered and they and the rest of the family are captured. Solomon despite having renounced violence is forced to taking up arms as the men kill the younger son and then the other members of the family with the exception of the daughter who is taken into captivity and the mother who he leaves because her husband before he dies tells Solomon to rescue the daughter and in doing so he will find his salvation.
He engages in battle with some of the men but encountering one group he is told she is dead and this means he has failed to gain redemption and turns to drink. However at the Inn he is recognised men who served with him in the earlier life and who believe he is the one man to stand up against the forces now engulfing the South West counties of Devon and Cornwall.
The community is attacked a Solomon is captured and crucified but while on the cross he is recognised by the daughter who is passing in a prison cart and calls out to him. He breaks down from the cross and he is cared for by a pagan woman until his wounds heals and he is told that a sorcerer called Malachi has taken control based on a castle owned by Solomon’s family. As no more than a teenage boy he had been involved in a dispute with his older brother who had accidentally fallen off a cliff top to his presumed death and Solomon blaming himself, or being blamed had left home. Because it is the family home he is able to lead a small band into the castle where he finds his father imprisoned. The head soldier for Malachi wears a mask and has the power to turn the brains of men into slave fighters. This man was responsible for ordering Solomon to be crucified. Now his father tells him that the man is his brother, He had gone to the sorcerer after his son has been found injured and in a coma but the price of the help had been more than he could cope with and he asks his son to kill him and break the spell the sorcerer has over the people.
It is at this point that that why the demon left a mark on the daughter is revealed. This is to signify her innocence and that use of her a drop of her blood will open a portal to release a great fiery demon which nearly gets the better of Solomon. He manages to shoot Malachi in the head but it appears that his soul, that of Malachi, his decapitated brother and the demon are drawn in Hell. Howver true to the forecast in saving the girl he is redeemed. The mother is found and with her daughter they set off for the New World. Solomon now commences his new life attacking evil wherever it can be found. The late Pete Postlethwaite plays the Puritan father.
The third episode of the fifth series of Lewis failed to impress again. The story is the equivalent of the Agatha Christie house party murder. A controversial psychiatrist is testing an anti depressant drug for a pharmaceutical company on vole enters who have taken over a small college during the summer holiday. One of the volunteers is found dead below her bedroom window but evidence of murder is established. One of the other volunteers is subsequently found murdered and the wife of the psychiatrist is deliberately knocked down off a bicycle and will be in a coma with a broken back fr the rest of her life.
Kevin is hostile to all psychiatrists after his experience being required to visit one for counselling after the death of his wife and unfortunately finding someone who lacked the skill and insight to help. From my experience there are a few who fall into this categorical but the majority are not. His scepticism is shared by his Sergeant although more from taking a personal dislike than rejection of the whole profession.
Kevin comes under pressure from his boss who is under pressure from the girl’s father who had previously lost his son in Afghanistan. He believes the Psychiatrist is to blame and comes under suspicion for the hit run after appearing to stalk the psychiatrist and mistaking the wife for her husband as they use the same outfits when cycling. The psychiatrist is the prime suspect for several reasons. It is found that previously he had been the subject of inquiry for having an affair with a student/patient(not sure which). The case was dropped. This is because the girl refused to make a complaint and turns out to be his present wife.
She also becomes a suspect after she reveals as does the father of he dead girl that they had both received notes saying that the Psychiatrist was having an affair. The dead girl is not specified but a confidential tape, rather like the Big Brother House talk box, reveals that the girl was in love with the psychiatrist. There is a discussion about transference and counter transference. The girl had been pursued by one of other volunteers who becomes the prime suspect when he breaks out of the accommodation and takes one of the frequent coaches to London and his stalker behaviour becomes known tot he authorities. However early on it was evident to me that the most likely culprit was the assistant to the psychiatrist who it only emerges at the end of the two hour epic had turned her love worship into hate on finding that her feelings were not reciprocated and set out to kill the women in his life and to destroy him professionally and personally.
The saving grace of the series has been the relationship between to the two police men and he examining doctor. Unlike Morse although a bachelor embarked on several romantic relationships which could have ended H.E.A . Alas poor K W lacks the romantic nature or sex appeal and therefore it is no surprise that the good doctor is spotted by the Sergeant on a romantic night out with someone else. Kevin true to character is philosophical and wishes her well. It would never have worked.
I considered going to Headingley for all four days of the game prior to the seasonal Travel Lodge sale, but after the disappointment of the game and weather last year, and the inability get low cost accommodation, I decided to wait and see what happened in the opening games. Encouraged by the Durham’s near win at the Rose Bowl the York’s clear win at Worcester was noted after their successful third placed season last year. Listening to the opening day commentary I was struck how defensive were the commentators making the point that Worcestershire was woeful and that Yorkshire without their outstanding opener Jack Rudolph and with injury to their bowlers Bresnan and Shahzad would find the season difficult depending on the their new opening partnership.
Durham won the toss and elected to bat and after a great morning with 100 runs on the board there was a collapse both sides of the luncheon interval from 105 for no wicket to 136 6 and 196 7, Di Venuto had made 74 but it was Richardson (67) with Plunket, and then Plunket with Thorp (41) who edged the total to a respectable 327 with Plunket undefeated on 66.
Yorkshire started disastrously with Lyth out first or second ball and with McGrath out when the total 43 Durham were on top. A stand of over 50 runs eased the position until immediately after lunch 7 wickets fell for 33 runs and the team were all out at 149, 16 runs later 198 behind. Everyone expected Durham to apply the follow on but they batted again, with difficulty with wickets lost at 21, 25 and 53 and although the overnight total reached 62 or 64 without further loss making effectively 250 for 3 with two full days to play the outcome of the game was by no means certain. Nevertheless as the sun came up immediately with the dawn I determined to set off.
I had some selected salad and once on my way went to the supermarket for some French bread to make up lunch and tea, having prepared a flask of coffee and soup; I added a carton of melon slices and two light Danish pastries. I then had to return home having realised I had left my credit cards at home, and also then forgetting a hat and sun tan and not remembering until parked at the ground.
The journey was enjoyable although I also forgot to bring with me one or two of the cricket CD’s of Fred Truman or Dickie Bird. I stopped almost as soon as setting off for a cup of coffee and one of the Danish and getting to the ground and being able to park close by became a worry when a sign came up that the A1M was closed at Leaming Bar over the Saturday and Sunday. However it had not closed by the time I reached the junction and I was able to park at the end of a road with the Sir Len Hutton ground across the main road opposite. I enjoyed the rest of the coffee and the second Danish and entered the stadium just after 9.45 when it was open to non Members. I paid £10, a concession; although it would have been only £5 if purchased in advance and after a comfort break made my long way round to sit behind the bowling arm close to the horrible new Green coloured stand which also serves as a teaching block of the Leeds Metropolitan University.
At lunch I investigated and found that it is now possible to walk all the way around the ground and therefore it was a short walk to the gates and over to the car where I first enjoyed the soup and then three quarters of the French Bread with a salad of Feta Cheese, black olives, spicy salami, coleslaw and some pasta, cucumber pieces and dried tomatoes. After this I spilt the can of coke and when removing the double floor mat noticed the missing phone from earlier in the year which I thought was long lost. Amazing. T has been a week for losing and findings.
As for the cricket Durham laboured slowly during the morning losing two more wickets to 135 5 with no one doing themselves new credit. However my this time Benkenstein was getting the feel of the pace and together with Richardson they launcher an assault which saw some great strokes and some hard hits so that the former and reinstalled captain reached another hundred for the county and went to 150 before going out to a catch in the deep top end the innings leaving Richardson in his first premier county game 73 not out so he is second in the county average with 140 to Benkenstein 150 with stokes at 95 which shows the batting strength so far this season.
However Yorkshire did not find the pace attack such a problem second time round and although two wickets were lost for 80 odd runs by the close I was pleased I had not decided to stay overnight because I suspected Sunday was going to be a long day of toil if the sun continued to shine. A drink to Pepsi at the club cost me £1.80, outrageous and even more so was a small cup of coffee, sufficient for me from the Costa stand or a name similar for £2.39.
Although the sun shone with the dawn and continued all day Sunday I was not tempted to repeat the trip to the cricket and listened to the commentary for parts of proved a long day in which Durham struggled to obtain the necessary wickets. Pyrah 87 with Bairstow 81 lifted Yorkshire spirits took the score from 158 to 225 and then 323 raising hopes of a draw and Durham the prospect of not winning two away games in succession when the odds favoured them doing so. However as the last hour of play was reached despite hold out for 11 overs with last man Ashraf Pyrah was out to young Borthwick, one Durham’s three promising youngsters with Richardson and Stokes the other two. The win took Durham above Yorks by 8 points at the top of the Championship but Warwickshire, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire, the current Champions all with one win from their only game the next two rounds of matches should provide a more accurate perspective. Yorkshire host Nottingham and Durham Sussex on Wednesday and a week after are at home to Warwickshire. Win both games or a win and a draw should indicate if first game form marks a third good season for the county out of four, similar to Sussex whose four championships were divided by a failure.
I love watching Master Chef with the food extraordinary sometimes delicious as Wednesday and sometimes making me angry at the expense and luxury living of those where the food is a way of life. Most of the food on offer at the start of the finals was exceptionally desirable commencing with the creation of a Croquembouche for its creative designer Michel Roux. This consist of a tall pyramid structure of some sixty individual balls of choux pastry filled with crème patisserie in a cylindrical pyramid cone and held together with brown sugar which also includes a sugar web. Three of the four contestants failed in the composition of the choux and or the crème but all managed to create a look alike pyramid. The exception was the female contestant of Italian background whose work resembled a pyramid but scored top marks for both her choux covers and their contents. Roux then demonstrated some of his favourite puddings including one of summer fruit which involve a juice of sweet wine and a little red, topped with champagne
The last four then prepare a pudding dish each with three treats to delight the Duke, the Duchess and Dowager Duchess of Bedford at Woburn abbey. They impressed with one exception,
Finally they served sandwiches and pastries for 16 Battle of Britain Heroes at the former the form RAF station at Northolt. Tempting were smoked salmon and caviar finger sandwiches, Whisky-cured sea trout, lapsang souchong and maple mustard sandwiches, Prosciutto and fig finger sandwiches, Lancashire cheese and reds onion marmalade sandwiches, orange and jasmine tart, goosenargh biscuits with chocolate garnache filling, and a medley of mini sables.
I was in the Mood for some good Jazz and Treme after finding that the Summer Whitely Bay Festival held at a hotel some distance away from the town for a number of recent years and scheduled to and last year is returning for a weekend in the autumn. I cannot say I enjoyed the programme as the story took a decisive twist into disappointment, but I presume only because of a decision of John Goodman not to participate in a second season. In the programme John has an attractive wife and delightful daughter. He is a Professor of English at the University and had written successful books although his publisher has been waiting several years for the completion of his next work having paid out a large royalty for the work. Goodman was an active participant in the first of two m carnival events which have been shown so far, had developed a following for his rants on You Tube about the way city and national government was treating the City after Katrina and the failure of the flood defence system.
Last episode he could not get into the spirit of Mardi Gras and returned home on his own, got drunk and upset his wife with his boorish behaviour. This time there signs that something was building up when the gulf between him and the majority of his students widened as they criticised having to read an old book and appeared to have no appreciation of what the books was about or Goodman’s analytical approach, His expression said what am I doing here. It was then evident he had reached a stonewall in trying to write his required work afresh. He appeared to have sorted out the demons when he complements his daughter on her appearance and gives his wife a loving kiss of goodbye. He is then seen taking the cross river ferry and cadging a smoke from a stranger who is struck by the behaviour of the big man. When he checks to see what John is up to at the back of the ferry, he is not there.
Annie continues to be turmoil over her relationship with Sonny telling him she wants to play with other musicians. A friend tells her that this was a slight more personal than promiscuity and is not surprised he has asked her to leave, which he does. She starts to play with his as he does. She is invited to a party for the release of his latest record organised by Davis who sends out flyers calling for musicians to participate and hot women. She has an engagement but says she will call another time hinting at a developing relationship after they shared Maris Gras day.
Sonny contacts and says he made a mistake and wants her back but while she continues to be torn between head, heart and body suggests they meet for coffee.
Albert who is Chief of an Indian Tribe of which there are about score in New Orleans ranging from half a dozen to a couple of dozen members. They dress up once a year on Saint Joseph’s Day, and because of this and my associations with St Joseph I take a special interest. They are called Indians because they wear self made elaborate Native American Indian costumes to show their support and identification as former slave Negroes with the plight of the original owners of continent and the events has had is riotous moments coming into conflict with the police. Albert is now being watched carefully by the local authorities and the security at the empty Caillope projects has been strengthened to prevent further access.
He is approached by two local community relations officers who admit he will be a target on the day and pleads with him not to respond to provocation and that the same message is being delivered to his colleagues on the force.
Toni wants an independent autopsy for Daymo after being contacted by a relative of his who was telephoned by the police/prison authorities to say they had her son, who she explained was sitting before her and therefore the assumption made is that while they had the correct surname they had got the wrong Christian name which adds to Toni’s view that the situation including cause of death requires further consideration. LaDonna refuses to delay the funeral for an autopsy as holding one will not bring her brother back or alter the situation. She has to delay the event because discovering that the family tomb has been badly damaged in the flooding and requires two and half thousand dollars to repair. Antione offers money which she accepts on the understanding that their sexual encounter at Mardi Gras will not progress. She has to seek further financial help from her estranged husband.
Janette continues to operate her successful mobile catering business and impresses her parents by her efforts although are keen for her to return home, marry someone such a lawyer and produced grand children. She says that the contents of her restaurant will produce some funds to reimburse the financial help given by her parents. She is engaged to provide food at a major outdoor concert event but after a great start it goes wrong because of a violent storm. She returns home to find water coming through the roof and decides this is the last straw and will accept the parental offer. She meets Davis and complains that he has not been in contact. They still sleep together. She is determined to leave nevertheless.
Solomon Kane is a the character is a 1928 work of fiction and also a comic book He is a Puritan out to vanquish evil in all its forms and inhabiting a world fo devils, sorcerers, and evil men without redemption.
In the 2009 released film the story begins before Solomon became a Puritan and was an adventuring mercenary fighting in North Africa in 1600 and encountering a demon, the Devil’s Reaper who announces that because of his life the hero much accompany him to Hell. Solomon escapes saying he is not ready and returns to England where he takes sanctuary in a monastery in the countryside where he finds contentment until the Abbot has dreams which reveals the man must go back to his family estate in the South West. He meets a Puritan family on their way to the New World who offer him a lift but he declines and is set upon and left for dead, but then found and treated by the Puritan Family.
On their travels they encounter a villages where everyone appears killed except for a little girl but Solomon is justifiably wary and giving her a cross to hold she leaves a mark on the daughter who cared for Solomon before turning into a demon and going off.
He accepts the invitation to accompany the family to New World but on an overnight break he and the younger son of the family observe a murderous group taking villagers into slave captivity and they are discovered and they and the rest of the family are captured. Solomon despite having renounced violence is forced to taking up arms as the men kill the younger son and then the other members of the family with the exception of the daughter who is taken into captivity and the mother who he leaves because her husband before he dies tells Solomon to rescue the daughter and in doing so he will find his salvation.
He engages in battle with some of the men but encountering one group he is told she is dead and this means he has failed to gain redemption and turns to drink. However at the Inn he is recognised men who served with him in the earlier life and who believe he is the one man to stand up against the forces now engulfing the South West counties of Devon and Cornwall.
The community is attacked a Solomon is captured and crucified but while on the cross he is recognised by the daughter who is passing in a prison cart and calls out to him. He breaks down from the cross and he is cared for by a pagan woman until his wounds heals and he is told that a sorcerer called Malachi has taken control based on a castle owned by Solomon’s family. As no more than a teenage boy he had been involved in a dispute with his older brother who had accidentally fallen off a cliff top to his presumed death and Solomon blaming himself, or being blamed had left home. Because it is the family home he is able to lead a small band into the castle where he finds his father imprisoned. The head soldier for Malachi wears a mask and has the power to turn the brains of men into slave fighters. This man was responsible for ordering Solomon to be crucified. Now his father tells him that the man is his brother, He had gone to the sorcerer after his son has been found injured and in a coma but the price of the help had been more than he could cope with and he asks his son to kill him and break the spell the sorcerer has over the people.
It is at this point that that why the demon left a mark on the daughter is revealed. This is to signify her innocence and that use of her a drop of her blood will open a portal to release a great fiery demon which nearly gets the better of Solomon. He manages to shoot Malachi in the head but it appears that his soul, that of Malachi, his decapitated brother and the demon are drawn in Hell. Howver true to the forecast in saving the girl he is redeemed. The mother is found and with her daughter they set off for the New World. Solomon now commences his new life attacking evil wherever it can be found. The late Pete Postlethwaite plays the Puritan father.
The third episode of the fifth series of Lewis failed to impress again. The story is the equivalent of the Agatha Christie house party murder. A controversial psychiatrist is testing an anti depressant drug for a pharmaceutical company on vole enters who have taken over a small college during the summer holiday. One of the volunteers is found dead below her bedroom window but evidence of murder is established. One of the other volunteers is subsequently found murdered and the wife of the psychiatrist is deliberately knocked down off a bicycle and will be in a coma with a broken back fr the rest of her life.
Kevin is hostile to all psychiatrists after his experience being required to visit one for counselling after the death of his wife and unfortunately finding someone who lacked the skill and insight to help. From my experience there are a few who fall into this categorical but the majority are not. His scepticism is shared by his Sergeant although more from taking a personal dislike than rejection of the whole profession.
Kevin comes under pressure from his boss who is under pressure from the girl’s father who had previously lost his son in Afghanistan. He believes the Psychiatrist is to blame and comes under suspicion for the hit run after appearing to stalk the psychiatrist and mistaking the wife for her husband as they use the same outfits when cycling. The psychiatrist is the prime suspect for several reasons. It is found that previously he had been the subject of inquiry for having an affair with a student/patient(not sure which). The case was dropped. This is because the girl refused to make a complaint and turns out to be his present wife.
She also becomes a suspect after she reveals as does the father of he dead girl that they had both received notes saying that the Psychiatrist was having an affair. The dead girl is not specified but a confidential tape, rather like the Big Brother House talk box, reveals that the girl was in love with the psychiatrist. There is a discussion about transference and counter transference. The girl had been pursued by one of other volunteers who becomes the prime suspect when he breaks out of the accommodation and takes one of the frequent coaches to London and his stalker behaviour becomes known tot he authorities. However early on it was evident to me that the most likely culprit was the assistant to the psychiatrist who it only emerges at the end of the two hour epic had turned her love worship into hate on finding that her feelings were not reciprocated and set out to kill the women in his life and to destroy him professionally and personally.
The saving grace of the series has been the relationship between to the two police men and he examining doctor. Unlike Morse although a bachelor embarked on several romantic relationships which could have ended H.E.A . Alas poor K W lacks the romantic nature or sex appeal and therefore it is no surprise that the good doctor is spotted by the Sergeant on a romantic night out with someone else. Kevin true to character is philosophical and wishes her well. It would never have worked.
No comments:
Post a Comment