It is five thirty am on Wednesday December 28th 2011 and I have rose from bed fearing I had developed a cold around 4 uncomfortable and awake despite having stayed up to close on midnight watching the last three episodes of the BBC adaptation of the John Le Carré novel- A Perfect Spy. I am using Word which does not have the automatic rewind so if you delete the text from the screen and have not saved beforehand you lose the work. This time I knew what to do and switched off rather than shut down the computer which had the effect of saving the previous work on as well as the blank edition. Thus 90 minute’s work of certain purpose and good quality has not been lost.
As I plan to spend the next 12 days writing up to date before Leveson reassembles as well as working on the artwork project to have lost the work would have been a bad omen after an excellent family Christmas. I enjoyed two good walks and watched much television being introduced to the Gruffalo and his child and watching for the umpteenth time the Wizard of Oz, Shrek the Third and Home Alone. The Merlin season ended. There were classics such as Jane Austin’s Emma seen before and Mansfield Park of which I have no previous recollection with a Downton Abbey Christmas special followed by another Julian Fellows classic style drama called From Time to Time which I watched the opening and must catch up on the I player. A quirky film with an all star cast was King Rat. I recorded the season end of the Boardwalk Empire and there are several catch up episodes of season four Sopranos plus The BBC Great Expectations.
I also recorded the first part of the final part of Harry Potter, Previously recorded and watched is Kylie, the Universe, Royal Wedding, World War II, The Lion King Washington DC, the Road to Hana, Wonders London and Venice, The Chronicles of Narnia; The Voyage of the Dawn Trade Britain and Ireland in the Sky 8 episodes, the Battle for Terra, The Legend of the Guardians The Owls of Ga, Hoole, the beaches of California al in 3D and the Black Swan which was a black film in every sense.
Listened to a Christmas present of 40 song two disk Donovan on journey home and made a start on reading the Nick Davis Book, Flat Earth News, to be followed by Fake Sheiks and Royal trappings and then Such Men are Dangerous all Christmas presents.
I also completed by plans for trips and event watching through to October covering Cricket, the Olympics and the European Cup Finals together with a music on the life of Susan Boyle which opens at the Theatre Royal in March plus a visit of the RSC to Nottingham.
For now there is food and walks and two contrasting car journeys before the start of the all three classics on Classic FM which I presume will occupy much time between now and News Year’s Day.
In addition to generous slices of a huge turkey breast on Christmas and Boxing days there were two pieces of Chicken one with more spices than the second, one which chips and the other with spiced rice. Yesterday before setting off on travels I enjoyed three sausages with mash, gravy, string beans and carrots for a modest £4.25. I did not resist two good chunks of Christmas Cake and one of Christmas pudding plus a few tiny mince pies and several chocolates. A little champagne and a little red wine but several glasses and cans Pepsi and even more of coffee were enjoyed. So far I only appear to have increased my weight by a pound.
Both journeys were unpleasant with the first one of continuous driving rain but at least I was able to tuck in behind a 50 to 60 mile an hour transport for the greater for an hour and there were no hold ups going south. It was a sunny afternoon for the return but the amount of traffic was extraordinary with congestion tail backs in both directions. The service area at Wetherby was full with long queues for the toilets. There was the hold up for an accident with one vehicles mashed on the central reservation when I passed after a hold up over half an hour. There were also warnings for a second accident after the A 167 junction but the roadway was clear when this point was reached. Having momentary thought it would have been wise to have delayed the return until today I then saw several warnings of high winds forecast along the route. I fancied some sprats in batter for the evening meal but Morrison’s were out of stock so a settled for slices of ham and salami slices with pickles. Although I enjoyed several bowls of mushrooms and tomatoes for breakfasts, I did not have any porridge which I have now enjoyed a good bowlful.
Having walked in the cold and snow for the past two Christmas’s there were clear skies for both morning walks. The first a circular of paths around the village which lasted an hour and the second among the trees part way around two sides of the lake at Clumber Park plus a visit to the imposing estate church which has something of a history.
The news of the holiday was the need for the 90 year old husband of Queen Elizabeth to have surgery for a blocked artery which involved an insertion under local anaesthetic commencing at the thigh. Unsurprisingly he was kept in bed missing the Boxing Day shoot which he likes to lead with visits from his wife and children on Christmas Day and the grand children on Boxing Day. Over the years going back to a wartime childhood when allowed to stay up with the adults we would play Housey Housey and monopoly I was experienced the electronic version this year where sums are added and debited via bank cards in the millions. I had to pay £15 million a one point but could only raise about £10 million so was bankrupt and out of the game. I invested £16 in the Christmas Friday Euro draw for the 25 additional millionaires as well as the main prize, Alas I failed as usual. Now for the start of the Classic Hall of Fame 300
300 Verdi Forza De Destino
299 Hayden Cello Concerto 1 ( First movement) I have on record.
298 Rodrigo second movement of a Fantasia for a Gentleman
297 John Barry Out of Africa
296 Vivaldi Double Concerto for two Mandolines.
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