It is the last Friday of February 2012 and as usual the week has flown by although in fairness to myself I have kept more to targets than usual with the addition that I want to rework my previous attempt at writing a successful and satisfying novel, About ten years ago I reconsidered the work originally drafted in 1992/3, I reached over 100 pages in when I said no to myself this will not do, I am not convinced and stopped. I am yet to reach the same position because of sticking to the my programme for the week although as stated yesterday I am only midway through reading the Russia House because I wanted to reflect and write about a small section of some 50 pages over a period of several days while I also attended to other things.
The main personal event of the week was the arrival of the invitation to attend a respiratory clinic. As an indication of the way the Health service has modernised in South Tyneside I was given a choice of hospitals and dates and was able to select a suitable date and time online having been given an identification number and log on password. The appointment is in just over a month’s time after I have seen Madam Butterfly in 3 D and made my first visit trip of the year as well as seeing the new musical on the life of Susan Boyle, I had a dream, in Newcastle at the Theatre Royal and where she is scheduled to make a stage appearance. It is the closest she is getting to being on tour. After that the cricket season commences.
The cactus and sweet pepper seedlings have shot up in the heated germinator this week and have required transplanting into pots occupying the day room table until I hit on the bringing down presently unused display shelving arising from the checking and reorganisation of the boxes on the first and second floors and which also achieved several good sweats, so that by the end of the week I had removed all the extra pounds added.
Even with one three Shelf unit there are more seeds in growth than space although there is also the germination unit itself once all the seeds have taken. I managed to reorganise further and to use a second display unit. The tomato plants may or may not have commenced as the immediate appearance between the cactus and the Pepper plants is the same.
I intend to make use of the existing plants on the tables under cover in garage as well the space in the open patio area and also get rid of the inherited plant. I fancy growing some runner beans on the adjacent wall with a neighbour but the crop most interested in attempting three on four plants is the broad bean. There is also the possibility of sweet peas over the wall space.
I was impressed to find vegetable and tomato patio growing containers for only £1 in the local pound store although there were also larger sizes for £1.99. There is also inexpensive compost which I will need. At present there are piles of the stuff in at least two other stores in town in addition to B and Q,
It was not until Sat that I went to investigate Wilkinson and immediately regretted that I had not done so before. I am shortly to commence the reorganisation of the Patio and garage space as a consequence. It’s just before three in the afternoon and I have had an enjoyable and creative physical day, Wilkinson were selling four shelf mini green houses, self assembly with four shelves and the two seed trays per shelf with a plastic cover. I have invested in five of these for £50.
They are easy to assembly with a plastic tube frame and light metal net like shelves I have two in the day room for the seedlings instead of the white plastic three shelf units which are now the side wall of the garage although I will change the position of one located near the garage door because of the risk of catching a wing mirror on the way in and out.
The other two have been position against the wall of the neighbour close to the window, I have moved the table further out with the intention of putting third inside the garage on the other side of the table but on further reflection if there is space of three units to be place side by side in the open I will try this tomorrow further inside., The other two will go against the house in in the corner between my window and the day room and the other between the day room window and the door. The removal of the plastic covers at an appropriate time will provide five top shelves for tall plants.
I have purchased some broad bean seed pods which I hope will create now 12 plants putting three each in four of the larger containers on the table on the top shelving The remain containers will take the Tomatoes and Sweet Pepper plants. Another year I will stagger the plantings to also stagger the crops but this year is something of a trial and error experiment. I will try and stagger plant growth some out before others and some in the open air others in the garage space and so on. I impressed at the spend of germination and growth using the heated seed tray
There are two large depth plastic planters and two long low planters which total should provide for 8 plants. I also purchased a pack of bizzie Lizzies. I will have something like fifteen shelf areas for plants which do not grow more than a foot with something like six potted plants per shelf. Give than I will need flowers for the Ten hanging baskets I will consider some others. The climbers either beans or sweet peas idea has been abandoned because of the mini greenhouses development.
Tomorrow I will therefore reorganise the table again and also remove the aspidistra type plant which has filled one of the containers in terms of root ball but where the plant no longer thrives or is attractive to view. Thus the two inherited plants go with only the cactus left which I have nurtured from a few inches to close on two feet over the past seven years.
I have ran short of blue lever arch files and also went in search locally as well as seeing what Staples had to offer, Recently Staples have posted to made £5 discount code to use in store or on line but I delayed a purchase when the inexpensive in blue were out of stock. Yesterday, perhaps the day before, a 15% code discount arrived as well as my at the £10 cash back with my discount card. With the blue folders back in stock and with free next day delivery I purchased three packs of ten for a total of £40 inclusive of VAT. I needed therefore to stay in on Friday to receive the three boxes. Arrived late morning. Brilliant.
I have nearly completed the process of relocating all my non family communication records that have been processed to one six shelf double door cupboard at the top of the house. This has freed one display unit on the top floor for new Culture experience volumes. The majority are in the half landing between first and second floors.
I have also reorganised the two large plastic display units on the first floor landing and now included all the family history public files. This has freed one of the small display units in the first floor single bedroom which I am now using for Leveson Inquiry files which in turn has freed space on the one of the tall wall units in the same room. The confidential family history files are now in one to the built in mirror fronted cupboards in the first floor work room which also houses four of the four draw black filing cabinets and one open display unit.
I also went through the uncorked boxes in another cupboard in search of a hardback book which I know became separated from the rest of the library and am there somewhere. I had intended to go through other stacks but decided I need to divide those in the first double cupboard between contents that can be readily translated into project volumes and that which cannot. I also need to transfer some of the contents which will remain into better quality of boxes getting them from the loft space. I will make a start as part of my hourly physical activity sessions each day.
I intend to fit in this activity despite the restart of Module 2 of Leveson concerned with the relationship between the Police and the Media. My plan is to only watch and listen live to some of the relayed hearings and read the rest in transcript and evidence. I will continue to print out what becomes available although as with the first Module it is impossible to comment in comprehensive depth on everything which interests at the time. There was an interesting exchange at Prime Minister’s Question Time when a Conservative Member, I believe, asked him if he shared the observations of the Education Secretary, Mr Goad, that Leveson was having a Chilling Effect on the printed Media. The Prime Minister appeared ambiguous in his answer confirming that he had established the Inquiry with the full support of the Cabinet. He half joked that at times he felt it was good that the Inquiry was effective in this respect although he added that it was important that press Freedom was maintained. Without seeing a transcript of the Education Secretary’s statement it is difficult to know if he was declaring this as a positive development or not. My impression is that he was being critical, possible under pressure from the industry.
I have not been commenting on the dreadful situation in Syria where thousands are being bombed to dead and submission in a situation does different to that in Libya. Because there is no International unity with Russia and China not prepared to join in the recent calls for the Dictatorship to stop and because of the strength of the army and other factors which will prevent Europe and the other Arab nations from intervening direct through arms. A British female foreign correspondent was killed and a French female photographer badly injured, but the emphasis must remain on the slaughter of non combatants.
In domestic politics the Labour Opposition has placed itself firmly with the major representative bodies in the National Health Service condemning aspects of the current legislative proposals under consideration and with three Conservative Cabinet Ministers reported to have aligned themselves with the Lib Dems is saying that major changes are necessary. The government will stick firmly with their present Health Secretary will not mind if the trouble areas are change during the passage through the Commons. There has been similar strong reservation about aspect of the Welfare Bill legislation particularly over the proposed cap on the provision of benefits to any individual households.
I will write separately on the first three episodes of the Sopranos season 5 and the Gangster Movie State of Grace but I must first comment on the reported statement of Sean Penn the star of the film that Britain should negotiate the future of the Falkland Island with Argentina which has another belligerent politician at its helm and who has been fuelling opposition to the present position as well as enlisting support from the rest of South and middle America. As with Gibraltar the Government had insisted it will not commence negotiation on any transfer of authority unless it becomes the wish of the over whelming majority of the small population of the islands, presently recorded at just over 3000. The government has sent a modern naval ship on patrol and the eldest grandson of Queen Elizabeth is undertaking a tour of duty as a search and rescue helicopter pilot. A Government Minister is also reported on his way. This time the British intelligence and Foreign Offices appear to have been doing their job well while the Government has made it plain that the Argentineans can rant and rave as much as they want whether because of political necessity or genuine ambition but make no mistake any attempt to regain control of the islands by force will be met by the full might of Britain and with the full support of its people.
Talking of having the full support of its people Andrew Marr, who is on his way to becoming Sir Andrew Marr has spent 18 months trailing the Queen, Prince Philip, her children and grand children in preparation for a three part eulogy, each one hour in length to mark her sixty years since her accession and formal coronation in which she dedicated her life as all monarch’s do to the service of the people. The programmes looked at the recent history of the monarchy, how she came early into office and the impact of this on her and her husband with the most positive statement coming from the grand children including of Sara Phillips and Andrew’s daughters that as they are approaching a similar age and what impact it would have had on their lives to have been in her position. Similarly they were seeing their grand mother in a new light have previously regarded her as their grand mother.
The programmes did cover some of the black periods in her life with the unhappy first marriages of three of her children and the public and media reaction to the death of Princess Diana. This seems to have been more of shock than previously judged in that there appeared to be genuine concern about how the public would react to the national and regional events which commenced next month with highlights in June. I have no fears on that score as the 50 year celebrations and the wedding of her grandson exemplify. She will receive the support and the respect from the overwhelming number of the population including those like me who regard the continuation of a heredity head of state as an anachronism. I also suspect a grateful nation is about to re-instate a Royal Yacht as gift to mark the event. Given she is go along he Thames a splendid barge Cleopatra style accompanied by a 1000 vessels of all kinds, the climax of board a new yacht sounds good to me.
It was noticeable that careful editing brought to prominence grandson second in line and other popular figures such as Sara Phillips. I cannot remember if Prince Charles appeared in the first two programmes other than as child and young man at school and then in relation to Diana. Camilla was not mentioned once. In the final programme did not appear to make any assessment of the Queen and her reign except for the inclusion of a statement which was sub titled 2008. This may be an indication of the future. The Queen appears in continuing good health and there is no prospect of retirement. While she remains in office members of the Commonwealth like Australia will continue to accept her as head of state. Interestingly there is no news of Kate’s pregnancy which may be something they have waited until after they have conducted their touring on her behalf later this year.
I need to defrost the freezer so hopefully with the threat of a prolonged snow and ice Winter receding there is no need to keep will stocked and I have therefore run down by having the second of the whole chickens with the third planned this weekend. This provides three of seven meals in the week. I have bought in some plain white fish a piece of which I had on Friday with the last of the fish cakes and fresh vegetables from a Morrison pack where my only disappoint was the inclusion of one small onion. I have a fish in batter and a lamb steak for other meals with beans and tinned tomatoes. Breakfast have switched from mushrooms and tomatoes to porridge with cereal some days when with early rising I have felt the need. Teas have alternative between quiche, smoked mackerel and prawns with lettuce, pickled onions gherkins and olives. Must add a variation as a fourth meal although sometimes have small tins of sardines and have some salmon tins and white meat crab for a Sunday special.
The latest episode of Blue Bloods was acceptable although not memorable. There were two stories with the sub story a policeman accused of brutality however the VT had been doctored create a false impression as the original unedited was to reveal and an achievement for the chief who backed the officer after hearing his story and ordering appropriate inquiries.
The main story concerned the assistant DA daughter who had persuaded a trade union activist who had stopped work on a site because an employee had died through lack of appropriate safety measures and who is then gunned down when celebrating an anniversary with his wife. The wife who had known about the decision accused Erin for being responsible for the death of husband and she is devastated by the situation given that she had reassured him that he would be protected. What emerges is that she was having an affair with the manager/owner of the construction company and she had revealed that her husband was reporting to the police on lawful practices. He arranges for a punk to kill her husband for $10000 and in turn after the man is identified and tracked down he is leaned on for a life deal rather than the electric chair if he gives up the person who hired him and fortunately there is sufficient evidence for a conviction.
Now for three films. The first The Eagle offers another view of the Ninth, the Roman Legion which disappeared in Northern Britain in the second century AD, The general view is that it was probably defeated in Scotland and that the remnants took wives and became local.
In the film the Centurion son of the commanding officer of the Ninth has volunteered to take charge of a northern fort which has become complacent. He ensures that the defences are up dated and rouses the men quietly when he accurately predicts a night time attack. The combination of these two decisions is that although there are some casualties these are only a small compared to what could have happened.
A patrol has been captured and are being systematically put to death. The young man leads an assault to rescue the survivors and bring back the bodies killing the chief but being badly injured himself. He is acclaimed but retired with honour and is taken to recover with a relative at Silchester in Southern England.
There his uncle entertains some Roman friends including a young politician/diplomat who is scathing about the father and the loss of the Ninth and its Eagle. There are rumours that the Eagle, their symbol of Rome and their honour has been seen flaunted north of Hadrian’s Wall designed to protect Roman Britain from the northern tribes.
The uncle has given Marcus Flavius Aquila a young slave, someone who Marcus insisted should not be ritually slaughtered after refusing to fight in the arena and is badly knocked about. This is Esca the son of the Brigantes Chief whose father killed his mother to prevent her being made into a sex slave for the Roman troops before he himself was slain. Esca feels indebted to the particular Roman but this has not affected his general hatred of the way the Romans have behaved towards the indigenous people.
Marcus takes Esca North, through the Hadrian’s Wall gateway to the wasteland of Northumberland and Scotland where they are advised to go over the mountains to the Forests where a former Roman soldier lives. He now has a wife and family as others who survived and he explains that the Eagle was capture by the Seal People and race of warriors and hunters with the stamina to track down those trying to escape horseback.
Encountering these people Esca convincingly pretends that Marcus is his slave, to an extent that Marcus begins to believe he has turned on him. However at a drunken festival initiation ceremony for young men to be recognised as adult warriors the Eagle is paraded and in the middle of the night Esca arouses Marcus to go and take the Eagle and then take flight. They are helped by a young boy who allows then depart without raising the alarm.
After a great trek they reach the remnants of the Ninth who decide to stand and fight against the advancing horde of the Seal People. They witness the boy who helped them being executed and the majority of the remnant are killed in the battle but they win out and return to Silchester to present the visiting Romans the Eagle. Having retrieved the honour of the family Marcus is declared a hero and reinstated in the army while Esca is given his freedom and the two leave for further adventuring together. The film is based on a 1950’s novel. Given the proposition that Scottish Independence should be put to the vote before next General Election in Scotland the scenario of the border country comparatively few miles from where I live, could again become the land for the smuggling of goods and people.
Although the historical setting is some 1900 years later there are similarities between the Eagle and Murphy’s War, the 1971 Second World War Film with Peter O’ Toole as Murphy and Sian Phillips as a Quaker doctor in a film which could be said to have been a remake of the 1951 African Queen with Boggart and Katherine Hepburn. Murphy’s War is based on 1 novel by Gary Paulson. The African Queen was in turn based on a 1930’s novel about the Great War. The former a German war ship comes up a South American River to hide and repair while in Murphy’s War it is a submarine.
Murphy is rescued after his merchant ship was destroyed by the U Boat at the mouth of Orinoco in Venezuela and where the action takes place and was filmed. He reveals that the U Boat slaughtered fellow sailors in the water as they abandoned their sinking craft.
In addition to the good and virtuous doctor he befriends Louis who lives on a floating crane barge and whose job was to care take the premises of an Oil exploration company, a job for which he has not been paid for four years and survivors as do the villagers from fishing and crop growing. The medical station has a radio which the doctor uses to keep in touch and arrange supplies. She reports the arrival of O’Toole and his story that the submarine had gone up river which she declares is fanciful. Someone else arrives at the water’s edge in a critical condition. He is a young British flyer of a mono sea plane.
While Toole and Louis go in search of the plane, the Germans pick up the radio broadcast and head for the station where the blow up the transmitter and kill the flyer who the doctor pretended is the O’Toole of the merchant ship.
The middle portion of the film covers O Toole using the available machinery of Louis and the company to repair the plane and then test it although O’Toole has no experience as a pilot and his first flight is thwart with difficulties he successfully returns having identified what he believe is the camouflaged submarine but is in fact their up rive base The consequence is that when he destroys the base and a number of German sailors the submarine is intact and returns to the village to destroy the plane and half the village. They go in search of O’Toole who has successfully hidden himself away.
He persuades Louis to let him use the barge in what appears likely is a fruitless and fatal attack on the submarine although he improvises plan B which works.
When they set off the news on the vessel’s radio announces the German surrender. He smashes the radio to prevent the mission being aborted. The good doctor hears the news and seeing the barge on its way up river take to a canoe with two villagers in pursuit to tell the good news. At the submarine base the crew are celebrating going home and then they hear the noise of the approaching barge. The murderous war crimes captain appeals to O Toole that the war is over that alerting Louis to the development. Realising that he the barge is pressing g on to ram the submarine in headlong collision he dives escaping below by a matter of feet.
O’ Toole puts plan B into effect which is get the submarine to fire a torpedo which misses and lands on the beach without exploding. The submarine has hit a sandbank so O Toole takes the barge as close as possible to beach to use the crane to raise the unexploded torpedo. The peaceable Frenchman decides he no longer wants to be a party to what appears to be the slaughter of Germans who have become sitting ducks and goes off along the river bank back to the village.
O’Toole is successful in getting the torpedo over the submarine but following the explosion he is pinned under the crane and is lost along with the barge and submarine. There is a kind of justice reality whereas in the African Queen the two survive to be picked up by a British vessel and after destroying the German vessel. The crane barge was used to lift Tanks ashore and the plane was display in an Ohio Museum. The Submarine was Venezuelan. The three films have in common one man against the odds.
I have decided to leave the third film for a separate writing as I have also not recorded a viewing of American Beauty. It is Oscar Night and with Leveson on Monday I need to write at least one more piece today if not two.
The main personal event of the week was the arrival of the invitation to attend a respiratory clinic. As an indication of the way the Health service has modernised in South Tyneside I was given a choice of hospitals and dates and was able to select a suitable date and time online having been given an identification number and log on password. The appointment is in just over a month’s time after I have seen Madam Butterfly in 3 D and made my first visit trip of the year as well as seeing the new musical on the life of Susan Boyle, I had a dream, in Newcastle at the Theatre Royal and where she is scheduled to make a stage appearance. It is the closest she is getting to being on tour. After that the cricket season commences.
The cactus and sweet pepper seedlings have shot up in the heated germinator this week and have required transplanting into pots occupying the day room table until I hit on the bringing down presently unused display shelving arising from the checking and reorganisation of the boxes on the first and second floors and which also achieved several good sweats, so that by the end of the week I had removed all the extra pounds added.
Even with one three Shelf unit there are more seeds in growth than space although there is also the germination unit itself once all the seeds have taken. I managed to reorganise further and to use a second display unit. The tomato plants may or may not have commenced as the immediate appearance between the cactus and the Pepper plants is the same.
I intend to make use of the existing plants on the tables under cover in garage as well the space in the open patio area and also get rid of the inherited plant. I fancy growing some runner beans on the adjacent wall with a neighbour but the crop most interested in attempting three on four plants is the broad bean. There is also the possibility of sweet peas over the wall space.
I was impressed to find vegetable and tomato patio growing containers for only £1 in the local pound store although there were also larger sizes for £1.99. There is also inexpensive compost which I will need. At present there are piles of the stuff in at least two other stores in town in addition to B and Q,
It was not until Sat that I went to investigate Wilkinson and immediately regretted that I had not done so before. I am shortly to commence the reorganisation of the Patio and garage space as a consequence. It’s just before three in the afternoon and I have had an enjoyable and creative physical day, Wilkinson were selling four shelf mini green houses, self assembly with four shelves and the two seed trays per shelf with a plastic cover. I have invested in five of these for £50.
They are easy to assembly with a plastic tube frame and light metal net like shelves I have two in the day room for the seedlings instead of the white plastic three shelf units which are now the side wall of the garage although I will change the position of one located near the garage door because of the risk of catching a wing mirror on the way in and out.
The other two have been position against the wall of the neighbour close to the window, I have moved the table further out with the intention of putting third inside the garage on the other side of the table but on further reflection if there is space of three units to be place side by side in the open I will try this tomorrow further inside., The other two will go against the house in in the corner between my window and the day room and the other between the day room window and the door. The removal of the plastic covers at an appropriate time will provide five top shelves for tall plants.
I have purchased some broad bean seed pods which I hope will create now 12 plants putting three each in four of the larger containers on the table on the top shelving The remain containers will take the Tomatoes and Sweet Pepper plants. Another year I will stagger the plantings to also stagger the crops but this year is something of a trial and error experiment. I will try and stagger plant growth some out before others and some in the open air others in the garage space and so on. I impressed at the spend of germination and growth using the heated seed tray
There are two large depth plastic planters and two long low planters which total should provide for 8 plants. I also purchased a pack of bizzie Lizzies. I will have something like fifteen shelf areas for plants which do not grow more than a foot with something like six potted plants per shelf. Give than I will need flowers for the Ten hanging baskets I will consider some others. The climbers either beans or sweet peas idea has been abandoned because of the mini greenhouses development.
Tomorrow I will therefore reorganise the table again and also remove the aspidistra type plant which has filled one of the containers in terms of root ball but where the plant no longer thrives or is attractive to view. Thus the two inherited plants go with only the cactus left which I have nurtured from a few inches to close on two feet over the past seven years.
I have ran short of blue lever arch files and also went in search locally as well as seeing what Staples had to offer, Recently Staples have posted to made £5 discount code to use in store or on line but I delayed a purchase when the inexpensive in blue were out of stock. Yesterday, perhaps the day before, a 15% code discount arrived as well as my at the £10 cash back with my discount card. With the blue folders back in stock and with free next day delivery I purchased three packs of ten for a total of £40 inclusive of VAT. I needed therefore to stay in on Friday to receive the three boxes. Arrived late morning. Brilliant.
I have nearly completed the process of relocating all my non family communication records that have been processed to one six shelf double door cupboard at the top of the house. This has freed one display unit on the top floor for new Culture experience volumes. The majority are in the half landing between first and second floors.
I have also reorganised the two large plastic display units on the first floor landing and now included all the family history public files. This has freed one of the small display units in the first floor single bedroom which I am now using for Leveson Inquiry files which in turn has freed space on the one of the tall wall units in the same room. The confidential family history files are now in one to the built in mirror fronted cupboards in the first floor work room which also houses four of the four draw black filing cabinets and one open display unit.
I also went through the uncorked boxes in another cupboard in search of a hardback book which I know became separated from the rest of the library and am there somewhere. I had intended to go through other stacks but decided I need to divide those in the first double cupboard between contents that can be readily translated into project volumes and that which cannot. I also need to transfer some of the contents which will remain into better quality of boxes getting them from the loft space. I will make a start as part of my hourly physical activity sessions each day.
I intend to fit in this activity despite the restart of Module 2 of Leveson concerned with the relationship between the Police and the Media. My plan is to only watch and listen live to some of the relayed hearings and read the rest in transcript and evidence. I will continue to print out what becomes available although as with the first Module it is impossible to comment in comprehensive depth on everything which interests at the time. There was an interesting exchange at Prime Minister’s Question Time when a Conservative Member, I believe, asked him if he shared the observations of the Education Secretary, Mr Goad, that Leveson was having a Chilling Effect on the printed Media. The Prime Minister appeared ambiguous in his answer confirming that he had established the Inquiry with the full support of the Cabinet. He half joked that at times he felt it was good that the Inquiry was effective in this respect although he added that it was important that press Freedom was maintained. Without seeing a transcript of the Education Secretary’s statement it is difficult to know if he was declaring this as a positive development or not. My impression is that he was being critical, possible under pressure from the industry.
I have not been commenting on the dreadful situation in Syria where thousands are being bombed to dead and submission in a situation does different to that in Libya. Because there is no International unity with Russia and China not prepared to join in the recent calls for the Dictatorship to stop and because of the strength of the army and other factors which will prevent Europe and the other Arab nations from intervening direct through arms. A British female foreign correspondent was killed and a French female photographer badly injured, but the emphasis must remain on the slaughter of non combatants.
In domestic politics the Labour Opposition has placed itself firmly with the major representative bodies in the National Health Service condemning aspects of the current legislative proposals under consideration and with three Conservative Cabinet Ministers reported to have aligned themselves with the Lib Dems is saying that major changes are necessary. The government will stick firmly with their present Health Secretary will not mind if the trouble areas are change during the passage through the Commons. There has been similar strong reservation about aspect of the Welfare Bill legislation particularly over the proposed cap on the provision of benefits to any individual households.
I will write separately on the first three episodes of the Sopranos season 5 and the Gangster Movie State of Grace but I must first comment on the reported statement of Sean Penn the star of the film that Britain should negotiate the future of the Falkland Island with Argentina which has another belligerent politician at its helm and who has been fuelling opposition to the present position as well as enlisting support from the rest of South and middle America. As with Gibraltar the Government had insisted it will not commence negotiation on any transfer of authority unless it becomes the wish of the over whelming majority of the small population of the islands, presently recorded at just over 3000. The government has sent a modern naval ship on patrol and the eldest grandson of Queen Elizabeth is undertaking a tour of duty as a search and rescue helicopter pilot. A Government Minister is also reported on his way. This time the British intelligence and Foreign Offices appear to have been doing their job well while the Government has made it plain that the Argentineans can rant and rave as much as they want whether because of political necessity or genuine ambition but make no mistake any attempt to regain control of the islands by force will be met by the full might of Britain and with the full support of its people.
Talking of having the full support of its people Andrew Marr, who is on his way to becoming Sir Andrew Marr has spent 18 months trailing the Queen, Prince Philip, her children and grand children in preparation for a three part eulogy, each one hour in length to mark her sixty years since her accession and formal coronation in which she dedicated her life as all monarch’s do to the service of the people. The programmes looked at the recent history of the monarchy, how she came early into office and the impact of this on her and her husband with the most positive statement coming from the grand children including of Sara Phillips and Andrew’s daughters that as they are approaching a similar age and what impact it would have had on their lives to have been in her position. Similarly they were seeing their grand mother in a new light have previously regarded her as their grand mother.
The programmes did cover some of the black periods in her life with the unhappy first marriages of three of her children and the public and media reaction to the death of Princess Diana. This seems to have been more of shock than previously judged in that there appeared to be genuine concern about how the public would react to the national and regional events which commenced next month with highlights in June. I have no fears on that score as the 50 year celebrations and the wedding of her grandson exemplify. She will receive the support and the respect from the overwhelming number of the population including those like me who regard the continuation of a heredity head of state as an anachronism. I also suspect a grateful nation is about to re-instate a Royal Yacht as gift to mark the event. Given she is go along he Thames a splendid barge Cleopatra style accompanied by a 1000 vessels of all kinds, the climax of board a new yacht sounds good to me.
It was noticeable that careful editing brought to prominence grandson second in line and other popular figures such as Sara Phillips. I cannot remember if Prince Charles appeared in the first two programmes other than as child and young man at school and then in relation to Diana. Camilla was not mentioned once. In the final programme did not appear to make any assessment of the Queen and her reign except for the inclusion of a statement which was sub titled 2008. This may be an indication of the future. The Queen appears in continuing good health and there is no prospect of retirement. While she remains in office members of the Commonwealth like Australia will continue to accept her as head of state. Interestingly there is no news of Kate’s pregnancy which may be something they have waited until after they have conducted their touring on her behalf later this year.
I need to defrost the freezer so hopefully with the threat of a prolonged snow and ice Winter receding there is no need to keep will stocked and I have therefore run down by having the second of the whole chickens with the third planned this weekend. This provides three of seven meals in the week. I have bought in some plain white fish a piece of which I had on Friday with the last of the fish cakes and fresh vegetables from a Morrison pack where my only disappoint was the inclusion of one small onion. I have a fish in batter and a lamb steak for other meals with beans and tinned tomatoes. Breakfast have switched from mushrooms and tomatoes to porridge with cereal some days when with early rising I have felt the need. Teas have alternative between quiche, smoked mackerel and prawns with lettuce, pickled onions gherkins and olives. Must add a variation as a fourth meal although sometimes have small tins of sardines and have some salmon tins and white meat crab for a Sunday special.
The latest episode of Blue Bloods was acceptable although not memorable. There were two stories with the sub story a policeman accused of brutality however the VT had been doctored create a false impression as the original unedited was to reveal and an achievement for the chief who backed the officer after hearing his story and ordering appropriate inquiries.
The main story concerned the assistant DA daughter who had persuaded a trade union activist who had stopped work on a site because an employee had died through lack of appropriate safety measures and who is then gunned down when celebrating an anniversary with his wife. The wife who had known about the decision accused Erin for being responsible for the death of husband and she is devastated by the situation given that she had reassured him that he would be protected. What emerges is that she was having an affair with the manager/owner of the construction company and she had revealed that her husband was reporting to the police on lawful practices. He arranges for a punk to kill her husband for $10000 and in turn after the man is identified and tracked down he is leaned on for a life deal rather than the electric chair if he gives up the person who hired him and fortunately there is sufficient evidence for a conviction.
Now for three films. The first The Eagle offers another view of the Ninth, the Roman Legion which disappeared in Northern Britain in the second century AD, The general view is that it was probably defeated in Scotland and that the remnants took wives and became local.
In the film the Centurion son of the commanding officer of the Ninth has volunteered to take charge of a northern fort which has become complacent. He ensures that the defences are up dated and rouses the men quietly when he accurately predicts a night time attack. The combination of these two decisions is that although there are some casualties these are only a small compared to what could have happened.
A patrol has been captured and are being systematically put to death. The young man leads an assault to rescue the survivors and bring back the bodies killing the chief but being badly injured himself. He is acclaimed but retired with honour and is taken to recover with a relative at Silchester in Southern England.
There his uncle entertains some Roman friends including a young politician/diplomat who is scathing about the father and the loss of the Ninth and its Eagle. There are rumours that the Eagle, their symbol of Rome and their honour has been seen flaunted north of Hadrian’s Wall designed to protect Roman Britain from the northern tribes.
The uncle has given Marcus Flavius Aquila a young slave, someone who Marcus insisted should not be ritually slaughtered after refusing to fight in the arena and is badly knocked about. This is Esca the son of the Brigantes Chief whose father killed his mother to prevent her being made into a sex slave for the Roman troops before he himself was slain. Esca feels indebted to the particular Roman but this has not affected his general hatred of the way the Romans have behaved towards the indigenous people.
Marcus takes Esca North, through the Hadrian’s Wall gateway to the wasteland of Northumberland and Scotland where they are advised to go over the mountains to the Forests where a former Roman soldier lives. He now has a wife and family as others who survived and he explains that the Eagle was capture by the Seal People and race of warriors and hunters with the stamina to track down those trying to escape horseback.
Encountering these people Esca convincingly pretends that Marcus is his slave, to an extent that Marcus begins to believe he has turned on him. However at a drunken festival initiation ceremony for young men to be recognised as adult warriors the Eagle is paraded and in the middle of the night Esca arouses Marcus to go and take the Eagle and then take flight. They are helped by a young boy who allows then depart without raising the alarm.
After a great trek they reach the remnants of the Ninth who decide to stand and fight against the advancing horde of the Seal People. They witness the boy who helped them being executed and the majority of the remnant are killed in the battle but they win out and return to Silchester to present the visiting Romans the Eagle. Having retrieved the honour of the family Marcus is declared a hero and reinstated in the army while Esca is given his freedom and the two leave for further adventuring together. The film is based on a 1950’s novel. Given the proposition that Scottish Independence should be put to the vote before next General Election in Scotland the scenario of the border country comparatively few miles from where I live, could again become the land for the smuggling of goods and people.
Although the historical setting is some 1900 years later there are similarities between the Eagle and Murphy’s War, the 1971 Second World War Film with Peter O’ Toole as Murphy and Sian Phillips as a Quaker doctor in a film which could be said to have been a remake of the 1951 African Queen with Boggart and Katherine Hepburn. Murphy’s War is based on 1 novel by Gary Paulson. The African Queen was in turn based on a 1930’s novel about the Great War. The former a German war ship comes up a South American River to hide and repair while in Murphy’s War it is a submarine.
Murphy is rescued after his merchant ship was destroyed by the U Boat at the mouth of Orinoco in Venezuela and where the action takes place and was filmed. He reveals that the U Boat slaughtered fellow sailors in the water as they abandoned their sinking craft.
In addition to the good and virtuous doctor he befriends Louis who lives on a floating crane barge and whose job was to care take the premises of an Oil exploration company, a job for which he has not been paid for four years and survivors as do the villagers from fishing and crop growing. The medical station has a radio which the doctor uses to keep in touch and arrange supplies. She reports the arrival of O’Toole and his story that the submarine had gone up river which she declares is fanciful. Someone else arrives at the water’s edge in a critical condition. He is a young British flyer of a mono sea plane.
While Toole and Louis go in search of the plane, the Germans pick up the radio broadcast and head for the station where the blow up the transmitter and kill the flyer who the doctor pretended is the O’Toole of the merchant ship.
The middle portion of the film covers O Toole using the available machinery of Louis and the company to repair the plane and then test it although O’Toole has no experience as a pilot and his first flight is thwart with difficulties he successfully returns having identified what he believe is the camouflaged submarine but is in fact their up rive base The consequence is that when he destroys the base and a number of German sailors the submarine is intact and returns to the village to destroy the plane and half the village. They go in search of O’Toole who has successfully hidden himself away.
He persuades Louis to let him use the barge in what appears likely is a fruitless and fatal attack on the submarine although he improvises plan B which works.
When they set off the news on the vessel’s radio announces the German surrender. He smashes the radio to prevent the mission being aborted. The good doctor hears the news and seeing the barge on its way up river take to a canoe with two villagers in pursuit to tell the good news. At the submarine base the crew are celebrating going home and then they hear the noise of the approaching barge. The murderous war crimes captain appeals to O Toole that the war is over that alerting Louis to the development. Realising that he the barge is pressing g on to ram the submarine in headlong collision he dives escaping below by a matter of feet.
O’ Toole puts plan B into effect which is get the submarine to fire a torpedo which misses and lands on the beach without exploding. The submarine has hit a sandbank so O Toole takes the barge as close as possible to beach to use the crane to raise the unexploded torpedo. The peaceable Frenchman decides he no longer wants to be a party to what appears to be the slaughter of Germans who have become sitting ducks and goes off along the river bank back to the village.
O’Toole is successful in getting the torpedo over the submarine but following the explosion he is pinned under the crane and is lost along with the barge and submarine. There is a kind of justice reality whereas in the African Queen the two survive to be picked up by a British vessel and after destroying the German vessel. The crane barge was used to lift Tanks ashore and the plane was display in an Ohio Museum. The Submarine was Venezuelan. The three films have in common one man against the odds.
I have decided to leave the third film for a separate writing as I have also not recorded a viewing of American Beauty. It is Oscar Night and with Leveson on Monday I need to write at least one more piece today if not two.
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