Wednesday 26 July 2017

Dunkirk, Cars 3 Women's Cricket World Cup Final at Lords



On Friday 12 July, I set off for Newcastle station to travel first class to Kings Cross in the same week. Even when I served on several national committees it was rare to undertake to make the journey  more than once and in this instance I was engaged in writing  what I hoped would be a helpful information  communication to Labour Party interests as well as setting out about the reorganisation of the Artman  project and the recording and  location of the material in my home and the  self-storage facility hired and which is essential before commencing the writing with appropriate refences if what I hope to publish will have substance.

On the Friday morning, I was using the last of the Virgin open 1st class tickets which meant that although I had booked a seat in the 10 am I could travel on any train on the selected day.  Getting to and Newcastle and back requires planning because of the road works on both possible routes, the first heading from the A1M and then joining the main road between the city centres of Sunderland and Newcastle or join in this road via Jarrow and Hebburn.

I decided to take the main route which proved surprisingly quiet all the way into the city and central station where I could park close to the covered area of the station although to do so meant taking the luggage out of the vehicle before parking in a reduced space because of the proximity of the neighbouring vehicles. I then made my way to the ticket office which is now located at the furthest end of the station from the car park having converted the previous booking centre into coffee shops and other commercial outlets and where to one side is the lift for the underpass which is mainly used to bring the supplies for trains travelling to Scotland and to London and where there is also a change of train crew.

In this instance because the train to London due to depart just before 9 was 15 mins late I could board and find a vacant table seat for four vacant, and had the table to myself for throughout the journey.  I did not have to wait long for a full English hot cooked breakfast with a round of toast, but before this I had accepted a croissant with butter and jam, and a second was also provided later in the journey, with two lemon muffins served with two of the four rounds of coffee. Before boarding the train, I had collected a free copy of the Times and the Metro.

I had printed out what I had considered the first completed pages of my communication to the Labour Party and the covering letter but upon re reading I realised the covering failed to communicate my purpose clearly and noted many changes necessary to the completed text. The main decision was to alter the order of the three parts and the strengthening of what was now the second with three ‘case’ studies.

Because of the early start on arrival at King Cross I made my way to the First-class lounge to sue the toilet, for a can of Diet Pepsi as my mouth had become dry, for a banana which I kept for later together with a packet of crisps. Despite the break I arrived early at the Premier Inn by East Croydon station where the reception assistant was happy to issue the door key car as I had already confirmed my booking on line. I have not seen the same assistant twice despite making several stays each year so there was opportunity to repeat my story of being born in the town in March 1939 close to what was London’s main airport and that my earliest memory was watching a V1 rocket come towards the family home in day light, cutting out and falling short before exploding. However, the main purpose as all the assistants tends to be non-white and non-English born was to make the point that my family were the first refugees in the neighbouring borough of Wallington (Beddington and Wallington) to be precise) in the   whose first language was not English but Llanito and going on to explain that this was the first language of Gibraltar. In this instance, this commenced a long conversation during which I was bombarded with questions as the young man was leaving at the weekend to travel to Spain for the summer to learn to speak Spanish. This was a great coincidence because on my previous visit the receptionist was in fact Spanish so we had had a good conversation about the Gibraltar Question. In this instance, the conversation extended to the Falklands and Brexit. For once I brought out chat to an end to an end as others had commenced to arrive for the 2pm booking in period. The receptionist had hoped I would come back when the rush was over to continue the conversation but I had other plans.

After unpacking and setting up internet I made my way to the George, a Wetherspoons for the afternoon special of gammon, egg and chips with a pint of Fosters. I then made my way to Surrey Street where I could buy a kilo of Cherries for £2.20, not the highest quality in terms of sweetest but close, and exceptional value. It was good to see the stalls back in the street and not cluttering the pedestrianised Hight. I was too busy to on an explore to find the work which had justified the move for a month.

The reason for the comparative rush was the decision to go and see Dunkirk at the Vue in the former Department Store of Grants where only the upper facade remains. There is no one of my generation who is unfamiliar with the story of the familiar of the British and French forces  to prevent Germany capturing Paris and the  surrender of that country and of several hundred thousand members of the British and French armies being trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk with in sufficient ships naval and air defensive power to prevent the slaughter but also the escape of hundreds of thousands to fight another day, and the Amada of small ships which answered the call to help ferry the men back home.

The facts are that just under 340000 were rescued against a hope that the figure would be at least 50000 with a third wading out off the beaches on the small ships which either transferred to the larger craft or ferried across the channel. 3500 military were killed and 13000 wounded and others captured with the loss of tanks and guns and other equipment. 6 of 38 destroyers were sunk and about half the others damaged. Nearly 700 British ships were involved about two small craft manned by naval crews and over 300 small craft manned by civilian volunteers. Some 226 were sunk with off these 170 were civilian crewed.

This is a remarkable film which some say the best war film made. The film considers three perspectives land sea and air and from the period of one week, one day and one hour, condensed into 106 minutes without any perspective and little back story of the individual characters. There has been complaint that this makes the film cold which is absurd. The film covers all the emotions from terror to the elation of survival from failure and defeat which is what happened, to horror at the slaughter and great courage for those who went into the face of war. It is the story of the British but also of the French whose heroic defence on the outskirts of the Dunkirk gave the time needed for the retreat evacuation to take place. I saw the film in a comparative small screen and not the large Imax in London or elsewhere and well do so Gateshead Odeon Metro this weekend.

On the way, back to the Premier Inn I purchased a £3 meal deal at the local Tesco store of sandwich, hot crisps and Pepsi Max which I enjoyed immediate on return with a good helping of the cherries

There was time to read the free Evening Standard which was a special edition with a copy of articles which appeared in the paper during the paper in June 1940 when I was just a year old at a cost on one penny with blackout from 9.38 until 4.19am. Call up was being accelerated during the month to twice the previous level and an advert to join the women’s land army.  I played the Windows 10 Microsoft patience challenges of the day with only one game not completed this month having complete all 150-last month for the first time.  I caught up with pointless but cannot remember what else apart from going through emails, Facebook and twitter. I was not in the mood to work or to read he China Daily

The following morning, I had an early breakfast of porridge, the banana and some cherries with coffee and made my way on was a cloudy and rain threatening day to the station for an all zones Travel card with a senior rail card concession with reduced the price from over £12 to £8.10. Trains were busy as usual even at the earlier time but I could get a seat and at Victoria found there was no circle line or Victoria line going south and other stoppages for engineering works. I took a district line train to the Embankment and from there to Leicester Square maiming my way to the redeveloped Vue cinema to exchange Lloyds bank vouchers for tickets to see the 7.30 evening performance of Cars 3. I need not have worried about getting four seats togethers as no else had booked. All the seats were said to be VIP so I selected the middle of a row of more back than middle from the screen. Mission accomplished I went to the Wetherspoons in the Square for a bacon butty and filter coffee where I had two cups for the single price of £3.35. There were some people in but plenty of space available.

I then walked from the Square to the Embankment Tube station crossing The Strand by St Martins in the Field and down towards the gardens alongside Charing Cross Station for the District Line to Monument to locate the Premier Inn St Marys Walk at Hill which I did eventually as main streets were badly marked signed and I lost my sense no sense of direction

I had intended to remain in central London until meeting family at four but with the activity my shirt and jacket were soaked with condensation more than perspiration and decided return to Croydon, but on reaching Victoria station I needed the loo so went to that in the food court and decided I needed more coffee from Mc D’s sitting in the main area and noting a woman at the table get up and leave her case with a coat on top. On call out to her she said in French she was going for a coffee.



Time went on and she did not return so I alerted table cleaning staff and hen at rhea counter and they said alter security where there was a communication device at the entrance door at the far end in the Mc D’s seating area. Some came out and the woman returned just as the officer was arriving but disappeared off again. He followed her and I left.

I change shirts, left the rain coat and went off with an umbrella to see if I could find a replacement summer linen jacket going first to M and S when I had purchased the one I was wearing from their shop at the Metro centre. They various options but none in my size. I enjoyed a pot of tea and juicy Danish Pasty for the best part of a fiver.  There was no success at Debenham and by the time I return to the room I needed a second change of shirt. The skies were leaden and commenced to rain hard. This continued for most of the day.  On a previous visit I had walked from Victoria to the office of the Department of Work and Pensions at Caxton House close to St James Park, station and within sight of the Houses of Parliament. I took the district line to the station and crossed to pub which stands at the corner leading to entrance to the Park and opposite the former Home Office building which is now the exceptionally fortified  Department of Justice I treated myself to a small glass of red wine for the best  part of a  fiver. It was a good Merlot tucked away in a corner of the small basement  restaurant to this  ancient Inn which also boasts  a separate entrance to an upstairs area. You find a table and book in food at the bar when only during the week lunchtimes can you get fish and chips or sausage and mash for a tenner and even a sandwich will set you close to a tenner. The event being attended till four I wait outside and we then made our way to the station and on the district line to the Monument and the Premier Inn which is located close to Pudding Lane where the fire of London started in a bakery, a Pointless programme question on Tuesday evening. when I wait after checking in and settling.

The intention was to visit the nearest Nando’s but it was closed so we walked to Bank and took the Tube to Holborn where a Nando’s was open. This is an attractive venue with what looked like real contemporary oil paintings on the walls. We arrived just after several other dining groups so we had to wait some time. I enjoyed a Mediterranean salad and a heavily watered unlimited diet Pepsi. Wee then made us from Holborn to Leicester Square for the Vue Cinema and Cars 3. I do not believe I have seen Cars 1 or 2 and although I enjoyed the film longer than Dunkirk by half an hour I will not rent from Sky to come to any judgement as to how Stars stands alongside the first two. The film is topical with its main themes of female inequality and the youth having no respect for their elders and their past achievements.

All the seats in theatre 9 at the top of the cinema with both escalators and lifts are VIP seats with tall backs and excellent for adjust because one can sit back and view the full screen without impediment, or so I thought. The problem is that young children cannot see and it was necessary to go back to the ground floor to gain a seat enhancement. The parent in front was clearly bored and solved the situation by put his elbow at odd angles above the back of the chair obscuring my view and that of my neighbour.  I appealed and then threaten to contact a staff member but gave in too tired and not sufficiently engaged with films. Had I been on my own I would have acted. It was still raining the of the film which was close to the but I was back at East Croydon before 11 where I raided the rest of the cherries and some biscuit for cheese without the cheese. I slept well counting the number of trains and tubes experienced during the day plus more walking than usual. I set the alarm for 7.

Although rain was forecast for later in the day the rain clouded sky raised an earlier likelihood but I decided to take the shopping bag with umbrella and radio with headphones but no rain coat, a mistake as it became cold at times with just the jacket over a short sleeved shirt. There was more engineering works  with no trains platforms  1 and 2  but a good flow of trains to Victoria from platform 4. Crowded but I got a seat.

I considered the Wetherspoons above Smiths and McD’s on the way to side exit as I had set off later than planned but decided to try the Wetherspoons Willow Walk across from the bus stop for 13 which goes direct to Lords and a short walk to the East Gate. This proved a brilliant decision for two reasons. I was the first customer oft eh day and breakfast arrived almost immediately I sat down back at my selected seat. However, the big surprise was that the branch is testing out a new coffee machine like those now being used by Morrisons which means a much better standard and range of coffee. I had the full English Breakfast with the two cups at just over £6 and given paying 2.40 for a dreadful cup at Lords this was great value and I could have had the two cups with a bacon butty for the same price as that at Leicester square 3.35.

There was a good queue and a little wait before the 13-bus arrived but I could get a protected seat at the front. I also remembered the small local store on the way from the bus stop and purchased a spicy chicken wrap for £2, my only food purchase until binging out from the coop on return. I did not remember where I had booked the seat but the entry RR was familiar and IN fact I had my usual seat under cover, aisle at the front of the section with passage way leg space. I was joined early on by a Single Surrey man and we had a good chat before the match commenced but during with headphones there was little conversation.

There was talk of a sell-out crowd with a general email asking for returns if seats could not be taken up with the consequence there were lots of touts wanting to buy unwanted tickets. In the event the ground was never full of space in the lower area of the Compton and Edrich stands. The big disappointment was the main pavilion less than half I would say by MCC members. There was a good representation of Indian team supporters in the Mound Stand including an enthusiastic drummer and one irritating young woman with a large sign asking for camera shots so her family in India could see her.  This made a good cover when it rained for a short period in the morning and then again later.

England won the toss and elected to bat which I was not sure about. The oldest female England Cricket aged 105 rang the bell and there was applause for Rachel Hayhoe Flint whose son was interviewed during the day and who rang the bell for the start of the Indian Innings. There was a sense of this being an important potential game changing situation. The Cricketeers volunteers were given seats in the stand opposite. There was an enthusiastic Gospel choir at the interval who also were evident in their enthusiasm as the game reached its climax.

England lost wickets at regular intervals and although the radio commentary suggested a low score could be expected and that 228 for 7 this would be a challenging score the prospect of 250 at one point appeared to have been the kind of challenge which India might find difficult especially. The most significant innings was that of Scriver 51 and her partnership with Taylor 45. I will also highlight the rear-guard contributions of Brunt 34, and Gunn 25 and Marsh 14 both not out.  In commentary, early in the competition mention was made that Natalie Scriver had not fulfilled potential in Internal competition. This is something she remedied with her 107 in partnership with Heather Knight 106 against Pakistan and 129 against New Zealand. Scoring 369 runs overall, she is 6th of the top 5 batswomen. Top of the list is Tammy Beaumont with her average of 45.55 and 410 runs with Sarah Taylor 4th who kept wicket and Heather Knight 7th the captain 5h on the list is the India opening batswoman PG Raut whose 86-looked match winning until she was leg before wicket by the undoubted star performer of the final Anya Shrubsole whose final bowling session of 5 wickets created the collapse which led to the unexpected victory.  Shrubsole had raised all our hopes when she bowled Mandhana in the first over and who had an Ok overall performance in the event It can also be argued that the brilliant running out of Raj on 17 by Scriver removed the other great threat, as Raj average was 1 run less that Beaumont and therefore came second in the list. The most outstanding single batting performance came from   Kaur in the semi-final with in magical 171 starting slowly and who scored her third 50 in 17 balls.

Such was the batting control by India that I considered leaving early but England were bowling sufficiently tightly to create the situation where India had to score more runs per over as the match drew to its conclusion.  The bowling of Anja Shrubsole has resulted in her match winning first and penultimate innings ball four in the semi-final when England were also losing wickets quickly being quickly forgotten, something she will not have minded given her bowling performance in the final of 6 for 96 in 9.4 overs and which ought to earn her a noticeboard place somewhere at Lords.  The performance has led to her moving into the top ten of world bowlers at number 7

The excitement at the end matched anything previously experienced at a cricket match but I decided to make my way and not stay as the majority for the celebrations and the presentations.

As I waited for the traffic lights to change to cross over the Wellington Road to the bus stop I noted a number 13 already there and amazingly it had not set off and I boarded and also found a seat. At Victoria station, I need the loo and considered stopping for a celebratory meal in the food court having purchased a New Stateman to read while waited for the meal to arrive. However, feeling tired I changed my mind and took the train to East Croydon and went to see what goodies I could acquire from the Coop store which forms part of the ground floor of the hotel site.                                    F

I commenced with a mixture of olives for £2.39 followed by smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich part of a £3.50 meal del which included a bottle of Pepsi Max and some spicy crisps. To end there were two lemon cheesecakes £1 total £6.89. I then watched on Sky Go which cost £5 the latest two episodes of the Spanish murder serial I know who you are and caught up with Jeremy Corbyn’s appearance on the Andrew Marr show before the BBC has a long political holiday.

With an open ticket and a seat booked on the 12 .30 to Newcastle I did not rush my getting up but did set the alarm for seven. I was ready to depart just after 9.30 and was surprise to find it had commenced to spit rain coming down heavy the last few yards before reaching the Lift. Dud not have to wait too long for the delayed train to  St Pancras  an on arrival decided to go straight to the platform for the 11.30 to Edinburgh where I was able to get a table for four to myself for the fast journey nonstop to York and then only Darlington before Newcastle.

The variable nature of Virgin catering for 1st class was again in evidence. The hot food came before the sandwich packs I enjoyed a lamb couscous more filling than expected with later a chocolate and hazelnut muffin and crisps but there was no return of the snack trolled and coffee only once. However, there were four visits for cold drinks. I ordered three whiskies with ginger ale on the rocks, saving the whisky for home return and  one red wine which to the University Kings Building  built within the past couple of years opposite  Haymarket station and which covers student registrations, accommodation,  careers advice. Alumni and help and care during attendance. This is a  large several level building which demonstrates the needs  to cover these issues with a student population of 24000. Obtained a copy of the university site map but also relevant was a walking tour of the main buildings and their function.

On the way to the comparatively new City Library which is alongside the Laing art gallery I enjoyed three lots of  buskers playing and  students  playing table tennis in the pedestrianised thoroughfare. I made one stop to check on the availability of a linen jacket but my visit to City Library was more successful find a copy of the pocket guide and also some info of interest to me. I also called in at the Grainger market for winkles which continue to rise in prise. There is a huge new development planned for Newgate which has been demolished.  550 students’ beds in courtyard form a 250 room hotel and 20000 sq. feet of shopping and leisure. On the way along Grainger Street to the street I found a second Tall and big shop but did not like the contemporary linen jackets which they had in stock.

Unsure of the level of workings on the main road into Shields I went via Hebburn and Jarrow only to find that road is now blocked going in Jarrow Shields direction. So, I had to take A19 towards Bolden and come off on the main rad at the roundabout to find the new three lane system fully in operation. I called in at Lidl’s for immediate supplies only to find a £5 voucher waiting when I got in and sorted through the post.

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