2381 Transition Week October 31st 2012 the Superstorm and a Montalbano episode

It is 3 pm on Tuesday 30^th October 2012 the third day of what has become a transition week.

I went to bed late around 1.30 watching CNN news report on the superstorm as it his mainland Eastern seaboard.

I watched again this morning and this afternoon as the extent of the impact of the storm unfolded. In New York subway tunnels have been flooded which means the main method of travel throughout the city has been brought to halt for several days and electrical power has left several million without energy and this again will take days if not weeks to restore fully restore to normal. A sub station blew up and approximately 60 homes in Queens were burnt down. The loss of life is said to be ten people and is feared to be greater.

A hospital had to be evacuated as the standby generator also failed as the area where it is based was also flooded. The top arm of the crane used to construct a new luxury penthouses flat skyscraper has swung over almost separating and is left dangling.

The biggest impact however is in the state of New Jersey which saw the storm at its worst with Atlantic City and other coastal areas devastated with significant destruction along the coast. A natural barrier failed to stop the exceptional tidal surge fuelled by the winds from entering three communities with approximately 20000 people to several feet which the result that a major rescue operation has been necessary with families standing on the roofs trailer park and other single story buildings. As the tropical hurricane met with ice old winds from Canada and the Artic the rain turned to heavy blizzard snow with over a foot falling to 18 inches. The loss of life is reported to be around 60 for the storm overall as similar number to what happened in Caribbean.

I enjoyed a chicken stir fry at lunch time. BBC i has become available on Sky with almost all programmes except for the premiership programmes which is odd.

I had an appointment with my GP at noon which took longer due as he was behind schedule at first and then the chemist advised a change of prescription which meant I had to wait until another patient had finished. Time for the daily exercise.

4.40 over half an hour and met Calorie target of 265 and seven days of activity and managed two successful Ski jumps which requires quick straitening of knees at the point of take off. Also boxing which is quite hectic and calorie consuming as well as two long jogging runs around the island where a high score is not always matched by calories burned. Only a note taking day so will check the latest on the super storm watch Montalbano episode based on a book yet to be translated and prepared for Sunderland v Boro to listen on radio.

21.30 Sunderland beaten at home by the Boro in the League Cup. Just as well resisted the temptation to watch live Arsenal came back from 4 goals down at reading to square the match 5.5 and then score two more goals in extra time

Had excellent evening means of poached eggs with shrimps after a cuppa soup and a bowl of grapes. Need to concentrate on getting new pair of glasses. Given that I want the best varifocals and the lightest it is going to be expensive whatever deal I chose. The priority is a frame which does not rest on the Bridge.

Watched an excellent Montalbano episode on BBC i player on full screen TV. Will write up as novel on which episode is based has not been translated into English. The episode is called the Gull’s Dance and begins with Salvo watching a Gull falling to the sands, struggling and then turn over dead. When a local fishing boat owner calls to report a concern he asks about the Gull and appears satisfied when the fleet owner has says those he has seen die fall directly into the sea. The man has come to report a concern that one of his boats appears to be involved in smuggling of some king, perhaps drugs with which he has not wish to be associated.

Fabio’s father calls concerned that his son has not returned home having promised to take him for a hospital. Salvo tries to ensure the parents everything is OK but the summons Mimi and they go off in search. Father subsequently says he has received a call from someone on the run who has seen/ knows something and arranges a secret meeting with Salvo, who works out who the man is but disregards the situation because of the info about Fazio. They have already established that the duty police officer at the docks thought he heard shots but when a motorcycle went past he assumed it had backfired. When they find a gun case the anxiety is heightened, and reaches fever pitch when the informant says he knows that Fazio was being taken to some empty wells at a site some two hours away.

When they arrive with local forces including Mimi from Vigata they discover two bodies in the wells. One has been there for several days and tortured before the final shoots while the other broke his neck from a fall only hours beforehand.

What we learn much later is that a former school friend of Fazio had contacted him with a concern and then backed off, but makes a call to him the evening before his disappearance, although in fact it is someone pretending to be the friend advising him to be at the docks at am when he will observe what is going on. This is a trap as one of the men dead in a well is his friend and informant. Fazio who has a glancing bullet at his neck is also hit on the head prior to being thrown down the well, but manages to turn the tables and one of the other men falls while the other runs off after an exchange of fire. Fazio dazed goes off and hides in a nearby cave hoping to recover. The next he remembers is a car driving at speed into the cave so he shoots fortunately missing Salvo and another officer. Fazio recovers at a hospital in the area for his security and is able to begin to recount what happens.

Meanwhile they are able to trace the other dead man previously married he appears to have not one but two places of stay. In one there is a powerful telescope which his ex wife says he used for spying on neighbours and which is trained on the docks The caretaker cleaner says that he appears to have a friend stay overnight from the mess she sometimes finds but there is no evidence of who. It later emerges that he had a transexual lover with whom he stays at another accommodation and who was involved with a smuggling enterprise of some kind. This later is established as moving Russian Mafia supplied chemical weapons to a Middle East Country and in fact the fleet owner is implicated and not the innocent he proclaimed. The informant had been tortured to find out what he had told Fazio who had been set up to find out what he knew and then killed when it was appreciated he had little Knowledge. Fortunately Fazio had been able to turn the tables.

Salvo appears attracted to a young nurse at the hospital on the first day he visits Fazio and invites her out for a meal , He encounters her again trying to find where Fazio has been moved in the hospital on the orders of the chief to protect the man. She accepts the invite and Salvo gives the key of his car plus number plate for her to wait for him until after the Fazio visit. He is not surprised when she changes her mind about sex after inviting herself to his home and he points out the three occasions she said or did things which aroused his suspicion. It was never clear if she was a nurse at the hospital or not which would have been an remarkable coincidence and story flaw if this was the case.

Her boyfriends had been the criminal who Fazio had pushed into the well and she was being forced by the other man to get information from Salvo, later to get him drunk so compromising pictures could be taken to blackmail his silence and inaction. The man heading this enterprise is a member of one of the Sicilian crime families.

The caretaker cleaner has been found murdered and interestingly the expensive and powerful telescope had been removed but Earlier with the woman shot by men on a motorbike as she opened the door. The surmise is that she used to telescope and found the info to blackmail the gang although how she had done this remains unexplained. She paid the price for her foolishness. They move of Fazio to a secure hospital bed in Vigata goes well with Mimi in charge

Mimi is also helpful in ensuring that a letter to Salvo from the dead former school friends of Fazio is put back in the flat which Salvo has broken into and then found via an official search warrant. However the concern remains how to tie in the Mafia family into the killings and Salvo has a creative idea which is to get a friend of the nurse to make a complaint against him that he has failed to investigate a report that someone one is being held at the home of the Mafia man against their will. On the insistence of the Chief Salvo goes force handed with a search warrant having also notified his media TV friend to be present albeit secretly to await developments.

At the home the wife says her husband is away but Salvo winds her up exposing that her husband was also having an affair with the transvestite and in her rage she reveals the location of the secret room where her husband and the other murderer are hiding. They are arrested with the media present and Fazio’s life is no longer threatened or the nurse. For once the relationship remains platonic. What the falling Gull has to do with the rest of the story remain unclear to me. I enjoyed the work very much and look forward to read more of the books and the remaining two episodes of the series.

2380 Diary Transition week 29 October 2012

08.10 Monday October 29^th 2012 is Transition Day (although because unexpected developments later it may well become transition week) between a long period of contemporary experiencing and a return to historical reflection and creativity. I will first complete the writing of the previous days, I have various practical chores to undertake, some communication written and telephonic.

 

09.40 I have completed the redrafting of two pieces of catch up writing and eaten a bowl of nut and fruit cereal with some cornflakes mixed in. I am going to the washing up and get myself organised. I will check and publish the pieces later.

 

13.15 Completed half an hour exercise and 250 calories burned. Watched the latest episode of Merlin afterwards and then prepared and enjoyed a chicken curry with rice. Watched the news at 13.00 where the main item is exceptional stormy weather hitting the East Coast of the USA. The Metropolitan Police commissioner has confirmed they are dealing with complaints concerning Saville and those associated with him at the BBC and also a second category concerning those with links to the BBC and others in the entertainment business. He also said they were awaiting further information before deciding if the concerns expressed by Tom Watson at PMQ‘s merit investigation.

 

15.10 Made an appointment to see my GP tomorrow morning and made a phone call regarding communications to me from the local authority in relation to the Back Lane subsidence. Time for a wash, change and shop but also to watch Match of the Day 2 on the I player and Montalbano from Saturday given the progress that I have made. Reminder for visit to Consultant next week has arrived. Both Blogs completed, published and printed earlier

 

17.40 Completed good shop as Asda £40 obtaining discount of £5.16 in total. All four ticket machine in covered car park inoperative. Purchases included a fourth red bowl given extent of present use and batteries, so have got front room clock M and H’s working again. Must chance clock in car and TV in Front Room. Used previously grease proof paper to layer smoked mackerel for freezing. Apart from milk should have completed grocery purchases for week and next weekend have the Sage BBC programmes? Intended to watch Match of the Day 2 on I player but this is not included in the unit package? Will watch on desk top monitor.

 

22.00 There was an important edition of New Tricks this evening, cancelled from last week and started as a request by the new UCOS team in Scotland inviting. Gerry and the new man are told to accept but find that instead of helping to select staff they are asked to help with a case. This involves a former officer who broke up the marriage of the new man. What they unearth is very relevant in relation to the Saville Scandal. There was a paedophile ring of most senior individuals covering a senior police officer, senior media man, senior prosecutor and other now dead who used girls procured for them a social worker who visited Children’s Homes, who rose in power and now lives in a big house with great view.

 

What also emerges is that girl friend of the new man, the Scottish UCOS manager and the manager of a local restaurant chain were all in care homes at the time four girls disappeared and the thought was that they were murdered and that in some way the murdered bookmaker which the London duo are helping to review is connected. The most obvious implication that he was responsible for the murdered girls and when he was killed the disappearances stopped. The reverse is what happened. The four girls who disappeared are all alive and well and were set up with homes in new places with funding so they could start new lives away from those in the city who preyed and controlled them. So who killed him? It proved to be the manager of the local restaurant chain who thought he was responsible for the murder of her disappeared threat and had used a rounders bat on him. She had realised the mistake and done everything since with her life to make up. The UCOS woman said she would arrange for her to have the best defender in the country. One can understand the decision to postpone the programme from last week to this.

 

I write this watching the super storm begin to hit the coast of states on the Eastern Seaboard affecting between 50 and 60 million people So far no loss of life and no injuries.

 

Earlier I received notification of the death of a former colleague from over thirty years ago. Although I had not seen the colleagues since the late 1970’s early 1980’s we had maintained contact through correspondence.

 

I had a good session of exercise with over half an hours and the 250 calorie burn which included to long jogs fo around 12 minutes each.

2379 Transition Sunday Downton Abbey, Merlin, The Thing and Winds of War

Sunday late, I am finishing catch up on TV shows while I watch what became the penultimate episode of Winds of War by Herman Woulk

I have watched the first four episodes of Haunted on the BBC a series which has disappointed because it is created by the same team responsible for Spooks. I will write more when the series is completed.

I watched a little of Strictly Come Dancing results show after Surprise Surprise which was a sickly sweet and then the Antiques Roadshow followed by Downton Abbey where I missed part last weekend but have seen all the other episodes.

I was not impressed with the opening episodes of the new series but this changed with the third and subsequent episodes and has become essential Sunday evening viewing despite some well trodden story lines.

The key developments so far have been the death of one of the daughters when giving birth because of the blinkered view of the Consultant who ignored the advice of the family doctor. The father of the child who had to come to Downton for sanctuary from the Irish Independence cause and is former Chauffer to the household is determined to bring up his son as a catholic. Her ladyship appears to have forgiven her husband for his backing of the Consultant against the GP, letting him back into her bedroom.

Bates the former Valet to his Lordship, falsely imprisoned because of the machinations of his former wife who made her death appear murder instead of suicide has a hard time in jail because of the machinations of a prison warder and another prisoner. His wife becomes worried when she receives no letters for several months as does he but this is put right and evidence comes to light which leads to his release from jail and return to the Downton Community,

His Lordship nearly loses the estate because of bad investment judgement and family are forced to consider downsizing. They are saved when his son in law and who will inherit the estate with the death of his Lordship, also inherits money from the family of his former fiancée. He feels he cannot accept until learning that it was the fiancée‘s wish when evidence of a letter comes to light. The Ladyship’s mother comes to visit from the USA played by Hollywood Legend Shirley MacLaine and is feted for her financial help until it is understood her wealth is also tied and she cannot bail the family out.

Having rescued the family Mathew is determined to put the estate on a sound financial footing with new investment equipment and reorganisation and is resisted by the agent and his Lordship. With the land agent resigning after 40 years change becomes a reality and a solution to what to do with the young widower is to make him the land agent for the estate under the supervision of Mathew. The son is christened in the Catholic Church and the Grandparents attend with his Lordship photographed with the Catholic Priest and the Father and his child.

The other daughter is jilted at the altar because of the age difference between her and the suitor and she has written a feminist letter which has been published and the editor wants her to write a regular column much to her father’s opposition. She meets the editor in London who takes a shine and she agrees to become a journalist.

The former maid with illegitimate son gives him up to the grandparents. She has managed an income through prostitution which creates problems with the household and the villagers when she is taken on by Mathew’s mother.

The Housekeeper was thought to have cancer for a time but the tests come back negative. The rogue former Footman and former homosexual lover of a Lord, also war time racketeer thinks as the valet to his Lordship with the incarceration of Bates that he is safe to continue his wicked ways and take a shine to the new footman at the expense of another house staff member who he drops in the proverbials from time to time. However when he misunderstands the interest is reported to the Butler, things now look grim for him much to the delight of her Ladyship’s personal maid who herself has much to answer having been directly responsible for her Ladyship’s miscarriage.

I have watched the episodes of (Young) Merlin, series nine in which Arthur is now King and married to Guinevere the former Lady’s maid to his half sister Morgana who spends all her time plotting to kill Arthur and take the Kingdom. In the two part opening episode Arthur’s Bane he sets off with Merlin to try and find out what happened to his men sent on a surprise attack to rescue other men held from a previous expedition to find out what was going on. They had been betrayed by the daughter of a Druid who was in the service of Guinevere. Morgana was using the men with others as slaves try and find what she thought was an artefact with great powers to foresee the future. What she does not know that the power is a creature who first rescues one of Arthur’s key men and then Merlin himself who the being recognises for his true self. Morgana has a young dragon presumable that from the egg which Merlin had given to the ancient Dragon played by john hurt that previously freed. However as Lord over the Dragons is able to prevent the young dragon doing damage. Merlin is concerned from having a vision in which a young druid who Arthur previously saved will be responsible for the death of the King in a battle. He is a relative of Morgana. When he comes across Merlin and Arthur captured he treats them as prisoners. They manage to escape but are recaptured by Morgana but the young man intervenes stabbing her which allows Arthur and Merlin to survive with the rest of his men. Arthur rewards by making the man a knight but Merlin remains concerned.

In the third episode Arthur’s father returns as a ghost having been unintentionally let out from the spirit world by Arthur’s in search of saying a proper goodbye to his father and seeking the man’s approval. The spirit is opposed to Arthur’s marriage and the way he is running the kingdom and seeks to destroy his son and his son’s wife. With help of Guis, the court Physician Merlin and Arthur are able to send the King back to the spirit world. I watched the fourth episode on Monday on the I player part of the Wii purchase a couple of episodes behind which I will watch on the I player and which followed a familiar pattern with Arthur well motivated but taking irresponsible risks for himself and his men and Merlin still playing the fool of personal assistant, knowing something is wrong which the village idiot would have recognised and allowing Arthur into yet another trap set by the evil Morgana. On one hand the failure to deal with the woman is gross negligence but if they did there would no continuing series.

I am also a couple of episodes possible three behind on Atlantic City the third series which seems more violent, more sexual and without any redeeming features from what I have seen to date. I hope to comment further when I catch up.

I have failed to catch up on the past eight episodes of the final season of the Soprano’s. I did watch the greater part of the Godfather part one recently and was struck was a great film it is compared to most of what has appeared on screens since about the Mafia in the USA,

On Saturday I watched almost all of five episodes of the Mini series of Herman Wouk’s Winds of War with Robert Mitcham and Ali McGraw and Topol have a part as does Ralph Bellamy as President Roosevelt. I was so tired that I recorded what I thought was the final episode only to discover it was the penultimate. Fortunately when I checked the final episode was showing although I missed the greater part but at least saw the conclusion going to bed at 1.30 The six episodes was shown back to back over 12 hours but which long periods of repetitive adverts. The Story is of the Second World War told through the eyes of the character portrayed by Mitcham as a naval officer who is appointed as attaché to Berlin and encounters the Nazi high ups including Hitler. His wife is a political and social embarrassment and serves as a vehicle to illustrative the seductive aspects of the regime. One of his sons baulks the naval tradition and become enamoured with a Jewess, and older woman McGraw who is McGraw torn between the young man and a Diplomat based in Poland. The two meet up through working for an uncle based in Italy and then when she visits Poland to see the diplomat and other family members (Topol) who live close to the German border just before the invasion. They escape with difficulty she to Norway and home to the USA and he to his father in Berlin before also returning to the USA. Mitcham forecasts that Hitler will do a deal with Stalin from his contacts in the Reich which impresses the President who had previously encountered decades before and gets Mitcham to send him private briefings. The series ends with Mitcham going back to sea in command after saying one married son, a naval officer and with the other son in submarine, believed to have been sunk at Pearl Harbour but which turns out to be a mistake. It is not clear if he and Ali have tied the knot or if she has married the Diplomat. His other daughter goes into TV production in New York. His wife seeks a divorce but then changes her mind. The original book has 1000 pages and was followed by War and Remembrance covering the rest. I have purchased both books from Amazon for a total of £12.

I have watched two of the six episodes to be broadcast of Hebburn, which I am finding very funny in part because I know the area well and its people. The series has Vic Reeves as the father and Gina McKee as his wife and is shot on location

There is no time now to write about the Newsroom a brilliant series in style of the West Wing and created by the same team. I will return to this series as I will tot he Sopranos when I move significantly into the new phase in my work and life.

I have come across another film The Thing, A prequel to the 1982 film of the same name. In 1982 an extra terrestrial vehicle is discovered below Antarctic ice by a Norwegian research team. They then discover what appears to be the dead remains of someone from the machine and remove the body into camp only to discover that it is not dead but has the capacity to hide in the bodies of selected human beings in such a way that most people will not detect the transfer.

The object of the creature is to escape from the area and multiply among the general population. Stopping the creature is led by Palaeontologist Kate Lloyd with the detection method to look at his teeth of other unit members as the creature cannot cope with metal fillings and a mouth will reveal this except for those who other forms of fillings, or the absence of any metal implants in their body. At the end of the film when it looks she and other members of team who survive are successful, a dog runs off, implying that he Thing has become the creature. I understand this is how the first film opened. Clever as it will make a number of viewer go to the original film. Not I though.

2378 Transition Sunday 28 October 2012

Sunday October 28^th 2012 at 20.40 having taken a break after losing a large chunk off my writing today rounding up incomplete writings before tomorrow when my new regime begins. Over several decades I have learned the process of compromise especial about recognising who I am and am not, my abilities and my limitations

To day I enjoyed roast chicken breast with vegetables and jacket potato for lunch around 13.15 followed by the remaining grapes. This afternoon I had a whole small quiche and banana and custard and the last of the walnuts with a large can of Pepsi.

I watched some of the Merseyside Derby while I continued to write catch up and clear the decks. The game ended 2. 2 after it appeared Liverpool were going to go against respective team forms having scored two early goals against all credit to Everton and David Moyes who look a much better outfit than recent seasons who came back 2.2 and both sides had chances to take all three points.

Before the Merseyside match ended I went to silent screen and commenced to listen to Newcastle against another improved team West Brom ahead of the Toon in the table and where I received an email offering a level 7 seat for £5, I should CoCo. It was something of a struggle with West Brom having two good chances in the first half and then Krull hit a ball collected by Shola who flicked it to Demba Ba who scored. West Brom equalised but in the dying seconds of extra time young Amiobe, younger brother of Shola hit the ball hard and Cisse turned to get out of the way and the ball hit is backside and went into the goal as the goalkeeper was wrong footed.

While I listened I also had on the visit of Man United to Chelsea but missed all the action live. What I understand happened is that Man U went up 2,0 but Chelsea came back to 2,2 but then had two of the players sent off, one controversially with Man U scoring a third winning goal by player who was clearly offside before he scored. I also watched a little of the American Football where the regular season game at Wembley. I have watched two exhibition matches at Wembley in the past. I had planned to write several pieces about the different disciplines who won UK Gold Medals at the Summer Olympics and Paralympics but these will now be postponed or abandoned.

There was an important interview with the Labour Deputy leader Harriet Harman on the Andrew Marr show at nine in which she repeated the call for one overall investigation into the Saville Scandal covering the BBC, and the other institutions and interests where allegation had been made of criminal activity, and she also insisted that an independent new Press Complaints Commission with statutory backing would be accepted if Lord Leveson recommended and she hoped there would inter party support. There is already a massing of opposition from the newsprint industry and from within the Tory party the extent of which remains unknown. Cameron made clear his position on supporting what Leveson recommends at PMQ

‘s last Wednesday faced with a hostile question from his back bench and the Lib Dems while supporting a free press will have no truck with those attempting to protect their commercial interests.

There was a report in the Independent that the Met has evidence that a senior Mirror Executive made payments of £125 a time to an agency for the private telephone numbers of personalities of interest so their phone could be hacked during the time that Piers Morgan was the editor. There are four civil cases involving Gary Flitcroft previously of Blackburn, the Beckham’s Nanny, a Coronation Street actress and former England Manager Erickson against the Mirror in the High Court at present.

Re Saville. Gary Glitter was arrested early this morning and spent the day being questioned and was subsequently released on bail. It is understood that a number of other well known people together with BBC employees or former employees who worked with Saville are to be arrested over the coming days with some major surprises promised.

There was an important speech by Ed Miliband back in June in which he said mea culpa for the Labour Party’s approach to immigration in the past and which led to many cities and towns changing in fundamental ways without existing residents being consulted and given the opportunity to oppose the transformation. It is too little too late but I agree with his approach of making the best of the new situation for everyone concerned and not making the position worse. Mr Miliband the younger was also faced with a major dilemma when invited to participate in the TUC march of protest against Tory economic policy in London with other marches held in Glasgow and Belfast. The protest could be described as moderately successful but calls for combined action with the effect of a general strike is if you forgive the analogy watering the wind. Miliband made it plain that while his party opposed the pace of government cuts and the nature of some of those cuts, cuts there has to be and that it is better to accept a cut in wages in the public sector rather than losing more jobs. This makes a grip on taxes paid by corporations; attacking general tax avoidance and creating measures which ensure the rich genuinely share the sacrifices more important than ever and where the Labour Government and present Tory led Coalition have failed lamentably.

Reducing tax from 50 to 45% for the richest means they will gain £40000 a year extra from next April and was a political miscalculation as well as being morally reprehensible. Why did the Lib Dems agree?

There was a row at a Banquet put on by the Army Chiefs at which a Tory MP called what Labour MP said “gobshite“. When he refused to quieten down the Labour Members at the Dinner withdrew. The Tory is reported to have remained unrepentant. On the other hand the Chief Whip was repentant but Ed Miliband demanded he should go a week last Wednesday at PMQ’s, Mr Cameron backed him up but many on the Tory party benches looked uncomfortable. What listeners did not know at the time is that the previous evening the Chief Whip had toured the private tea rooms for Tory Members and was left in no doubt that the 2010 intake in particular had little or no confidence in him. So with Portillo confident on Politics This Week that the man would stay it came as a surprise that he resigned on Friday. I am surprised Portillo was so out of touch unless he knew the way the wind was blowing and pretended otherwise. He is planning a political come back as the Party moves to the right.

Norman Tebbit had an interesting article in the Sunday Observer which the Guardian also reported where he declared that the problem with the Coalition led by Cameron was that it is incompetent. It is not a question of there being too many Toffs as there were more in previous Governments for example that of Harold Macmillan. The young Turks were then reported to be unhappy when Cameron appointed the 71 year old Sir George Younger as Chief Whip.

I did some research on George Smart a distant ancestor who became one of the first Mayor of Cape Town 1894 1895. He was the son of Samuel Smart who went to live in the Cape Province with his wife and four children when diamonds and gold were found. He was a Labourer who lived with his wife and their first child at the house of his father home in Cow Lane Calne at the time of the 1841 census. I was unable to find trace of them subsequently until another distance relative by marriage reported from Australia the news as his elder brother Seager had been transported for a conviction, and made a success of his subsequent life there his young brother had moved to South Africa, enclosing a published note of his arrival in the town which has become the second city of the Republic and the seat of its political institutions, favoured by the British and Tourists generally for its location by the sea and Table Mountain. The house in Kew/Cow Lane Calne is shown with the resident listed as his father in the earlier 1928 Cruse Tithe Map of the Town.

2377 Recent Political concerns A repris?

The following is familiar. I know I wrote it but has I have published. Better safe than regretful so will publish again is this hectic clear the decks writing weekend

It was 12.40 on October Thursday 17^th 2012 when I listened to Gibraltar news where a new Speaker has been inducted to the Parliament. I have an application which means I can listen directly from Windows Media. I have heard that the Spain is creating problems for those wishing to cross the border with a four hour delay last weekend. I will need to investigate further for while I share the view that it would be more long term realistic for Gibraltar to be attached to Spain as it would be for the Falklands to Argentina the wishes of the people must always be the governing factor as it will be Scotland where on Monday the UK Prime Minister signed an agreement with first Minister Alec Salmon to hold a referendum on Independence in 2014.

The British government insisted that there is no alternative question but the Nationalists have gained an optional vote for 16 and 17 year olds well as holding the referendum in 2014 instead of 2013 as the Government had wanted. I have a sneaking suspicion that despite opinion polls indicating likely no vote and campaigning by all the three main UK political parties against leaving the Union, there will be a positive independence vote albeit by a narrow majority.

This will have greater significance for the position of the North East and as I have suggested for some time the boundaries between the two nations should also be revised so that Northumbria or Northumberland and Tyneside should be included with Scotland when is becomes an individual Member state of the European Union and should in time seek membership of the Euro and more integrated economic and political Europe.. What will be the position in relation to the Olympics?

A separate Army and defence system will also have implications. One hand the move will gain support within Military Families offering the prospect of recreating Scottish Regiments that have or are being amalgamated and effective abolished. But the anti Trident and pro unilateralist approach to nuclear weapons will not please the navy. Interesting times.

I commenced to make Notes on Sunday October 14^th 2012 at 10 am after watching the whole of the Andrew Marr programme where the most significant item was not given the prominence which I believe it should. Michael Gove who I had already identified as a leadership wrecker if not a bidder for the Premiership himself is reported to have come out with the view that Britain, that is David Cameron the Prime Minister should immediately insist with the European Community that concessions should be made on the terms of the present membership or there will be a referendum on ending our membership, full stop. He is reported to have the support of a significant number of other members of the Cabinet. I have no doubt that Jeremy Hunt, promoted to being the Cabinet head Minister after the debacle of his role as Culture, Sport and Media Minister is another ally.

What is not clear if this all has the blessing of Cameron and the Tory leadership in order to appease the core of the Parliamentary Party, their key Party members and core supporters who cannot accept Coalition government, fear it will become the norm? Philip Hammond, who has always struck me as intelligent but in the sense of a mature grounded man full of common sense, exactly the kind of man to be in charge of defence. He is also a strong willed man of courage prepared to do as well as say what is required and he squashed those pressing the Prime Minister to change from his position that there will not be a referendum before the next General Election on the issue. What he was appearing to admit is that there is now a significant viewpoint within the Tory Party and its supporters that the relationship has to change with withdrawing of some involvement and that this is being fuelled by the moves of those who accept that for a Euro Currency to work there should be progress towards a United State of Europe with banking integration, financial integration and economic policy integration and with those there will need to be political integration involving state sovereignty.

The prospect of a move to exit Europe reinforces the need for the North East to look towards Scotland than Westminster. During the week we had the curious spectacle of the excellent Home Secretary announcing that Britain was threatening to with or had withdraw from his obligations in relation a number of justice system European directives but would then plan to accept those regarded as being the British Interest but those which did not. It is my understanding that that the list of in and outs has not been circulated and this amounts to sabre rattling to appease Tory back benchers but will mean little if anything in practice.

While I anticipate the Welsh nationalists will support the Independence move as will the Irish Nationalists, the Unionist parties in Northern Island will cling even more strongly to the shirttails of English Toryism thus pushing that party more to the extreme right and make avoiding an in out referendum on Europe more difficult to avoid given the signing of the Referendum agreement on the future of Scotland. In part it is all a calculated move to prevent more Tories turning to UKIP and other right wing parties in desperation because of the Coalition with the Liberal Democrats.

Last night Thursday Any Questions was held in Scotland, Easterhouse one of the poorer areas of the City and where it was evident from the audience contributions that socialism of the British humanitarian and justice as fairness kind still has significant support. It was also evidence that opinion is strongly divided over the issue of independence and it emerged that the kind of economic model which Alec Salmon has signed up to with Cameron is in effect a capitalist and centralist Scotland which would disadvantage the Labour Party more than the Tories and give the Nationalist party an ongoing mandate to govern. I smell a dirty deal here where Labour loses most either way, because even if there is a no vote, the holding of such a vote will sustain Salmon through the next vote for the Scottish Assembly at the expense of Labour and which in turn will also affect the outcome of the next Euro and Westminster General Elections.

On Politics This week the attack by the Opposition Leader on the behaviour of the Chief Whip was very effective but had the effect of uniting the Tories in support, in public and reminded that Tony Blair in his autobiography admitted he should not have yielded to the pressure to sack Mandelson not once but twice because in doing so he lost not just an able Minister but someone who was at the core of the keeping the administration on track as well as helping to create the momentum to go forward. In the Chief Tory Whip Cameron has someone fundamental to keeping Tory participation in the Coalition going as well as keeping those who seek to oust Cameron from within the Party at Bay, hence the way he was able to orchestrate speakers at the most recent 1922 back bench Committee. I have kept this paragraph as written on to show that by going along with the conventional wisdom of political commentators one can be quickly proved wrong. Late on Friday it was announced that the Chief Whip had gone to Chequers, the weekend retreat of the Prime Minister and resigned and was apparently still there. Given what happened in mid week one can only assume that a number of Tory Grandees combined with some influential back benchers to say enough is enough. Perhaps the police had found something about the man which they threatened to reveal to the media. It is unlikely I will learn the truth in my remaining lifetime although I anticipate there will be lots of insider stuff in the Sunday newspapers and weekend political analysis. They will say that his resignation shows he is an honourable man, but why now and not before? Why did he and the PM attempt to brazen it out?

On Monday afternoon I watched the Home Affairs Committee question the present Chief Constable of South Yorkshire in relation to two matters as well as legal representatives and family members of the Hillsborough survivors. The Home Affairs Committee are not conducting any new inquiry but wanted to establish the position of West Yorkshire Police, pay their respects to the families and satisfy themselves that all was being done which should.

The present Chief Constable of the force, until recently deputy to the man who remains the most officers who was involved with the aftermath although not involved on duty on the day has not sounded convincing in his apologies and condemnation of what went on went. He appears to have done his best in what has been and will remain the most difficult of circumstances. He made it plain that he is providing the Police Complaints authority with whatever information they require and it is not appropriate for them to be otherwise involved in the inquiry other than providing any further information assembled by the team which provided information to the Independent Commission chaired by the Bishop of Liverpool. The chairman queried that he had said alleged cover up in his letter acknowledging the request to attend and he qualified this in terms of the usual and desirable police practice of not stating the finding before a legal trial has taken place. At the Committee he withdrew the qualification and confirmed the belief from the Inquiry findings that there had been a deliberate planned cover up to put the blame on Liverpool supporters and to altering statements omitting any criticism of the police by the police. He confirmed that where there is evidence there should be prosecutions. On the other matter which interested the Committee I shall return later.

The relatives and supporters are represented by two groups. One led by Trevor and Mrs Hicks who lost their daughters and Margaret Aspinall who lost her son accompanied by Lord Falconer whose legal firm is acting for over 60 of the 96 bereaved families. The other person who appears top have invited herself is Sheila Coleman of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign- the spokesperson. The main group is in London for two days having earlier had a meeting with the Director of Public Prosecutions. The main issue of concern, and one raised at the Committee is the need to coordinate the action of the DPP with that of the Police Complaints organisation as well as the Inquests which sound as if there is to be one plus the Health and Safety and the Civil Actions although judging the statement of the Chief Constable it looks as if the Police Authority will not to contest such actions and the issue will be on of agreeing the appropriate damages as well as costs.

I should make it clear that while I would not want to swim against the tide, or appear to defend the indefensible in relation to police conduct on this particular issue it should not be forgotten why spectators were caged in the standing areas, especially the away supporters and why the police would be present in numbers inside and outside the ground. I have before and widely about my experiences when a coach in which I was travelling was repeated attacked by Liverpool teenagers throwing stones and lumps of earth for about half an hour as it left a cup game at Everton which Sunderland lost and the coach was taken out of the city in convoy northward to the M6 then down to the cross Pennine route back to Newcastle and Sunderland. I have also written about the two incidents after football at the Chelsea ground when underground trains were wrecked and had to be taken out of service after a Chelsea support gang of over 100 had attacked Sunderland London based supporters about an hour after a game had ended and that I witnessed West Ham Supporters returning home from a game at Wimbledon, smash their way out of a train in orders to try and get at Chelsea Supporters who being prevented from getting on to the station by police who then found themselves under attack from both side and had to call for reinforcement according to the Railway police man who explained the position when the train was taken out of service because of the damage. Nor was criminal behaviour restricted to gangs or crews associated with right wing politics.

At a Cup semi Final at Old Trafford I was horrified by the drunken behaviour of Sunderland fans around me, the racism expressed in one area of Newcastle supporters in one area of their ground was well known so criticism applied to local clubs as well as those in London. It is inevitable that in such situation the police adopted the approach of viewing football spectators as the potential enemy as they have to do with then young people and not so young people that get fighting drunk at the weekend all out cities and towns, including country towns. The police have not come out well in a number of situations in recent months and historically corruption in the Met and in the West Midlands in particular has stained the reputation of the force. Moreover they exploited their position of trust with developing exceptionally good conditions of service in relation pension and early retirement and the creation of back office jobs. Somewhat I am calling for a more balanced approach on both sides of what appears to have become a confrontation between the coalition and the police and the police and politicians. I am not sure the new Police Commissioners where voting takes place next month make the difference now required. The creation of a national crime agency whose head appeared before the Commons Committee to announce his main management team was in the process of being completed should be more significant.

I will also return to the reason for the calling of the head of South Yorkshire Police before the Commons Committee last Monday. There was concern at the lack of prosecutions in thee area of the grooming of young people into sexual activities, sometimes organised as recently in Lancashire. Despite criticism and media attention on the gulf between the number of reports instances and prosecutions there have been no prosecutions this year although it was said two active cases were under consideration. The problem is said to be evidence which will stand up in court.

The Commons Committee focussed on one case where it appears there has been publicity where a significantly under age girl was found in a car with a much older man with a bottle of Vodka. The young man was part of a well known local family where the number of involvement with under age girls was said to number over 50 and where no action appears to have been taken. The Common committee was insistent that they would be kept informed of progress. It is evident that the Committee concern has been fuelled by the increasing attention given to the activities of Jimmy Saville where the number of alleged victims coming forwards is no in the hundreds and the NSPCC to declare that he is likely to have been the most prolific sex offender known to the authorities given the length of time of his activities and the scope he developed with his Jim will Fix it programme, his involvement with Hospitals in Leeds, Stoke Manderville and elsewhere and the BBC popular music Programme Top of the Pops.

The latest information from the police suggests that a number of alleged victims have come forward to report having sex, when underage, with a number of people associated with the Top of the Pops programmes. There was an era in the later sixties I think when I noted and commented to others that the camera man (men) on the programme appeared to be focussing up the legs of the young girls and these shots would not have been broadcast without the consent of those managing the programme and this was not a one off but was a regular feature. The latest allegation is that young girls who attended the show were identified as likely to agree to sex and were in effect then passed around those who were interested associated with the programme. I will be surprised if this is not found to be a key aspect of the self referrals that have come in.

It has also emerged that Jimmy was arrested no once but at least twice in relation to allegations of having sex with underage girls and that he said that the case was dropped before coming to court. The implication is that he paid of the girls or their families to drop their allegations... He is also reported to have answered the telephone with the comment, she said she was over sixteen and there is more recent telephone conversation report where he is said to have admitted that he was crooked or had been crooked in his life. This is therefore only the beginning. Where I part company is the statement reported to have come from the NSPCC that this is proving the biggest criminal abuse inquiry of all time. If so it demonstrates how quickly people forget as in the 1990‘s over half the police forces in the UK were investigating significant claims of criminal abuse against former children in residential child care homes run by local authorities and the independent child care organisations, including those managed on behalf of the Catholic Church.

2376 Films The Rum Diary, Chalet Girl , Jane Eyre. Johnny English Reborn Anonymous The Magnificent Showman

Sunday 28 October 28^th 2012. This is planned as a monster writing catch up day before the regime kicks in tomorrow. There is an extra hours as the clocks were put back. I became very tired early last night and was in bed by 9.45 with the consequence that had an up and down and could not get back to sleep quickly long night where I clocked up over 8 hours CPAP use plus an additional hour or more during the night without it taking the average to 7.5

I have played Free Cell successful and reached close to 10 million points Luxor Majong but messed up my latest run level 3 chess. Had breakfast of porridge and coffee and completed the washing up for yesterday. Will watch Andrew Marr. The first news note of the day from Huffington Post on AOL was that dozen of well known stars have contacted Max Clifford concerned they will become caught up in Saville Scandal as they enjoyed sex with lots of teenage girls in the 60’s to 80’s without ever asking to see their birth certificates. Much as I have being saying. There is of course a world of difference between he young women who applied for tickets to Pop of the Pops and other gigs with the intention of having star as a trophy and the kinds of events which has led to people continuing to regard themselves as tightly as victims but the danger is that the everyone will now be tarred with the same brush. If sex was common place on the premise of the BBC in dressing rooms then the Corporation will have a major problem to restore its reputation.

Previously I noted that Friday 26 October 2012 has become a good day despite the onset of winter although the sleet snow did not arrive as far as I was able to observe although last night Newcastle home game against the Belgium side Bruges was affected by sleet.

Newcastle won the game and heads the table with two wins and a draw. Their next match is away to Bruges and a win there to draw should mean they will qualify barring last matches disasters. Given the inexperience of Pardew into European games and he need to rotate the squad and maintain a good position in the Premiership League I feel he is doing exceptionally well and the confidence of being awarded an eight year contract tells everybody that the club has confidence in him and is anxious to retain his services over the medium term come what may.

Although I slept an hour without the sleep Apnoea machine and clocked up under seven hours the average remains at 7.4 and should remain above 7 for the visit to the Consultant in ten days time.

I am now also in position to report the daily and weekly performances of using Wii Fit balance board and programme with enthusiasm that this will prove one of my better decision of recent times. On Friday I was able to ramp up activity to some forty minutes which included a short break in the morning which I hope will become the standard for the weeks and months to come with perhaps as much as an hour some days and not less than 30 minutes unless because of the sleep situation and physical state I am unable to complete the work out in the morning where everything points to being the best time.

I have notice feeling tired sleep after lunch and am yawning now but it is a goon natural physical age related feeling rather than a failure of the sleep apnoea treatment as I also work mentally eat well and also take time to relax and enjoy other experiences.

Whereas over recent years I have dreaded the coming of the months of Winter with long periods of darkness and few opportunities to go out adding to a sense of isolation rather than loneliness, a hermit like existence but comfortable and full life situation but marred by the lack of exercise and the gradual increase in weight, I feel optimistic and confident about being able to add weight control and improve fitness to the situation and the abolition of depressed moments.

The Wii activity which will see me through is jogging which does involved board and where I have quickly mastered the approach required and moved to long distance which lasts five to six minutes instead of three for the shorter. I have made less progress with the step action mainly because I have not remembered red the sequencing. I need to develop a practicing strategy; I also included the heading ball missing objects where I did the best performance of the week with my first try this morning.

Yesterday I only reached 30 mins because of much other activity during the morning with amounted to around 90 mins overall. I also took a long jogging programme which last 10 mins and which I use at least twice in each session

I enjoyed making and eating baguette with half the salami pack, some lettuce, olives and a little pickle while this evening I had three Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages with the rest of tomatoes and beans from yesterday and a portion of mashed potatoes. There was mushroom tomatoes and porridge in the morning, some grapes at lunch, soup before the evening meal and a small banana with a little custard. Going to enjoy a small Pepsi with a few walnuts in a moment.

Yesterday evening after the Sprats at lunch I enjoyed a cheese toasty and a small prawn in shell salad after a cuppa soup. Later I will have roast chicken and roast potatoes for lunch uncertain what I will have for the evening meal.

On Thursday Friday I watched The Rum Diaries, a tribute to Hunter S Thompson the Journalists and Writer by his friend Johnny Depp which I felt self indulgent where as this early evening I watched and enjoyed to my considerable surprise Chalet Girls, a contemporary Cinderella feel good froth.

Hunter S Thompson

was born two years before me and died in 2005 had the kind of start which it could be said was a good seam for subsequent writing with feeling and commitment and according to Depp led a hell raising drink, drugs and women existence which other writers have trodden since young men set forth to make their mark on the world and turn their experience into prose of merit and interest.

I wrote this listening to Gib radio and avoiding the washing up. Gib radio at this hour (evening) is almost continuous good music without constant news, competitions and advertising. Shine Light as a Diamond, SkyFall, Valerie with Amy Winehouse where numbers which caught my eye. There is no reference to artists or titles.

Hunter Thompson is report to have gone off the rails at 15 following the death of his middle class family father in Louisville Kentucky and spent two months in jail at the age of 18 for abetting a robbery which meant he failed to graduate from High School. Nevertheless this did not prevent him joining the USA airforce becoming a journalist and working in Puerto Rico the subject of the film, and in Beirut and Brazil before settling in Aspen Colorado in the early 1960‘s when he would have been as still in his twenties.

After a year living with at the Hells Angels he wrote The Strange and Terrible Saga of Motor Cycle Gangs (1967) and set on a path of creating a new form of journalism in which the writer became the central character with the most recent example only earlier in the week as Michael Palin set off with a camera team to report on Modern Brazil and where he remained the central character throughout. Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas 1972 became Hunter’s best known work. It was serialised in Rolling Stone and the 1998 film starred Johnny Depp and Terry Gilliam. He also wrote Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail publicising his hatred of Richard Nixon who he regarded as dark and representing the violent side of the American culture, while he did not advocate drink, drugs, insanity and violence he admitted these things had worked for him. He took his own life when depressed aged 67.

He has one of the most detailed and interesting biographies on Wikipedia but the two aspects which interested me were his period in Puerto Rico, and where later in life he published an autobiographical account as the Rum Diaries and if it is accurate married the young women he met while working in that country. The Wikipedia biography suggests differently which is not surprising given the nature of the relationship described in the Johnny Depp film.

In the film and possibly the book Depp brings out many of the features for which his life is known. He arrives a day late at the office of the newspaper because of getting drunk in the hotel, alone and wrecking the drinks fridge because he did not find out that the key was attached to the room key. There is much drinking of rum throughout the film and in great quantities.

He and his room mate friend, photography colleague on the newspaper, try out a hallucinatory drug alleged to been given by the CIA to Communists in order to change their view of the world. His antipathy towards Nixon is also covered as the two use binoculars to watch the TV of neighbour through respective open windows and where the sound is on so loud they can hear what is being said. It was not clear why they did not acquire their own TV. They watch Nixon on the campaign trail which results in the Hunter based character unable to watch such is his contempt

There are three interlinked story lines. The first is the future of the paper to which he has been recruited to help save. However the paper is dependent on advertises who do not take kindly to attacks on their role in the country or to attacks on the way the country is run and the role of the USA in particular. The paper is closed down in any event and his attempt to provide at least a final edition of truth and justice also fails when the bank who owns the accumulated debt removes the relevant machines for sale.

On arrival at the flat of the photographer he notes the man keeps a cockerel, a fighting fowl, so he goes along to watch noting the winnings of a couple of hundred dollars from bets. He learns that this is small beer compared to the $2000 dollars plus at a venue attended by the wealthy and influential. They take the cockerel to a voodoo priestess for help to fight the local champion in order to make money to save the paper and although they win and gain some $6000 they are too late.

The second storyline which was to have been the major event in the last edition is that he approached by a young business man to help write up friendly articles for a bid to buy a beautiful island presently used by the USA for target practice but about to come on the market and which the man and his friends and associates plan to turn into a paradise holiday island. The group includes a nuke the commies General and his wife.

The reason his deal to write fails, is not from any high morale indignation but because of the man’s girl friend who he first encounters one evening when he uses a pedalo in the bay and finds the girl swimming naked. He sees her again when he visits the young businessman who comments that the young woman likes to sun bathe naked which attracts the attention of those who stray on his private beach. When Hunter visits a second time to discuss the business proposition her see the couple making love by the yacht via a spy glass. He alienates his host first by after signing a confidentiality agreement brings the photographer along on a visit to the island from which he two plan to visit another island where a fiesta is being held. Here they meet up with the girl who told him about the event and boyfriend and other guests on the trip.

The girl insists on going dancing at a jazz club event against the wishes of the boyfriend where she encounters a masculine local and they engage in a provocative sexual dance where it appears evident the couple are to engage in sex leading perhaps to an orgy at which the girl plays the central part. Realising that she is out of her depth, the boyfriend and Hunter are unable to intervene and are sent packing. The following day there is no sign of the girl and the boyfriend blames Hunter and sends him packing.

Earlier Hunter and the photographer had narrowly escaped from a nasty situation involving a group of locals at a countryside restaurant inn and in getting away have a serious run in with the police. They are bailed out by the businesses man who now turns his back on them but fortunately they have the winnings to pay fines and bribes in order to wipe the slate.

The girl arrives at the shared flat, they have sex but she goes off to New York. He also goes back to the USA. In the final notes Depp mentions that the character in the film did find his writing voice and become successful and settled down in the USA and marries the woman he met in Puerto Rico. The film is only of interest because of the relationship with Depp and prior knowledge of the author and his autobiographical novel would have helped.

I watched the opening of Chalet Girls where I had seen a trailer at the cinema expecting awful teen’s rights of passage romp and stayed to watch the whole film. It is more a contemporary fairy story. The girl and her father cling to each other after the death of the wife and mother in a car accident with both blaming themselves for contributing to the death,

An accident to an existing Ski Resort chalet girl enables Cinderella to be accepted by an agency for a four month contract despite an inability to Ski. The girl can cook and works hard but is out of her depth among the other sophisticated and experienced Chalet girls who look after the rich and famous to keep large latest gadgets homes in the resort where they spend occasional holidays in season, bringing business guests and sometimes friends, eat caviar and drink the best champagne. Bill Nighy plays the wealthy chalet owner with his snobby wife, a former air hostess and their son, Prince Charming who is about to become engaged to a suitable girl of money and social standing.

The girl discovers she has a talent for snow boarding although is held back by the sense of guilty regarding the death of her mother. She is forced to enter a major competition held at the resort when after celebrating her birthday at a party they invited everyone back to the Chalet where she is discovered skinny dipping by the son who returns unexpectedly and makes them pay up their tips as compensation for the damage caused by the other party goers. Unbeknown to the girl the young man comes for a weekend before his engagement party and uncertain he is making the right decision joins the girl for day on slopes at the end of which they fall in love and have sex, only to again be discovered by the mother who comes to collect her errant son. He backs out of the engagement at the party and is understandably physically assaulted by the girl.

The girl enters the competition and appears to fail in the first run ending up first reserve. She gets her chance at the last moment and wins a substantial money prize as well as finding a new career as a professional snow boarding competitor. The girl, her by now Chalet girl friends all find their ideal love sex partner as does her father back homer with his local authority help although why is entitled to a home help escaped me. It was good fun.

I nearly went to see the 2011 version of Jane Eyre in theatre and thought I had written a review after seeing the film on TV in early October. Cinema films were made in 1934, 1944 with Jane Fontaine (seen) 1956, 1960 with Susannah York 1996 1997 (seen) and now 2011 with Mia Wasikowska plus a mini series in 2006 1983 and back in 1973 with Sorca Cusack. I have visited the parsonage where the Bronte sisters were raised to young women as well as walking the Moors which feature in Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights and viewed several TV programmes about the Bronte sisters and their impact on English literature and the role of women.

The film is an excellent addition although I am not certain if it follows the book which I read many moons ago and have found in the library and added to the titles to be read over coming months although well back in the queue. Jane is brought up in a family where in modern parlance she is abused by everyone and when she stands up for herself she is packed off to a harsh residential establishment for the training and discipline for young women, where she has an even harder time, but survives to be appointed the governess of an orphan French girl at the castle like home of one Mr Rochester and his housekeeper Alice Fairfax.

When Rochester returns from one of his many travels he takes to Jane because of her independent spirit and in time decides she is the one to marry than another young woman part of the County set who he invites at one point to his home.

When the couple are to be married, someone intervenes at the ceremony to say that Rochester is already married and is the severely mentally disturbed woman who Rochester cares for secretly in an otherwise unoccupied part of the home. Jane has already rescued Rochester from certain death with his wife attempted to burn the house down Jane goes off in distress which deepens as she wonders the moors and weather deteriorates. She is taken in by a would be missionary and his two sisters who finds her work teaching at the local school. He sets his sights on her and is disappointed when she rejects his sincere wishes to marry her.

Jane has discovered she has become a wealthy woman after her aunt yields a letter on her deathbed sent by a relative of Jayne who has made a fortune in the West Indies and has attempted to locate his only known relative. She inherits when the man dies.

When she returns Thornfield Hall, Rochester‘s home, she finds it has substantially burned down. Rochester is blinded in the blaze which also killed his wife. With money of her own and the right social background she is now free to marry and to care for the man in a role reversal situation.

Please write an essay of 1000 words explaining what Jane Eye and Chalet Girl have in common.

In mid September I watched Rowan Atkinson in Johnny English Reborn and confess that apart from the last episodes of Black Adder I failed to find his brand humour entertaining once one had got over marvelling at his facial expressions and ability to communicate without words which remains outstanding. The problem has always been the scripts.

The film is meant to be a Spy spoof of the James Bond Genre which celebrates half a century of films, all on Sky if you chose and with the latest Skyfall packing em in cinemas this weekend. I cannot remember anything of the original film made eight years ago and here he starts learning martial in Tibet having been exiled after a failed mission in Mozambique where the head of state he was supposed to protect is assassinated.

However he is summoned back by the new boss Pegasus Gillian Anderson (M17) to stop a plot to kill the Chinese Premier during talks with the British Prime Minister. Although Johnny was highly regarded within the service he looks up to another agent who from the outset is the baddie although Johnny is such a stupid man that he fails to see what is obvious especially to his new recruit assistant.

As you will appreciate I found the character awful, irritating and deserving of every nasty thing that happens to him. Fortunately his assistant is OK and misguidedly helps Johnny to survive but why escapes me. Johnny is tested by a behavioural psychologist who amazingly develops a thing for Johnny and also helps in his rehabilitation and eventual success.

What emerges is that those behind the planned assassination are the same as in Mozambique and use a behaviour controlling drug initially going to be used on the boss of M17 but is then Johnny. He appears to die saving the Premier but survives through a kiss from the psychologist. There is a scene at the end at Buckingham Palace where Johnny is to be knighted for his services and mistakes the real Queen for a villain who has disguised herself as the Queen. Silly rubbish all the way and I did not find anything funny.

I now come to the great disappointment of the year Anonymous, a historical drama with as its background the controversy as to whether the plays now performed and studied as by William Shakespeare were in fact the writings of the 17 Earl of Oxford Edward de Vere. The production is glorious using a host of big name stars including Vanessa Redgrave as the first Queen Elizabeth, Joely Richardson Rafe Spall and Rhys Ifans as the Earl of Oxford. Joely, Vanessa’s daughter plays the young Elizabeth which is a great piece of casting.

The case against William Shakespeare being the author of the works is a strong one because the man was a low level actor. The list of candidates for authorship includes Francis Bacon, the 5 Earl of Rutland, and the 6^th Earl of Derby with supporters arguing that the Earl of Oxford continues to pose the strongest.

Why the film disappoints is because of the blurring with the present and past in the film and where the issue of the authorship of the plays remains secondary to the basic plot which is who will succeed Elizabeth as she approaches the end of life and the move of the Catholics to put James, the son of Mary Queen of Scots on the English throne and undo Henry’s break with Rome.

The background is that Oxford became a prodigious playwright from a young age. When Oxford lives in the House of Cecil he kills a servant for spying on him, Cecil blackmails him into marrying his daughter and also bans his further involvement in playwriting. The film suggests that Oxford had presented one his plays A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the Young Queen Elizabeth and they establish a relationship which results in the Queen secretly given birth to their son who is brought up as the Earl of Southampton without the boy or Oxford being initially aware of his paternal parentage. This means that the boy would be the rightful heir after the Queen dies and scupper the plan of Cecil.

In his mature years Oxford visits the theatre and is impressed by a play from Ben Jonson which is about the position of Essex alleged to be another of the Queen’s secret sons. Johnson is imprisoned in the Tower because of the play but Oxford offers to free him if he passes Oxford’s play Richard III as Jonson‘s. Johnson although happy to be freed decides against claiming authorship which he offers to Shakespeare and is then surprised by the plays success. When Shakespeare discovers who the author of the play is he blackmails Oxford into funding the building of the Globe Theatre and as part of the deal begins to put the completed plays of Oxford as his own.

Oxford then attempts to blacken Cecil and writes Venus and Adonis to remind the Queen of their love Cecil captures two sons of the Queen on the grounds they are plotting to take the throne from her by force. Oxford has a private audience with the Queen to plead for his son and she agrees on the basis that no will ever know that he is the true author of the plays under the name of William Shakespeare. After the death of the Queen, Cecil makes every effort, successfully to ensure that Oxford is not revealed as the author especially after James when crowned becomes enthusiastic about the plays. Shakespeare retires to Stratford to become a business man with the money gained through being regarded as the author of Oxford’s work. This may all appear clear enough but has only been worked out long after I sat confused by what happened on the screen.

A film with an overlapping theme is The Magnificent Showman a vehicle for John Wayne and Rita Hayworth back in 1965. The film is primarily about the struggle of Wayne to produce a three ring Circus which was a fashion at the time and where I remember attending a performance of one such event in the Croydon area in the 1950’s or even may have been the late 1940’s. He has with him the orphan of a famous aerialist who died and whose mother has disappeared. The Circus has its problems caused unknown Wayne by the friend of dead man who blames the boss for the death.

The truth is that Wayne and Hayworth had an affair with the girl being their daughter, when the father had an accident Hayworth runs off from the guilt. She returns to see her daughter and at first Wayne is concerned that the daughter should find out. As one might expect in the end Wayne Haworth and the girl become happy families but not after there is second fortunately unsuccessful attempt to burn the Circus down by the resentful friend of the dead man. The daughter becomes a aerialist much to horror of Wayne but is reconciled when she is shown to be as talented as her mother.