2449 Major concerns following slaughter on the streets of London

The sky is blue and yesterday Saturday May 25th 2013 I sat in the warmth, at times hot watching Durham fail to get sufficient runs quickly enough to then bowl out Middlesex. However my attention is not now focussed on Sport but the hacking to death, including decapitation of a soldier as he walked to or from his barracks in London.

There are some who may argue that this was is just one more death of a soldier and just as brutal as the use of a bomb, rocket explosion and just as devastating for his family, in this instance a wife and, parents, uncle, aunts etc, friends and services colleagues as all untimely at unexpected deaths which occur on a daily basis from acts of violence, accident and natural causes.

That it happened on the streets of London close to a primary school, overlooked by a tall block of flats and passers by and that the perpetrators encouraged and requested everyone present to photo and film their actions and waited for the police to arrived reveals the purpose of the action to shock, create division and reaction among the civilian population and exert pressure to change foreign and domestic policy in favour of a particular approach to religion, government and law which includes the use of extreme violence, the making of women into inferior citizens and the subjects of male will, together with the desire to effectively exterminate homosexuality and lesbianism as part of the creation of a single form of society which incorporate the beliefs of a particular religion into every aspect of that society and which refuses to allow let alone accept any other set of beliefs and behaviours.

On one hand when this threat becomes real to any and everyone living in the British Islands it is the duty of government together with all responsible criticism to band together to take appropriate action to resist those so intended and to action to first reduce and then eliminate the threat.

However the approach of the Government and principal political parties has to be proportionate and so far it has been exemplary, to condemning the action, expressing sympathy and solidarity with the family of the victim and proclaiming that the attack on one is an attack on all and that those responsible will be brought to justice.

In this instance the police disabled by shooting but without killing the perpetrators whose lives will now be turned inside out as the process by which they became brutal killers will be unravelled and in particular if the action was planned to occur on the day or was brought forward because of some event, the third reading of the Bill to enable homosexual and lesbian couples to marry under the British Law in the same as heterosexual couples being the most likely precipitating cause. While a comparatively few members of the English Defence League went on the street of Woolwich for media purposes and were contained by the police in riot gear and individual mosques have been the subject of paint daubing and widow breaking, the approach has so far proved effective. There have been other associated arrests and in time the full story will emerge. In this respect we the general public and to lesser extent Parliament must be patient.

Sections of the media, including some politicians however unintentional have appeared to oversimplify the issues. There is the notion that to be a fundamentalist, to be radical is something not only wrong but dangerous and threatening. The fundamental issue is regardless of what people believe and to some extent say, is what they do and say within he law or not. If it is not lawful then the government must take appropriate and proportionate action and if it is the public interest prosecute, seek conviction and if successful an appropriate punishment designed to prevent similar acts and prevent the individual doing further harm.

It has been revealed that at least one if not both the individuals were known to the security forces and there will be an appropriate investigation to establish if more should and could have been done to intervene with the two and this prevent the incident. The reality is that while the police will take note through filming and access to membership lists those who belong to “extreme” view organisations and attend their gatherings and protests a balance has to be achieved between the creation of a police state no different from that which would be imposed by those being monitored. In terms of use of direct surveillance.

In this instance, according to a close friend of one of those now in custody the individual change his personality, outlook and behaviour after a visit to an African Country where he was physically ill treated. The same friend also claimed that the man had been not just been under surveillance but had been approached to work for the security services. If so this is what I would expect the security services to do as part of their role and function.

Since the appearance of the friend additional information has come from a relative and statements on behalf of the Kenyan and British Governments. It transpires that the assassin in question had been apprehended by the Kenyan Government along a small group of others allegedly on is way to terrorist training in Somalia. He had been held in prison there and then is reported to have been handed over to British Security without a trial and where the issue is if he was officially deported or not. An expert from the country argued that the Kenyan government did not take action without guidance from key International anti terrorist governments.

The idea therefore that this individual was just on the radar for having attended a meeting/ carried a placard etc for a known pro Islamist/pro violence organisation is exploded as nonsense and suggests that friends of security services were getting a version out into the media before the inquiry which will report to the House of Parliament security committee. They will want to know the extent of the efforts to get the individual to work for the services and the extent of their contact and follow up monitoring. I would have dismissed talk of conspiracy out of hand until recently but given the background of the Hillsborough and Bloody Sunday cover ups, the still unexplained role of the Police in the August rioting now a couple of years back and the general public knowledge of the way the security services have worked over the years I retain a concern at the amazing coincide of this event occurring immediately after the Commons Vote on Homosexual and Lesbian marriage(I wish officialdom would officially drop their support for the term Gay what was that all about?) and when the Prime Minister was under the greatest fire from his backbenchers over his refusal to bring forward any vote and action re Britain and the European Community.

Having said all this I underline my belief that the event horrific as it is must be put in perspective and the response of everyone must be proportionate. The aspect which brings the majority into conflict and which require immediate and ongoing state intervention is the breaking of the law particularly the use of violence and the advocacy of the use of violence. This applies is every similar situation and where the Public Interest must remain a key issue in determining whether and what level to prosecute, and with a conviction the nature of the punishment, deterrent effect and reform action taken by the courts.

I have not allowed myself to be influenced by listening to the abridgment of the latest Le Carré novel A Delicate Truth, I hope to read this book in time and will leave a thorough examination until then but the book is of interest not because it is based on an illicit going wrong anti terrorist action which goes horribly wrong, set in Gibraltar, but because of the main issue which appears to be the purpose of his work. The argument is that the nature of the British Government/security service, together with any relationship with private security forces and the police is such in the UK and it is impossible for anyone working within the system to challenge the system even when as in the instance of this story not just an innocent woman and child are killed by mistake but there is at last one murder of a participant as part of the cover up as well as threatening reprisals on others within government service if they attempt to rock the boat.. The significance of this Le Carré work more than his others is that it appears based on his personal experience with the retired chief living in Cornwall as he has done for the past forty years and the eventual hero, making his way in the service who decides to reveal all to the media, does so in the knowledge that not just his career will end but he is likely to face a long period of imprisonment, and the books ends with the police arriving at the Internet cafe from which he is uploading the story and back up information.

On Monday night last I stayed up to watch an hour long Panorama which attempted to explain why it has taken a quarter of a century for the truth about the Hillsborough killings of 96 Liverpool football supporters to emerge. The programme brilliantly set the scene and interviewed some of the family members who relived through the horror of what happened, the anger and the disappointments as enquiries were set up and the truth buried. The programme then with due care and attention explained the extent of the police and official cover up, the evident conspiracy to do so and pointed to certain individuals who may well be the focus of the three inquiries which are in the process of taking place with the Inquest next year after the two police investigations are completed and with one of these dealing with the issue of conspiracy to cover up. The lesson of Hillsborough is we must mow take with a large hand of salt any official statement or official inquiry into any allegation of state cover up, unless the inquiry is genuinely independent whose members have the approval of the victims, their relatives and those who have the evidence of a cover up and the inquiry team are to have available to them all the information and records in the hands of the authorities.

The slaughter of the solder on the streets of Woolwich came as I said just when Prime Minister Cameron, away this week with his family on holiday on a Spanish Island, was facing his biggest challenge from within the ranks of his political party.

The main issue that of the UK’s continuing membership of the European Economic Community where by law there has to be referendum if there are any significant changes to the constitutional position involving the transfer of new powers from the UK Parliament to that of the Community and its Ministers. The development of the United Kingdom Independence Party which achieved 25% of those voting in the South Shields Parliamentary by-election as well as about the same percentage in the local authority elections in County Council in England has had the effect of pushing those who want to see Britain leave the Community except for a trading relationship into a more open aggressive mode attempting to force the Prime Minister to commence negotiations to change the position of the UK in advance of the 2015 election and before the Community has decided the direction it wants to take on financial and economic union as a potential precursor to political union and where such a change will require a new arrangement for the UK and other countries who would not want to travel in the same direction.

I have a lot of sympathy with Mr Cameron who clearly does not want to risk a no vote to Britain’s continuing membership as well as appreciating the enthusiasm with which Labour and the Lib Dems, plus UKIP are exploiting the great division in the Tory Party between those who want out and those who want to find a way to stay in. He and his loyal Cabinet members and supporters have attempted to deflect media and public attention away from the division by emphasising that they are the only major political party offering an in out referendum.

The reality is the pressure from the constituencies comes from those who dislike Cameron’s modernization of the party, in some ways evens stronger than the complaint of old Labour against Tony Blair plus the spectrum of racists with the simple anti foreigner of the traditional Tory to the out and out racism of the National Front, despite the tokenism.

The clinging to outdated prejudices intermixed with sincere religious beliefs about has been a feature of the opposition in Parliament to Same Sex Marriage legislation which reached the third stage reading session in the House of Commons just before the half term recess. Listening to those proposing amendments to the presently drafted legislation these two forces were clearly evident complicating what is intended to be a simple and straightforward change to ensure that those who enter into homosexual and lesbian relationships are treated with equality under the law. This is therefore not intended to impose or force a change of the position taken by churches. Faith led schools or by educationalists generally. The debated centred on the role of Registrars whose body has not pressed for any kind exemption to be placed in legislation because of conscientious objection.

Those raising the situation were being deliberately disingenuous. The whole, the entire function of a registrar is to conduct a civil marriage ceremony (as well as registering births and deaths) in accord with the stated law of the UK (as modified for the separate nations). There can be no discretion in this. As with holding any public office if the individual does not agree with the requirements of their role as modified by the state over time they can change their occupation to a post which does not pose such a conflict between beliefs, conscience and their professional or managerial duties. Why should such individuals be given any greater consideration that workers who find themselves unemployed because their employer goes out of business or makes redundancies with a view to increasing the profit to shareholders?

Given that the law will not come into effect until next year the registrars will not be faced with the same horrendous experience as the worker who arrives to work one day to be told there is no job on the morrow. One of the Members of Parliament for Newcastle, part of a catholic family with a homosexual brother with partner spoke with a care and a sensitivity about the genuine dilemma which individuals of strong religious and secular beliefs have about balancing their personal views with national democratically agreed positions.

It was worthwhile listening to the sophisticated arguments of the proposed wreckers of the Bill, and who although comprised a majority of members of the Tory Parliamentary Party in the House of Commons were defeated by two to one with the rejection of their amendments and in the vote which gave the Bill its Third reading in the House of Commons. Their ability to mount such sophisticated opposition, is the hallmark of our democracy and that they were defeated in such an overwhelming way demonstrates the healthiness of our democratic state, just as the response of the people of Woolwich during those fifteen to twenty minutes between the killing and the taking of control any the police and anti terrorist forces.

It is this context the pressure is being exerted on the Lib Dem part of the coalition to remove their objection to the request from the Security Services and Police be allowed to monitor all emails to see who people contact but not the content of their mails unless special permission is granted. Thus is not only intended to cover the monitoring of potential terrorists but known criminals, suspected paedophiles and members of “extreme” organisations and groups. However even though I suspect their motives and interests such a move should mean that the British circulated newspapers will get their way on their response to Leveson as otherwise the power of government would become weighed against the role of investigative journalism.

Another concern is the extent to which Murdoch and the right of centre British Press barons and their editors will support UKIP until they give in over their independence request.

Talking of Independence it was interesting to see that Gibraltar has been granted entry to the European Football body as a recognised separate state. More this in the piece on recent support which was my original intention.

2448 Durham win their first championship game against Surrey at the Oval in May 2013

And now for the cricket. I decided against visiting the Oval last season when Surrey returned to the first division of the County Championship, preferring to reacquaint myself with Lords first who like Surrey had languished in the lower division. This was a good choice but only in the sense that there was no play at Oval because of rain while the game at Lords was washed out on one day and severely affected on others resulting in Durham unable to press their advantage for a win.

Durham have never won a game at the Oval and I have experienced some humiliating losses in the past especially in those early years.

In1993 Durham lost at the Oval by a massive 195 runs and by an innings and 159 runs1995. And where I was present at both occasions. They also lost 1997 was by 9 wickets but in 1999 the loss was only by 2 runs. Until 2000 there was only one division so the games were played in alternate years home and away with Durham losing their first championship game at Durham City by 4 wickets in 1992 and then losing by a massive by 290 at Darlington in 1994 , followed by losses as Stockton by 8 wickets and by 1999 at the Riverside by 121 when both teams were in the same second Division. I witnessed most of the day’s play at those defeats as well.

Durham won their first game against Surrey in 2000 at the Riverside by 231 runs and then lost at the Oval by an innings and 68. Then was then no match until the 2008 season when Durham again lost at the Oval by 6 wickets with game at Durham drawn. Then was then no further championship matches against Surrey until 2012 when as mentioned the game at the Oval was washed out but they then ad the second and overwhelming win at the Emirates as the ground was now called by an innings and 38 runs. The absence of matches was caused by being in different divisions and the win at the Emirates makes he significant change in fortunes with Durham winning almost every game in 2009 to take the championship for the second year in succession.

Since my last visit to the Oval which I believe could be more than a decade ago the grounds has been developed three times. I did experienced the first development which involved the creation of new stands either side of the main pavilion. The Stand to the East of the Pavilion obscured the previous view of the Lord Tennyson school where masters, pupils and friends would assemble on the roof after school hours, at weekends, including test match days to obtain a fine view from across the main road. The stand on the western extension housed the professional cricketers association and on visiting appeared the same as previously experienced.

The second and latest transformation of the three has taken place covers the main pavilion and eastern east side extension stand which now have to be viewed as one unit. Previously there was a separate entrance to the extension stand and a large restaurant bar on the first floor. This has now been converted into players dressing rooms and other facilities with the entrance marked for players and officials. My impression is that this also provides the facilities for the Test and County Cricket Board when they are in residence in relation to International fixtures. It is possible to view the game from the seating below the player’s accommodation by access is only by walking from the end of the stand and ground level and walking upwards. It is also the reorganised east stand that what is described as a convenience store has opened but if charging £2,70 for a Feast Ice Cream is anything to go by it is unlikely to do much business.

I cannot remember having visited every part of the main pavilion before and therefore can only describe what I found together with what I gather are the main changes or developments arising from the reorganisation. There appears be no changes to the three levels of spectator seating which I shall come to as I progress from ground level upwards. There are two entrance at ground level with what appears the new main entrance and rather a curious affairs as one is confronted with an inner wall and the reception in one corner with a couple of comfortable seats in the other. There is access to male and female toilets and a machine offering a choice of plain water or iced water. I appreciated this provision at Lords last year. There is also the lift.

One can only access the first level of spectator seating from the first floor level and the second entrance at the side of the pavilion leads to the staircase where the choice is go directly to the seating behind the wicket of to what is described as the President’s tea lounge, a cafe serving tea coffee and cakes and biscuits from which there are three tables providing viewing depending on the location of the sight screens and TV. It is called president’s Tea room because in the corridor is the record of all those who have become club Presidents, including most of its most famous players

There is also the long room which is similar to that at Lords but without a central door. The tables are at right angles to the window with two large Television and a splendid array of original paintings of famous Surrey players. There is also a selection of daily papers to read. With the wicket central to the ground the sight screens obscured the view from the greater part of the Long Room for the County game. Behind the Long Room there is a bar, technically two bars at either end of the room and for here there is also access to the veranda at the front of the Pavilion with steps leading down.

The second level leads to the second area of spectator viewing over the bowler’s arm and there is a gents toilet by the corridor leading to west side of the seating. There is also a room similar to that of the Tea Lounge which can be hired for hospitality as it was on the Saturday of my visit.

On the third level there is the new roast carvery restaurant at £12.50 a helping and with tables alongside the large window area enabling customers to go for an early lunch and continue to watch the play if they wish. On the fourth floor there is the cafe offering the dish of the day and a Surrey stuffed Yorkshire, a Yorkshire pudding filled with veg an I assume a meat or chicken, The size of the Yorkshire limits the extent of the filling and at £7.20 I considered not good value for the portion size. A bacon roll and coffee is available in the morning for £4.50 and a Cream scone Tea for a similar price in the afternoons along with a selection of pastries. I restricted my purchases to coffee and in one instance a diet coke from the bar which is also in the room. There is a TV on which one can watch the play. You can reach the third level of spectator seating from this level on from the fifth and top fop floor where there is also a bar which I did not explore.

Opposite the main pavilion and associated stands is the impressive new Surrey stand with its cantilever style arched roof which extends down to above the general spectator searing areas. It is the upper levels of seating, debenture seating, hospitality boxes and other hospitality seating which provoked comment on international days because spectators tend to linger over their arrival coffee and bacon rolls, their lunch and their tea to get their money worth and make presentations to their customers. There are various levels of hospitality including at roof level. The boxes seat 24 and table groups are encouraged other levels for the “chaps” to sit together, The Oval makes its money this way.

Because the stand has depth their is a vast area of covered space underneath for access to public spectator facilities and for this end of ground view on county match days and offering cover from the rain. Interestingly the outside reveals an unattractive metal construction which is hidden by a large trestle screen on which has now grown greenery.

By the main entrance there was a large mobile food outlet offering fish and chips and scampi and chips at around £7.20 or a carton of chips for £3, £2 at the Riverside. There was also another mobile offering Indian food with a curry at £8. Throughout the County game commencing with the one day 40 overs a side match Surrey were hosting a so called real ale festival offering a selection of 50 beers. This was house in an open sided covered area which also proved useful as a place to eat the two portions of chips purchased. For wanting the beer there was a separate stall desk where tokens and a glass were provided at £3.50 a pint and £5 although I was not sure if this was a special offer for 2 pints or a special strength brew. It appeared to have a steady trade throughout the day as well during the lunch and tea intervals, breaks in play because of rain and at the end of the day.

So to the cricket. The weather forecast was not good for the Thursday later afternoon 40 over game which Durham were anxious to win after their home defeat against Essex on Sunday, although some of the damage was repaired by a good win on the Monday against Lancs at Old Trafford, Lancs could only make 216 for their overs while Durham with Mustard 91, Stoneman 32 and Collingwood 38 made this score with 5 overs and 1 ball plus 5 wickets.

I arrived at the Oval in good time for the game shocked at having to pay £20 and not the £15 on line but too late to get a comfortable seat in the Pavilion Long Room and with the pitch to the left it was possible to view all the game from behind glass. Depositing the bag I went on an explore of the Pavilion and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the cafe bar on the fourth floor not having discovered the President‘s Tea lounge..

The announcer set the scene by warning of persistent rain forecast for later in the day. Durham won the toss and elected to bowl in the hope that they would get sufficient overs in before the rain came to win the game on the Duckworth Lewis system for calculating the result in rain disrupted matches. Although the first wicket was taken at 17 James Roy, in particular was scoring runs at nearly ten an over and ended the innings with 117. However the rest of his team found run getting difficult and although a score approach 300 appeared possible at least to the pair behind me some good bowling from Stokes 28 runs from his 6 overs and 2 wickets and Paul Collingwood 2 for 32 from his 6 resulted in keeping the score down to 216 all out in 37 overs. However there was wet in the cold wind which although fast blowing, brought a long spell of rain and although some of us lingered until just before 9 the game was called off at that point and Durham had to be content with a no result, or as I suspect, discontented with the 1 point which leaves them out of contention of a semi final place unless they can produce an amazing display at the likely league winners Hampshire who they play this Sunday. The thing I remember most about this game is the cold.

I did encounter one Surrey man in conversation with a visitor from Durham who said he was born in Durham in a mining village and I resisted the temptation to comment that I was a Surrey man now forty years in the geographic County of Durham, now Tyne and Wear. There was an interesting conversation going behind me where I imparted the info that tickets were still available for the Ashes game and that book two months in advance and cheap train tickets were available. I break off and book a £15 ticket homeward journey for my next trip to Lords in August and where Middlesex is the next team to visit Durham with the match commencing on Wednesday of next week.

I made sure I was in plenty of time for opening day of the championship game on the Friday morning and finding that the wicket was central made my way to second level to experience the first morning looking over the bowlers’ arm, a treat which it is not possible to do at Durham.

I quickly learned that the wicket had been used the previous home 40 over game and was not only slow but took spoon. Fir this reason it appeared that Durham were giving an opportunity to a youngster who had only played Academy and Second ll matches, 19 year old Ryan Buckley from Darlington. For the greater part of the innings he bowled economically and just under three runs and over and took two wickets in the middle order when both players Solanki 38 and Zander de Bruyn 57 looked as if they were coping with the difficult batting conditions. It was Callum Thorp who did the damage early on with Burns out for 1 and Roy after his century out for 17. Harinath had also looked settled in going as the fifth wicket down with the total had reached 221.

What happened next is difficult to explain as Borthwick bowled a full toss which bowled Davies who was also well set with 52. Borthwick also had Batty out for 0 and Buckley then had three wicket with two of them caught by Borthwick and the side was all out for 237. Buckley had 5 for 86 in his first championship game and led the team off the field.

However the way the pitch was playing indicated that Durham would have just as difficult a time batting. There was a surprisingly good start to the Durham innings with a stand of 66 between Stoneman who went on to make 77 and new opener Smith who went for 27. The score was significantly boosted by Benkenstein with 74 and Stokes and Mustard added another 50 between them so that Durham was able to reach 287 and a lead of 50 with Buckley holding the innings over night as three wickets had fallen as the day was ending when the total was 267. The day was rain interrupted and I left early afternoon assuming there would be no more play and intending going to the pictures but having to return to Croydon in order to collect the cinema voucher which I had forgotten.

On arrival back tired I had a rest and then a freshen up before checking on the state of play and finding that play was to recommence made a hurried return although this time the journey took close to an hour instead of the 40 minutes earlier in the day. I returned for the last 45 minutes of play. Because of the use of spin bowlers the over rate was exceptional throughout the match which meant there was no need for play continue once the 96 over were completed on the day.

The following morning I decided to relax and listened on the laptop to the commentary between 11 and close of the Durham innings when hungry I decided to go for an early lunch and on to the cinema for the early showing of the film. Returning after a quick shop around 4 pm which meant that I was able to listen to the closing overs. According to the score card there had been a steady loss of wickets at 11, 37,86, and. 87 and 5 for 138 and 6 at 155. If Durham could remove the last four wickets before lunch on the last day and for less that 200 runs this would set a very gettable 150 runs or so to win. I went to bed full of expectation for a win.

The weather was scheduled to be good on the fourth and final day but the clouds were dark with a hint of moisture in the air as I arrived at the ground and took my seat in the second level over the bowlers arm. It did not rain although there was an unpleasant chilling wind. Surrey appeared to have no difficulty in scoring as the total quickly rose to 200. At that point I decided to move position in the hope that doing would bring the loss of wicket. This has never worked before in the way that it did because by the time I had gone down the stairs, to the toilet and then re-entered the stadium in just lower tier of the west end extension to the pavilion not one but two wickets had fallen and significantly the two good scoring players Batty Out for 27 and Wilson for 26.

I moved again not in any expectation of another wicket having worked out that given the direction of the wind the stand opposite the pavilion should provide full protection. This involved a much longer walk and joy of joys the 9 wicket fell before I found a place at 224 but I did see the final wicket with the total only 229, just two more runs the first innings and which meant that with their first innings lead Durham only needed to score 181 to win. Will Smith failed again, out when the score had reached only 7 but then Borthwick joined Stoneman and I was soon able to relax as they quietly scored in such as fashion that they reduced the number of runs required from 3 and over to two.

After lunch I decided to move to the west part of the stand opposite the Pavilion where I could sit both out of the wind and also in the sun however I found that the walk through under the stand had been closed off into two places and the entrances also shuttered off so I had to make my way to almost the last entry and then walk along rows between seats in order to get close to a position behind the bowlers arm sitting at the back adjacent to where there were four banks of three places for journalists with lap tops or cameras available. The Durham men continued adding a stand of 100 runs to 107 before Borthwick was out for 42 and afterwards rightly declared the man of the match because in addition this crucial innings and his 14 in the first innings with his 2 wickets for 22 from 9 in the first Surrey innings plus two important catches, he had taken 6 for 70 off 22 overs in the Surrey second innings and therefore 8 for 92 for the match.

His departure led to several moments of nerves as Stoneman went soon after for 67, Benkenstein for 6 and Collinwood for 9. It was left to Ben Stokes not out 35 with the Colonel, 6 so see Durham the winners by 5 wickets, and their first ever victory at the Oval in a championship game.

I was so pleased for Ben Stokes because towards the end off the first day afternoon session he had made an amazing catch reaching backwards to hold on to a powerfully hit shot over his head and falling backwards onto his back from which he appear initially unable to move. He was moved onto a stretcher and during the interval between innings I noted that an ambulance had been called. However it revealed the following morning that he had full recovered and although he had not been called onto bowl he was able to bat making 20 in the first innings and his 35 not out to win the game. It was an excellent all round team performance which with three wins out of 5 games took Durham well away from the relegation end of the table.

I had hoped that the rain of he past days would affect the dour championship games taking place this week but Middlesex who Durham play next at home have started to play well and won their game to take them to the top of table with 79 points for their 5 games followed by Yorkshire who without Root and Bairstow playing for England in the first Test against New Zealand at Lords also won taking their tally to 3 wins from 5 games and 76 points with Durham in third with their 3 wins from 5 games 70.5 points. Sussex and Notts have only 2 wins but from four games with 64 and 53 points and therefore with a win for their extra game they could also go above Durham in what promises to remain a competitive season. Warwickshire the champions last season also have 53 points but have played he extra game (6) leaving Somerset, Surrey and Derbyshire at the bottom with no wins from their 5 matches and 33. 33 and 21 points. Derbyshire is already looking doomed with only one drawn fame from their five played.

I will comment on the first Test and the amazing performance of Yorkshire’s Root this season so far separately.

2447 May 2013 visit to London food extravaganza

On my visit to Croydon and central London during the past week I eat well but too much and of the wrong foods. The consequence is that I added over a quarter of a stone having already moved closer to 16 and a quarter in the days immediately before the visit. Today I concentrated sorting and commencing the writing with no inclination to commence the exercise programme again after an uncomfortable waking during the night although I have maintained the high average of 8.3 hours with the Sleep Apnoea treatment machine having reached 8.4 with a total hours high over 251 for 30 days. I have not missed one day since September and this includes during two colds.

I commenced last Wednesday with porridge for breakfast followed by a coffee at the station (£1.80) and another on the train (£2.25) and eating small prepared home baked rolls with pâté and olives. I had some packet soup with the remaining roll in the evening and enjoyed an inexpensive bar of chocolate brought with me at 40 pence. I had a flask of cold water with me for the journey and purchased two cans of diet coke from Waitrose paying cash £1.18. £5.23 on the day.

I had a soup rather than coffee at the Travel Lodge for breakfast which sufficed until just after 12 when I sat down at the Water Margin Asian Buffet restaurant at the Millennium Dome 02 on the Thursday and which was offered their midday meal for £6 instead of the usual £8.80 and indeed 80 pence cheaper that the same level of fare at the local all day buffet here in South Shields which I am still to visit And have postponed until I get below that sixteen stone ceiling.

I purchased a large diet coke so that with tip the final account was £9.50 which was very reasonable given the delicious five plates of food I enjoyed over the next 90 minutes, I was the first inside, joined by a couple of mine own age and then two individuals on their own and then two men, one of whom wanted beer and gave up his spoon only after one small plate of food.

From the starters I took a couple of crab claw balls and then various kinds of chicken pieces adding a liberal portion of curry sauce. The was followed by two plates of beef dishes in various spicy concoctions and the sweets first a mixture of fresh and tinned fruits including pineapple, grapes, melon and peaches and then a bowl of ice cream with two scoops of chocolate and one of vanilla. In the evening I enjoyed a coffee £1.50 in the members cafe on the fourth floor and also a diet cola round £2 if not more and then a carton of chips from an outside concession at £3. I purchases a diet Coke 59p at Waitrose on return plus a pack of soft rolls reduce to 59p for the following day a total expenditure on the day £18 18.

I had one of the rolls with a packet soup for breakfast and coffee on arrival at the ground the following morning £1.50, enjoying the rolls for lunch and then purchased a Diet Coke(£.59) from a shop on my lunchtime walkabout, finding a convenience store at the end of a short row of shops and service providers and which included an attractive looking pub which had offered live jazz the previous evening. On the way back I purchased spicy chicken wings for the evening meal £2.99. More bread rolls £.67, some pâté at£1.59. A diet coke £.59 and a packet of two custard tarts(£.79), one eat that evening and the other the following morning. The bill at the Waitrose totalled £6.53 making a day expenditure £8.62.

I then had another soup with a plain roll breakfast on the Saturday and an early coffee followed by another in the President’s tea room in the afternoon when I looked at the match behind glass as it had turned bitter cold again and also read the free newspapers while keeping on Chelsea’s football match on Sky.( £3) Homeward there was a second purchase of Chicken wings. A can of diet coke and two cream scones which I wolfed and cost £5.96 in total. £8.96 in total.

I adopted a different approach on Sunday going to the Wetherspoons the George for a pub lunch after a soup for breakfast. I enjoyed their roast special which in my instance comprised a half chicken with a good plate of vegetables and a pint of Foster Lager for £6.99. For the evening after the pictures having returned early and able to visit Waitrose there was the third helping of chicken wings more custard slices and a can of diet coke total £ 4.97 and £11.86 for the day.

On Monday, the last day of the cricket and my visit as Durham proceeded to a win I celebrated with a coffee on arrival £1.50, a plate of chips for lunch £3 followed by one of the most expensive Feast Ice creams ever at £2.60 in the so called convenience store created from the old shop area in the ground. After depositing the shoulder rucksack at the Travel Lodge I went to Wetherspoons for a sausage and mash and a pint of Fosters, £7.84. From Waitrose there was a packet of Werthers originals having run out of night sweets for a dry mouth £ 1.25 and afters of two custards slices for £1.39 £17.58 on the day.

I had acquired a Metro voucher for a sausage and egg (with a slice of Cheese McMuffin for 99p which I enjoyed as breakfast the following morning on my way to East Croydon and then used the free coffee from having purchased six and attaching the stickers to the free coffee card. I called in at Waitrose for £3 smoked salmon sandwich for the journey and enjoyed a coffee on the train £2.25 total of £ 6.24 during the journey and back home there was a late visit to Morrisons for a pint of milk and some fresh veg £1.68. For the evening meal I enjoyed a large fish cake with a mixture of tinned beans, tomatoes and carrots, the second portion I used with a pork chop for lunch yesterday, followed by three small home baked rolls with cheese and pickle after a porridge for breakfast. I also purchased two Feast Ice Creams during the stay from the Travel Lodge £2 and a bottle of Pepsi £1.50. I had taken a total of three of inexpensive chocolate bars with me on the trip so the food crime list includes ice creams, chocolate, chips and cream cakes.

The cost of what was for me a food extravaganza comes to £81.85 what some pay an individual meal or the cost of a ticket to one of Ashes test at Durham this year excluding car parking. The total expenditure so far including travel (£82)and accommodation (£146) is therefore £209. 85, To this must be added £52 for my four visits to the Oval (£261.85 for the whole trip which works out at £50 or so per whole day there and only £37 for the seven days with the travelling days included.

Arriving around 4pm on the first day and the sun shining I went for a good walk into Croydon along the High Street to West Croydon station working out the quickest way to get there, especially if there was rain, as at that point I had in mind taking the Victoria station train calling at Balham for the Northern Line to thee Oval, the route I have taken many times when staying at the Clyde Road flat in Wallington. As previously explained it was only on the Friday I worked out that the best route and quickest was to take the non stop train from East Croydon to London Bridge and then take the Underground train to the Oval and back the same way. On the Wednesday evening I continued past the station along to where there is a row of international stores, restaurants and services as far as the Volunteer and public information and services new HQ building. I had intended a longer walk than was taken but coming tired I briefly sat in the shopping mall on the way back and then returned to the Travel Lodge after calling at Waitrose. I had noted that the all day Asian buffet restaurant opposite the George had closed down.

The underpass between platforms at East Croydon station are not only closed but it looks as if work has progressed on sealing the exits. The udnerpass has been replaced by an impressive above platform construction with the stairway between platforms open but the lifts yet to be completed. At present the construction ends with the far platforms but looks as if it could be continued in both directions to create new entrances/exits to the station. Apart from this development and some clearance I did not gain the impression that other work on the development site which is to comprise residential and shopping facilities plus a new theatre has commenced although notices on the hoardings suggested other wise.

Some of the regular street people were noted on my journeys to and from the station. There is an Asian lady I suspect from the Indian sub continent who sells the Big issue outside Waitrose. There is also a man with a shopping trolley overloaded with his possession which includes a broom and which suggests that he is living on the streets. I saw him twice on this visit, once outside Waitrose and at the junction between George Street and Wellesley Road. There was one man who looked in a poor condition and was approached by someone who I cannot work out is a social worker or street life organiser and who I have previously seen talking to the street people. Not seen was the man or the woman who sometimes beg here, usually with a skinny dog to hand. There is also a group of alcoholics who have encountered in doorways close to Surrey street and this time they were noted close to the entrance of the Travel Lodge.

Another regular feature of my visit to the capital is the check on property prices where a reasonably sized family home nothings special was priced at three quarters of million in Croydon and closer to one million advertised by an agency viewed on the Oval walkabout. Next the Oval and the cricket.

2446 Journey to and around London May 2013 plus work programme

I am home after a very enjoyable and successful visit to London primarily to watch Durham play Surrey at the Kennington Oval although I have put on half a stone, the lap top went on the blink so I was not able to use on the homeward journey and I am now having difficulties getting on screen what I managed to wrote during the outward journey and during the visit. I have therefore decided to redo using the hand written notes made on the journey home and adopt a different approach to that originally planned.

I will devote his first piece to an over view of the trip and its background as well as covering the others writings and activities which will command my attention over the rest of the month.

I am still debating whether to write about aspects of my experience in the three weeks before the trip delivering leaflet for the successful Labour Candidate in the Parliamentary election caused by the resignation of the former candidate for the leadership of the Labour party and where his brother Ed was successful and has more than a good chance of becoming the next British Prime Minister. UKIP who did worrying well in the by election are planning to fight most if not all local Council seats in may as well as the two by-election one in Cleadon a former Tory stronghold and in Jarrow follow the success of Emma Lewell Buck. The rise of this political party is having a major impact on the Tory party will about a hundred back bench and government members fearing for their parliamentary futures and planning some form of arrangement/ appeasement which Nigel Farage is too smart an operator to buy when he can have the whole game by letting the public have their say in 2015.

I am also debating whether to follow up and what way my recent experience as an Assessor or the new Patient Led Assessments of Health facilities providing more than the residential beds.

Outstanding from before Christmas is the writing up of the rest of the James Bond Films where I watched all the films in sequence as I also did the Harry Potter films. I also will read the last of Harry Potter books having also read and written about the first and its subsequent film. I have watched three films in Theatre over the past three weeks, The sad portrayal of Paul Raymond, his daughter and other members of his family, the successful British pornographer and entrepreneur who became one the richest individuals in the UK, primarily through his purchasing of property in Soho.

The film, the Look of Love confused one elderly couple who quickly exited to the screen showing Love is all you Need, an excellent romantic film set in Denmark and Italy starring Pierce Brosnan. During my London trip I also experienced the latest Pedro Almodovar. I am so excited which I found disappointing. I have recorded Prometheus on HD to view and tomorrow I go to a Cineworld relay of the story of the Coalition government of the 1970’s in a live HD theatre relay This House. I still have to write up my experience of the operas Rigoletto and Eugene Onegin. I must check out the programme Live events showing this summer in Cineworld and Odeon Theatres.

I have finished reading the first volume of A Storm of Swords which is part of the epic Fire and Ice series of novels by George R R Martin and which is the basis of the third series of A Game of Thrones, the title of the first volume but which has been retained by Sky Atlantic channel and which is now being made in Northern Ireland. I have so much to read especially the life of George Orwell, although I am also inclined to read another of the novels in the Montalbano detective series now that in theory summer is here and I long for warm sun.

There is so much television to report with the final two episodes of Endeavour, the new series about young Morse, together with the last episodes of the Political series about a coalition in Denmark Borgen although I may well use a voucher to order the first two series later to day. The short BBC series The Politicians Wife was disappointing. I have also enjoyed some of the episodes the 10^th series of NCIS, as I have of series three of Blue Bloods coming to an end after 20 episodes as I suspect is the first series of Vegas. The third series of Treme, life in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina feels stretched although continues to be a must see because of the Jazz content while the surprise is the Arts channel drama Da Vinci’s Demons, with the Borgias third season on its way with something of an overlap between the two. While as with Game of Thrones there is full frontal nudity and graphic violence this is nothing compared to the comic book porn nudity and violence of the third and final series of Sparticus,

The main purpose of my second London visit of the year was cricket and against all expectations Durham is having a successful year in the Championship where all the commentators are said to have predicted the side to struggle because of the financial difficulties have prevented strengthening the squad which has seen the retirements of Di Venuto and Blackwell, the semi retirement of Steve Harmison, in his benefit year, and the departure of to Yorkshire. More on the club and recent events as part of this series of writings.

Alongside the fortunes of Durham Cricket and my return to the Oval cricket ground which I visited to watch the last innings of Sir Donald Bradman in England in the fifth test in 1948 when I was nine years of age, Newcastle and Sunderland have come close to relegation from the Premiership. I watched Newcastle on screen in the city before departing on the trip and listened to the second half of their vital 2.1 win at Queens Park rangers while away. I watched Sunderland on Screen on Monday gain their 1.1 draw and on Sunday kept up with the teleprinter and second half match reports after returning from the film. On Friday I had been tempted to try and get a ticket for the 0.0 home play off tie between Crystal Palace and Brighton on while on Monday I listened to the 5 live broadcast of the successful 2.0 away win having decided not to stay and watch on the big screen after my sausage and mash evening meal after returning from the cricket. The main football event has been the retirement of Alex Ferguson after 21 years in charge of Manchester United and his replacement by the also long swerving manager of Everton, David Moyes. It was good to see Harry Rednap relegated with the much spending QPR and Mancini at Man City was sacked after his club failed to win a trophy this season after all their spending, losing to Wigan in the Cup Final some of which I watched at the cricket on Saturday although I left for the Travel Lodge before their last minutes winning goal. Chelsea is also to have a new manager but Arsene Wenger looks as if he will survive despite not winning anything again and again and again. Liverpool also failed to prove they are likely to challenge for Europe let alone the Premiership.

I have got my tickets for the European Athletics on June 22^nd and 23^rd and yesterday the information arrived about tickets for the Commonwealth games, I have booked up to go to Lords in August and have a cheap train ticket for the outward journey. Books for cheap tickets for the return home have not opened, I am going for an overnight to Scarborough when Durham play Yorkshire and there are the men’s and women’s 20 20 games against Australia but so far I have resisted one of the £80 tickets for the Ashes test at the Emirates. I am going to the Midlands in July for two 20 20 Durham games depending on the progress they have made and to Brighton for part of the game against Surrey. The Tests begin to TV also tomorrow.

However I will set aside writing about all these matters until I have completed reporting my experience of a second visit to the Capital centring on the Oval I will begin with all the travelling undertaken. I set off an hour earlier than necessary last Wednesday as the forecast suggest rain during the day, noting the part installation of ticket barriers at one end of the station in South Shields. I was able to use by Metro annual ticket which I will need to renew shortly after returning home.

At Newcastle I purchased a coffee and then moved to the passenger waiting area as the ordinary chairs and tables have been replaced by high stool type chairs. Noting that was reading the first volume of A Storm of swords and middle aged woman enquired about the similarity to the book and the TV series and I was able to advised the productions were broadly faithful apart from sequences changing and some embroidering of the text for visual and dramatic effects. The woman had been walking in the Lake District and was return to York, or at least York station for continuation to her home.

I entered the train from Aberdeen at the wrong end of the coach depositing my case in a doorway and then had to wait to get to my seat as a woman without a seat reservation was occupying the place of man who bordered and claiming his rightful booking. She took her time before moving while someone behind me pressed to move so I explained the position which was embarrassing as the woman took another unoccupied seat opposite mine. She moved to another seat when the opportunity arose while another large man with a huge lap top took the seat vacated by the lady sitting at the window next to me. Fortunately he moved on later to another compartment where in fact there was much more room as I discovered when I moved to claim my case as we arrived at Kings Cross.

Although the journey was not ideal it was enlivened by a young Asian woman part of a couple who got on the train also at Newcastle and departed at York. She wore a plunging cleavage with no bra. Even without this entertainment I cannot complain as the journey had cost only £15 plus postage. It was still dry as I cross between stations to St Pancras and seeing that the train south to East Croydon and Brighton was due in a couple of minutes I gambled that I and sufficient on my Oyster card to get me there. Before leaving Kings Cross I had noted that the former entrance to the station has been demolished but I am yet to find what is planned for the now vacant area.

I had telephone the previous day for a digital TV and was pleased to have one allocated in my room on the 9^th floor overlooking the Surrey hills. One bonus in addition to be able to attach the lap top is all the digital l station not requiring a subscription were available. From the outset I had problems logging on to my email which I discovered on returning home was due to having not only left the computer on but was logged on to my email so the system reacted at someone trying to log on from another part of the country. I had to change my email password to resolve a problem with last a couple of days

The following day the cricket was not scheduled to commence until 3.45 for an afternoon evening game under floodlights so I left early morning, loading the Oyster card with £20 travel and taking a Victoria Station train after the 9.30 operation. The off peak charge is £8.90 for all 6 zones. From Victoria I took the line of the same name to Green Park and then the underground walk to the Piccadilly line alighting at Leicester Square. My objective was view the changes made to the Square Gardens which were boarded up when I visited approximately a year before for the Lords Cricket match.

My first reaction was one of disappointment for at a glance the gardens looked the same and indeed the statue at the centre was boarded up. In fact the work was completed in May last year before the Olympic Games and the renovation work on Shakespeare’s statue may have become even more urgent since the installation of fountains around it. Close examination did reveal that the marble looking granite has created seating around the entire perimeter with compact low level hedging (at present before the new railings which enable trio grassland area to be locked at night to prevent its use by the homeless and thee drug addicts. There is new upward lighting into the trees to add to the security at night. Given an expenditure of £6.5 million I question the value for money,

My next objective was to new the progress for the new Underground station at Tottenham Court Road where I sometimes arranged to meet friends during my first years of working in the capital. I walked the distance passing Cambridge Circus and noting that not one but both Asian buffet restaurants were changed, one to Spanish Tapas and the other to a price per dish restaurant. At the junction between Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road the huge cleared space is still boarded with no indication of work above ground commencing and the scheduled completion 2016 for the new station and 2018 when Cross rail opens.

In order to reach the existing northern Line I had to go around the infamous Centre Point Tower. Services on the Central line continue. The new multifunction station in a addition to catering for the £1 billion central Cross Rail 1 line it is the only interchange between the Cross rail and that now proposed second cross rail line from the South west London and Surrey through to the North East of the capital with consultation about the routes now open to the public and a new station centring on either St Pancras/ Kings Cross or Euston or perhaps even a combined platform to all three stations.

I had decided that the best way to get to North Greenwich for the 02 arena was to take the central line to its end at Stratford and from there take the commencing Jubilee line to North Greenwich. I arrived an hour earlier than originally planned and went to look at the Emirates Cable car across the river to the Excel Stadium site. A round trip using the Oyster card is £6.60 and I was tempted except that the stiff wind with promise of gale force wings suggested that I leave for another day. This was wise as I later learned the service had been halted because of the high wind force level. After my lunch, separately reported, I took the Jubilee line to London Bridge and from there the Northern line south to the Oval.

After the game I made a mistake in terms of the selected route and took the northern line to Balham and from there a train to Clapham junction and then a train to east Croydon. For the first day of the Championship game on the Friday I took the Train from East Croydon to London Bridge (a Brighton to Bedford Train) and then the Northern Line underground back South to the Oval and although I allowed an hour for the door to door journey on the Saturday a morning it was achieved in just 45 minutes and I had to wait for the Gates to the Cricket ground to be opened. On both days I returned by the same route although on the Saturday I did the journey twice return to the Travel Lodge when it looked that rain was ending play for the day with a view to going to the cinema but then finding that play had recommenced I returned to watch the last hour of play.

On Sunday I decided to have a quieter day travelling via Victoria Station and Green Park to Piccadilly after an early lunch for the Cineworld Haymarket and returning immediately afterwards by the same route. On Sunday I added another £20 to the Oyster card. On Monday I used a separate direct train to London Bridge and when the game had ended I could not see a Brighton train on platform 5 and sued the main station for a different South Coast line without a stop before East Croydon. Waiting for the Brighton line train on previous evening I noted the number of trains to Charing Cross which arrive at both platforms. As at East Croydon I noted with some concern that the platform is used for trains going in both direction Platform 2 at East Croydon being used by the cross Thames line going to Bedford as well as Brighton.

On Tuesday morning the threat of rain meant that I elected to leave early adding £10 to the Oyster card after first called in McDonalds for breakfast and Waitrose for a sandwich for lunch. I therefore arrived at Kings cross shortly after nine paying the full early morning fare which knocked a great hole in the balance on the card. I purchased some pens ten for £3.99 at Smiths and found a good seat overlooking the departures board on the first floor balcony. Just before 10.30 I made my way to the front of platforms and before I had worked out the most likely train as the 10.30 to Newcastle pulled out the announcer said we were free to board the 11am to Glasgow. I entered the first compartment where it looked I might find an unreserved table, leaving my luggage in the empty rack and hoped that I would be left in peace at the window seat of a table for four. Alas I was joined by the business director of a company and by a young woman who I strongly suspected was his mistress. They did not look in my direction once and he paraded his business while she showed one side of one of his documents marked confidential as if to impress. I ignored them writing and listening to the radio,

In the adjacent table a young women was also busy with lap top and papers on her way to Darlington announcing when questioned by the older man who joined her that she was in HR (human resources all aspects). The older man spent most of the time boasting of his travels around the world having filled three passports and was allegedly some kind of management consultant who has been attempting advise Newcastle Council on management and its priorities. I was not impressed by him either and turned up the volume feeling sorry for the young woman but who appeared able to hold her own. The journey on the Metro was uneventful with a seat close to my luggage and I was back home just before 16,00. My travel costs for the seven days (6 nights) was £82 with the journey to London from South Shields only £32.

The accommodation booked in one go was £146 £24 a night plus £2 credit card charge. The days of the cheaper accommodation appear to be over with £21 the latest advertised concessions!!!!

Next I turn to sleep, food, weight and exercise, then the Oval experiences and then the cinema and other sports. First however more TV catch up and some shopping.