New vision Croydon and experience update

To celebrate what I hoped would be successful procedures to remove cataracts from both my eyes, five months ago, I planned a weekend visit to Croydon, the town of my birth my birth in 1939 over the first weekend of October 2018. The weekend lived up to my expectation because it was as if I was seeing everything for the first time in vivid colourful clarity.  There were two exceptions, one of which reminded of the continuing British failure to help and protect the most vulnerable of citizens. We are one of the top successful economies in the world which should be able to prevent poverty at home and contribute help to those in other lands. Yet I found more people sleeping out on the streets of central London than ever before. Shame on all of us and our government especially.

My second full day proved something of a washout as the forecast light rain became a heavy down power and despite a coat with a hood and an umbrella I was drenched, and this also underlined the impact of the weather and the coming winter on those out in the cold in the streets.

My sense of not doing enough and a need to refocus on priorities developed over the weekend and was reinforced when reading the transcript of the first four days of the National Child Abuse Inquiring hearings on Nottinghamshire and its separate City Council local authority. I have expressed reservations that the Inquiry has been deliberately limited to one form of sexual abuse and where other forms not being investigated at the same level have caused life-long disabilities and injustice. The Inquiry is rightly focused and centred on what happened to victims and the Truth project remains for many the most important aspect. However, for some campaigners and survivors there is also the issue of the extent to which institutions failed and of deliberate, wilful cover up and protectionism and for this reason there has been as much attention given to the role of the Catholic and Protestant Churches as there is being given to government and local authorities.  The negligence of the non-state child care organisations is also under scrutiny. The government chickened out of tackling the role of the British state by restricting the inquiry to England and Wales, and not giving terms of reference which enabled one chairperson and panel to also examine the issue of a national cover up, including Northern Ireland, Scotland and the overseas territories. That relevant information from the separate enquiries is being passed to those of charge of the England and Wales enquiry is a positive step but leaves government open to the accusation of something to hide which should not.

I continue to remind of what Norman Tebbit said on the Andrew Marr show the day before Teresa May unexpectedly, including to some members of the Cabinet, accepted the cross party call for a national inquiry before the police had completed their enquiries and which arose from the 2012 PMQ, the present deputy leader of the Labour Party, Tom Watson, had asked the former Prime Minister David Cameron and where both a decade before had served on the Chris Mullin, Sunderland constituency Member of the House of Commons led Home office Select Committee which wanted to stop police investigations and bring to an end civil compensation in cases where there was no successful criminal  prosecution, a situation  which was then current involving Sunderland Council. Tebbit admitted the establishment cover up with disastrous consequences. The cover up was not a conspiracy between individuals and institutions but reflected the way things were done at the time, but I believe with some glaring exceptions which the National Inquiry Team may establish. However, the main cry which continues to come from victim survivors is to prevent others having similar experiences to their own, and this I have always suspected is an impossible to achieve objective given the nature of human DNA.

Also overshadowing my weekend experience was the grim international news item from global experts that without a renewed sense of direction and governmental action the likely planetary warming of 3% spells the end of human and other life as it is presently known on the planet within the present century, and therefore within the potential life time of my children, and their children.

The disaster ahead was reinforced by the latest investigation Stacey Dooley whose work has been upgraded from BBC TV Channel to Channel One, perhaps because she is also appearing on BBC Strictly Come Dancing.  Ms Dooley alongside Simon Reeve are unique because they have street credibility, expose their themselves to great danger and also expose the reality of themselves. On Tuesday after returning home I had a front seat as Simon Reeve spoke for two- and three-quarter hours to a three-level packed audience in the main auditorium of the Sage complex on the south bank of the River Tyne, Gateshead. The subject of Stacey’s programme was the impact of the development of consumer fashion where lead retailers are bringing out  a new collection every month using low  production enterprises in low economy countries exploited workers and  perhaps more significantly helping to destroy the planet by posing the second greatest threat to that from oil, The programme feature the destruction of an inland sea from the growth of cotton and the use of water in its manufacture, and the pollution of a great river from the poisonous waste which threatened the lives and health of millions.

I also highlighted the out in the cold at the commencement of writing mentioned those out in the cold this Winter as reference to one of Richard Burton’s great roles as a Le Carré’s Spy and who decides not to come in from the complex cold war interaction between British and Soviet intelligence at the height of the Berlin Wall division of Germany.  I did so because of an article tucked away on the inside page of the Times Newspaper, provided free in the first-class lounge of Newcastle Station after several pages on the latest public disclosure about the two men who set out to execute a Russian traitor, endangering the life of his daughter and then ending the life of a British woman unintentionally.

There is no doubt that Russia under Putin is turning up the rachet of traditional and the latest intelligence gathering and disruptive actions ever since the traitor Edward Snowden went there having handed to third parties a vast quantity of state secrets in data form. It is right that the British Government takes appropriate action to defend the state and its people, and I have previously declared that I sleep well at night knowing successive governments have, and are doing, what is necessary. While I agree with those geopolitical and military experts that the renewal of Trident was wasteful unnecessary, I have also sided with those who explain that Britain must keep to the forefront of research on nuclear, chemical and biological warfare developments, to find ways to defend itself and this today also includes digital warfare

The surprise of the Times article was what appears to be an uncontested admission before the statutory inquiry on Undercover Policing set up Teresa May at the same time she converted the non-statutory child abuse inquiry for England and Wales, that ever since the Thatcher government British homeland as well as external security and intelligence has felt able to break the law in the National Interest.  The article also appeared to confirm my understanding that each new Prime Minister gets a briefing of things which their predecessors did which they may wish to consider appropriate to change. The articled claimed that David Cameron decided to require a Judge to sanction new illegal activity which our homeland services previously self-determined, but not to make the development public, although obviously Home Secretary Teresa May would have also known.  Mrs May is said to have changed this aspect on taking office in 2015, hence the raising of the practice by interested parties.

On the train journey South, I also drafted a response to the final newsletter on the latest meeting of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party by Ann Black, the constituency secretary of Oxford City which she has made available to individual members as well as to constituency parties. She was not successful in the recent ballot despite the increase in the number of members representing individuals to reflect the increasing membership which is greater than all the other political parties in Britain together, also the largest political Party membership in Europe, where everywhere else in Europe on the Left is on retreat against the rise of fascism. The reason why Ann was unsuccessful was because of the emergence of an alleged pro Corbyn slate, I say alleged because it is likely that some are more aligned to their own political outlook than the principled politics of Mr Corbyn which is hated by many on the far left as strongly by those in the blue centre and blue right.

I can say this from some of the chats I have had with those attending the annual Durham Miners gala rather than direct contact or knowledge of those who have been successful, so apologies if I am wrong about them individually and collectively.

I hope one of them will follow Ann and provide a balanced and appropriate account of the main issues discussed at future NEC meetings for the likes of people like me who because of age, health, disability, family and other commitments can no longer be as active as we would wish. The balance between the power of the individual members of constituencies and the constituencies collectively, and on a regional and sub regional basis, the Parliamentary Party, the Trade Unions, and affiliate organisations was the subject of rule changes given greater scrutiny and voting at the Party conference.  

From the comfort of the sitting room screen I noted that conference participation by a more diverse, and a much bigger range of speakers were able to have their say in the umbrella subject debates alongside contributions from shadow cabinet members who all appeared speaking from one overall Party text. Surprisingly, the loudest cheers for someone other than Mr Corbyn was given to Labour’s Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, and who had  led a meeting of 100 Brexit interests within the Party until midnight one evening to achieve an approach around which almost everyone within the Party could unite and which offers rather than throws a gauntlet to Mrs May but which she is unlikely to accept.

The exciting and moving aspect of this year’s conference is that some 250 individuals or more were able to speak, the overwhelming majority attending conference for the first time, and weighted balance of young people, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and psychological balance. However, the danger is that the enthusiasm will be lost when the reality of the machinations by Mrs May to achieve a Brexit which will enable her to stay in power unfold and where the first move is to announce that austerity will end with the next budget. Her attempt to attract the youth vote and the vast army of betrayed public sector workers and public service users was the subject of Jeremy Corbyn’s first PMQs after the conference recess and the way the parliamentary Conservative Party is organising these events confirms my concern that she will achieve sufficient of settlement with Europe which will enable a majority Parliamentary vote, sustain her in office to avoid a general election by which time will also hope to  achieve the unlikely situation if leading her party into the next General Election after a full term parliament and in the hope  that she will not have to battle a Corbyn led Labour party. I hope I am quickly proved a pessimist.

My first experience of the LNER new regime which has replaced Virgin on the Eastcoast line was not a good one as the coffee machine was out of order (yet again) and we had to make coffee with instant and luke warm water. However, staff, still wearing part Virgin clothing more than made up for the start with exceptional general food and drinks service throughout the journey to Kings Cross.

It is extraordinary that in Croydon and observed on trains in and out of central London the pace of putting up new tower blocks of offices and apartments appears to be growing. In Croydon there are several tall cranes at work and existing office blocks being modernised for contemporary and future use, while there are also several large units empty and decaying. I was disappointed to find that the developments around Tottenham Court Road station arising from the Elizabeth line are still to get off the ground, literally as there are still large areas to be developed. There was a similar situation by St James Park station and the site of former offices of the Metropolitan Police.

My Sunday walk between watching the latest Johnny English film and A Simple Favour took me from Tottenham Court Station through Soho Square into Dean Street where I discovered that my belief that Ann Haldane has been murdered  a short distance from the former home of Karl Marx was wrong as the blue plaque is for Sir Joseph Rogers across  Dean Street  from the former Royalty Theatre and with The Crown and  two Chairman on the other side of Bateman Street. Karl Marx lived just a few doors away though!

My Saturday was a washout after a good early morning traditional English breakfast and two cups of white coffee at the George (Wetherspoons) before the scheduled light rain commenced. I had planned to watch an afternoon showing of A Simple Favour at the Vue cinema in the Valley Park Shopping and Leisure centre taking the Metro to Therpia Way one stop before where Ann Haldane had lived for with her parents just off Beddington Lane. Looking out around midday I saw the sky overcast and light rain falling so I decided to make an early start with the plan to visit the shopping centre across from the Jury Inn at the other end of Landsdown Road where the Premier Inn is situated and  eat a sandwich meal deal from Boots or Sainsburys and where the plan was then an Bella Italia meal after the film, using my Cineworld 25% discount. Despite the good breakfast I changed my mind and decided on a lunch time cooked meal after a good look around the shopping centre only to discoverer torrential rain falling when I went to exit.

 I returned for a good look the new Alders development of a Village low cost outlet containing most features of a departmental store in terms of the good available on both side of the arcade between the High Street and the George Street Tram stop. When the outlet village development opened by the same people as Bicester Outlet village in Oxfordshire with a five-year deal in 2013 the hopes were to employ over 500 full and part time staff, about half the number which used to be employed by Alders in its heyday. On Saturday the huge shopping area appeared to employ less than a score and there were few customers for the impressive huge stocks and where the owners hope for several million customers a year. I waited under cover for the first two scheduled trams, but the rain was so hard and tram so crowded that I retreated making my way back into the Whitgift then to the under pass to get back across the road, and even with my hooded coat and umbrella I was drenched through on reaching the hotel and room

Around 4pm I was hungry and as it looked as the rain has eased, I made  my way back into the Whitgift centre and back through the arcade into George Street for a beef burger, chips and a pint of Fosters at the George which I enjoyed for £5.99 and then  back to the room to listen to Newcastle at Manchester United where amazing they were two goals up in 10 minutes but went onto lose in extra time 3.2. The Man U manager probably survives a little longer, but the likelihood of Newcastle’s manager finding a way to leave the sinking ship may have intensified.  Sunderland went back to third with an away win

By the time the game between Newcastle and M U was over it was time for Strictly Come Dancing, Simon Reeve Mediterranean tour, the X Factor and to catch the end of the six-episode Mystery Road.

In Strictly Ms Dooley redeemed her poor showing last weekend but the main revelation and turn around was that of Graham Swann. There were some exceptional performances with the participants gaining nines, one a quartet of them. The X factor continued in the awful phase of the six-chair challenge where the first six of ten contestant get a chair and then four are evicted to make way for the last four. It is all orchestrated a televised abuse of participants at its worst although in general I agreed with the decisions being made. On Sunday five of six female singers went on a shopping trip and to the Malibu home of Simon Cowell where they were confronted not by one or two assistant judges but a room full of big names song writers and record making people plus Leona Lewis and other successful performers and former contestants. The sixth had been denied a visa from the USA government and in the end, Simon decided to take four five who performed and all of whom are good.

I watched the delayed by an hour show to see the first of a four-part latest Simon Reeve perspective on the Mediterranean commencing with an exposure that Malta has become a corrupt murdering tax haven for criminals, and one presumes supported by the Catholic church as it once did prop up Franco and fascism for decades. He then moved on to drug smuggling as a way of life in Calabria before going on a sixty-mile trip to Albania where the blood feud still dominates although the new regime was said to doing its best to bring about change. As Simon revealed in his brilliant 3-hour show on Tuesday he joined gangs, drank too much and got into trouble as a teenager leaving school with no examination passes and finding getting work difficult. He then got lucky taking a job in the post room of a national newspaper and then even luckier getting an assignment because no journalists were present on a Monday as usual. He used his initiative and although continuing in the post room he became sufficiently useful to become a reporter, leaving to write a book which when published failed to sell, until 9/11 as his book was about the prospect for Terrorism and Al Qaeda.  This led to researching and writing more books until the first researched in advance travel and adventure programme was launched on the BBC and to date he has been to 120/130 of the 200 official countries in the world as well as visiting several who have not been recognised.

I also managed to catch the end of the six-episode Australian Mystery Road which retraced familiar ground on the feudal nature of the outback small town.

Sunday proved a good day although it began badly with no fast trains scheduled to Victoria and  a four coach stopping train crammed tight so I took an empty stopping train to London Bridge  instead and on the jubilee to  Green Park and from there to a cold but dry and sunny Leicester Square where the first surprise was to find the Odeon cinema having a major make over. The Moon Under Water Wetherspoons was still open and although costing £1.50more than Croydon I enjoyed another traditional English breakfast for under £5 and three cups of good coffee for £1.55. in 1948 I made by first visit to the Square after watching Stanley Mathews play for Blackpool against the Arsenal, although standing with uncle George behind one of the goals I could only see the far side of the game. We had fish and chips in the Lyons Corner House and then watched a film at the Odeon on what was the first memorable good days of my life.

After breakfast there was time for a walkabout and to find fake snow was being propelled from above the entrance of the Cineworld to mark the opening of a new Disney film. I also went to see the progress being made to turn the Trocadero complex into an hotel noting the number of rough sleepers using the undercover throughway at the side to the cinema which used to be a Cineworld.  The Cineworld now occupies the site of the Empire where the façade has been retained but little else. It was evident this was a good day to be about London streets as the summer crush of holidaying visitors had ended and the Christmas shopping and entertainment rush is yet to commence.

I exchanged a Lloyds bank voucher for adult ticket worth £10 I would have paid as a senior for the latest Rowan Atkinson Masterclass in facial expressionism. As he readily admits  the series has silly to stupid story lines but somehow this works although  there were not as many clever or genuine funny moments, but there was some response from the two sets of boys in the theatre, the first nearby with their father, and then second  at the front with their parents, the only others watching the 11.05 starting film and where the performance include nearly half an hour of starters.

This meant I had 55 mins between shows to get to Tottenham Court Road and back and then head for Boots Piccadilly for a £3 triple sandwich which I eat sitting on the cold but now dried concrete seating which surrounds the green space of the square opposite  a crowded Mc D as the area filled up with Londoners on a  day out and visitors from a far.  I had also passed a model or actress being photographed sitting on top of a post box aided by a full camera crew.

The number of open topped tourist buses is increasing with different route and big prices. The second Odeon in the Square has also made way for an Hotel but appears to move to the nearby once independent cinema a couple of minutes’ walks away.

By mistake the end row seat booked was against a wall at the far end of a row and with the film attracting a fair audience I was able to exchange the voucher seat for one of the remaining available on the aisle. I had heard good things about A simple Favour which Dr Mark Kermode also liked but suggested at the end of the film you ask, “what was that really about?” The film is a tour de force by Anna Kenrick as a widowed young mum with a son who lost her husbands and half-brother in a car accident which is part of the very dark to black revelatory tongue in cheek and very funny story telling.  This is a very clever and very enjoyable film with Anna’ performance Oscar nomination worthiness.

I then made my way to Victoria to make use of 25% discount because of the Cineworld subscription to the Café Rouge although the meal was no a success. The pâté starter was good but small as was the portion of chicken with mash dish, and I did not enjoy the beer which proved a bad choice alongside the food, so I drunk separately before a good cup of coffee. But just was well the 25% was off both the food and the drink reducing the cost from £28 to £21.  The chicken chasseur dish on the train back was more enjoyable, and free with the first-class ticket.  The catering staff were not as generous or sustained in the provision of food and drink as on the outward journey when I had acquired two sandwiches, a slice of cake, crisps, biscuits and a whisky with ginger for the evening in addition to the food and drink during journey and a copy of the Times which contained the TV viewing as well as the story on homeland security’s extracurricular activities.

On returning on the Sunday I caught the last part of the new female Dr Who and had to wait until Monday evening to understand the story of the first episode which promises much. I pressed the record series button.  The journey home on thee Monday was mixed with having to stand from East Croydon to London Bridge, paying the £2 extra for not waiting to use my travel card at 9.30 and then going to wrong platform for the earlier train. The LNER lounge at Kings Cross has been change a little but long gone are the days when pan au chocolat or croissant with butter and jam was available. I settled for crisps, banana and a goon read of the Times.  Time Out has also changed beyond recognition and I decided against the China Daily. I worked out the right train home before everyone else so found a single seat adjacent to a luggage rack which took my case upright and next to the toilet. At Newcastle I was able to use a ramp down to the platform and was able to reveal to a Newcastle born and lived 80-year-old the existence of the lift and undertrack passage. I was home in time to get organised for a Sainsbury delivery where using a voucher and nectar points I paid only £30 for £50 of groceries.

The opportunity is taken for an update on other recent film, sport and event experiences. I did not make one visit to watch live football last season and events St James Park have not encouraged but the opportunity of an aisle seat for unde £20 at Sunderland proved a  good decision on a nice bright day and was rewarded with a four  to one goal win and indication of  some promise that the mixture of new talent with  some long serving an loyal rejuvenated players could see a return to the Championship and progress from the humiliation of half empty 50000  seat stadium.

The high culture experience was an open-air concert by the German born Opera Singer Jonas Kaufmann in the huge Walbuhne amphitheatre seating over 20000 in a forest outside of Berlin. He sung a large collection of Italian favourites including familiar ballads in a language unfamiliar I suspect to many in the German audience and where they and we in theatre did not have the benefit of sub titles, I made my way and paid he additional £6 fee to the Cineworld in Newcastle still under major redevelopment. I also made my way to Newcastle on successive evenings for a theatre performance and then an evening to mark Our Finest House at City Hall.  In my last general review, I mentioned finding a woman unconscious in the street on my way home from Newcastle one evening and that an ambulance arrived within 5 minutes. During the opening half hour of the play The Last Seam at Northern Stage at the end of September a man collapsed, and it seemed ages before a paramedic ambulance arrived and half an hour before we were allowed back into the theatre where the cast recommenced with a short reprise before going through the rest of the play without interval. The play features the mid-eighties miner’s strike in a Doncaster area pit village and the impact on the lives of the miners and their families after the subsequent pit closures throughout Yorkshire, Northumberland and Durham. The play proved deeper and far more political than anticipated and was appreciated by a good size audience in the second of the two main theatres in a building I got to know well when it was the annual home of the Royal Shakespeare company for a month.  The restaurant snackerie is where there are sometimes performances as the third stage and restaurant and bar purpose built plus the box office on the side facing the square leading to the impressive student union building. I usually time my arrival to find a seat and did so before the performance during the interruption.

The previous Sunday I had made an early Sunday afternoon visit to the Custom’s House South Shields for Dennis Skinner the veteran miner and left-wing Member of Parliament answer questions before a showing of 90 mins film about his family from Clay Cross and subsequent political life The Nature of the Beast. The film could have done with better editing but overall it provided a brilliant portrait of this unique Parliamentarian who has devoted his life to the welfare of constituents regardless of their background and political allegiances. The opportunity was also taken to view the displays about local pits at the South Shields Museum and Art Gallery.

I also attended Our Finest Hour at City Hall where the BBC Big Band played a two-hour show of music highlights from the early years of World War 11, interspersed with a commentary from Kevin Whately well known nationally as Inspector Lewis and some previously live recording by Winston Churchill. Annie Gill mezzo soprano also entertained with standards such as a Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, I’ll be seeing you, Nightingale in Berkeley square, Sally, Every Time we say Goodbye and We’ll meet again. While the audience was more my age than younger but there were a few children spotted and a few under thirties.

I cannot remember if I have recorded visiting City Hall in June to see Eric Burden for the second time in two years where the evidence was of an extraordinary voice in decline but where is still to put on a 90-minute show without a break. The theatrical highlight of past months was a new adaption of the early episodes of When the Boat comes into a two-hour show, which opened at Customs House in South Shields to a couple of weeks of packed houses. This has led to buying for £30 a DVD set of all 51 episodes which first broadcast in the 1970’s and where the issues of striking and scabs in a mining community here in the North east centred of Gallowshields, a hybrid for north and South Shields in opposite backs of the river Tyne and where this year I failed to cross over and back on the ferry.

I enjoyed the final games of 20 20 cricket competition this year able to view without the need of glasses but never planned to attend Finals day in Birmingham after my traumatic experiences first at the Rose bowl Hampshire where my car broke down in the way  and I could not find the hire car on returning to the park and ride having decided not to watch the final but finding the bus did not set off until after the game ended.  Durham were never in the only semi-final in which they played as Chanderpaul forgot he was in the limited over game. The experience of going to Birmingham was just as traumatic which confirmed that the majority attended were there to dress up in fancy dress and get drunk. I found myself out of food hungry paid a lot of money for inedible rubbish and then lost my way back to the accommodation a nightmare. Never again.

 Alas Durham failed in the quarter final with a home tie, but I enjoyed Worcester’s two wins from the comfort of a seat before the telly. Ben Stokes, who I met as a boy, when brought by his father for a Durham Summer school, survived the trial accused of affray but now he and Hales face the charge of bringing the game in disrepute. I did manage to get to see the penultimate innings of Paul Collingwood as a Durham player against Middlesex. It will be interesting to see if he is in the running for the just vacated England job or the offer said to have come from Scotland. Hopefully next season will be better although I am not sure the wisdom of hiring one of the banned Australian players involved in the ball tampering scandal.

The great sporting event is undoubtedly the Ryder cup played on a golf course with lots of water traps outside of Paris and where the European team trounced an exceptionally good on paper USA team, but who clearly lacked the inspired team work between players, caddies, coaches and their families which those watching were able to witness in the European squad where both the newcomers and the experienced contributed.

I have also experienced some very good films in theatre. The most surprising film was Alpha about the discovery of a possible relationship between humans and the dire wolf 20000 years back in history and reminiscent of the relationship with those in the Game of Thrones forerunner of the relationship with Man’s best friend. The film was experienced in one of the refurbished theatres at Newcastle Cineworld with reclining leather seats with tall backs and lighted lettering on the stairways. The language required subtitles and the photography beautiful and likely to win prizes.

Black Klansman is a serious film with comedic aspects, based on the true story of Rod Stallworth the first black policeman in a southern state town of 1970’s Colorado Springs where he poses by phone as a white supremacist phone and then using a white colleague to penetrate the K K K at national and local level. The film ends with an update on Trumps failure to condemn the rise of the KKK and racists and fascists groups in the USA.

Another unexpected experience was an afternoon special showing in Newcastle of Funny Cow and an exceptional performance by Maxine Peake of the 2017 film on the childhood and making of someone who becomes a legendry stand-up comic in working men’s clubs. The film also has Alun Armstrong as the fading comic whose jokes many now know by heart.

In my last round, up I highlighted seeing a film about Virtual Reality in the virtual reality experience of 4DX at Newcastle’s Cineworld and this time Searching uses the format of Social Media to help a father find out about his daughter and what happened to her after she disappeared. The film is a good example of the appearance of anything is only one aspect of its reality and contains several important truths about relationships between parents and their children, the assumptions that we know our families better than others and that those who sometimes appear good and close friends, colleagues or helpers can prove to be our worst enemies.

A very different kind of film was Crazy Rich Asians which revealed an eye-opening insight into the very rich lifestyle residents of Hong Kong, enjoyable but also a continuous underlying feeling that this is all wrong. The current TV series Strangers also provides a perspective on the corrupt aspect of the former British state although its central character trying to achieve Justice for his murdered bigamist wife appears on a mission to get himself murdered as well.

King of Thieves with Sir Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay. Michael Gambon and Ray Winstone failed because the film attempted to evoke some sympathy for the aging villains who successful robbed a vault in Hatton Gardens. The film also alleges that the safes contained the products of the work of other villains and that a significant proportion of the stolen items has not been recovered. It is difficult to understand why this film was made and why the celebrity film stars agreed to participate.

Because if the priority to writing and conduct the required research there is less time to watch films on TV and but where the Talking Pictures channel available on Sky enables to recapture the films of childhood and youth and I sometimes view several at a time when the situation allows.

An important wartime propaganda documentary style film was The Lion has Wings has Ralph Richardson as a Wing Commander and Merle Oberon as his wife. The film includes footage of Flora Robson in her role as Queen Elizabeth the 1^st. An earlier film which reveals all the limitation of film making at that time is the 1934 version of the Old Curiosity Shop where a young girl become the victim of murder and greed in one of Dickens poignant stories with unhappy aspects,

A disturbing film about life in the Australian outback small town Jasper Jones which centres on racism and proved far more effective than the 6-episode TV series Mystery Road.

A mainstream movie I decided not to view when launched was the follow up to Jumanji sub headed (Welcome to Jungle) where high school pupils find themselves in the midst of a computer game which they have to solve if they are to escape and where they encounter someone else in the same predicament. This proved to be traditional cinema with echoes more of Tarzan films than the latest computer-generated epics and was therefore more enjoyable than anticipated.

The most disappointing film was Talking Pictures showing of All night Long which as a dozen jazz musicians playing themselves including Johnny Dankworth, David Brubeck, Tubby Hayes, Keith Christies and Alan Ganley who I have seen play lives and Charlie Mingus who I have not. The film centres on the ambitions of a drummer played Patrick McGoonhan to from his own band fronted by a female jazz singer who has stopped performing at the request of her jealous husband. The all-night party is held at their home and among those present who Patrick hopes to persuade sign up his new band is a wealthy jazz promoter played by Richard Attenbororgh. The story is unconvincing as is the acting and specially written music has never been my kind of jazz.

I have not had time to listen much radio apart from news and the Friday afternoon film review with Mayo and Kermode. I caught up the ten episode the Corrupted based on the books of G F Newman and which centre on corrupt people behind Thatcher and includes issues of child abuse and false imprisonment. I enjoyed a ten-episode performance of Jaws.

Just in case I failed to mention previously More outstanding TV drama was the third series of Unforgotten broad casting in six episodes in August with a fourth series agreed.  Nicola Walter is outstanding, and she was supported by the brilliant Sanjeev Bhaskar.I

The best recent television was the Bodyguard where a Home Secretary is assassinated by state interests, and the Prime Minister is forced to resign. A rescued female suicide terrorist turns out to be the bomb maker and brains of the cell. A second series will find it difficult to match the intensity and credibility of the first.

I am also enjoying Press which has Ben Chaplin as the editor of the Post, a cross between the Sun and the News of World, the only paper to make money but who also admires the work of Herald whose Editor was nearly tempted to run the Royal Opera House after the paper is forced not to print an edition.

The most extraordinary engaging series available to view in sitting if wished is Killing Eve with the most watchable female assassin ever played by Jodie Comer and where Eve is an out of depth agent played by Sandra Oh and supported by a stellar cast who enter in the black mayhem with enthusiasm and credibility. It was quickly evident that this was too creative a series not to be continued but I wish things had become a little clearer by the end of episode 8.  Jodie has ended the lives of a dozen undesirable men from mafia leaders to corrupt politicians, but another score is also dead in her wake who deserve better and these includes nurses and female witnessed as well as female Russian prison guards. Behind her paid for killings is the secret group of 12 out to cause chaos and one assume save the world according to their beliefs and sense of order.

I also watched the ten episodes of Trust over a couple of days. The elongated story of the abduction of the grandson son of John Paul Getty played by Donald Sutherland. The series plays with truth as does the recent film which covered the story convincingly in one two-hour film. In the series a ransom of 5 million is used to establish a port on the Calabria coast by the local mafia who feel they are the poor relations of the international families from Sicily and those Rome based. Interestingly Simon Reeve looked at the growing important of the Calabrian point and family dominated villages in his latest series travelling around the Mediterranean. He also mentions the hypocrisy of Spain’s hold on Ceuta while claiming rights to Gibraltar.

I am not sure if I have mentioned the TV series Deep State with Mark Strong which I assume accounts for recent political reference, A second series had been commissioned but without Mark Strong.

Talking pictures shown Nightingale Sang in Berkeley is a very different film to what one could expect from the title.  The Devils Double has gratuitous violence as sex and is not recommended although of interest as based on a son of the former leader of Iraq subsequently executed like his father.

Developing a new vision

 

On Wednesday August 22^nd, 2018 the second procedure to remove cataracts was completed at the Sunderland Eye infirmary and although the inserted lens appears less strong than the first, the overall impact is that I can now see without external glasses more clearly since childhood when an emotional being memory is of vivid colours and which was lost until approaching my eightieth year.  This I believe has improved my vision and perspective and with these my understanding and strengthening the ability to interpret the received information.

On Friday morning I had a haircut at my favourite barber(ess) who in the four years since serving the local community has become something of an institution because of her personal attention and skilled work. I mention this because I could clearly see my face in the mirror and her work, having waited for one other client to finish and two others to be attended. I could also read the text on the wall mounted TV and view the comings and goings in the adjacent car park which used to house a multi-purpose centre for those with a range of disabilities and which included a chapel with an adjacent bar with large screen TV. The Bishop of Durham who once held service commented on the advantage of being able to then move into the next room where a pint  was pulled for him.

I also mention the haircut because on the bus from the present Interchange station in South Shields to that in Sunderland I noted a significant number of barbers and hairdressers in the town which I do not recall from seeing before and this was confirmed when I commented on my observation to the present partner of the barber(ess). Across from the Sunderland Interchange is the very impressive Sunderland College  which offers students  courses in hairdressing and barbering and other personal services including full body massage. There are published price lists for the public to use the services and where haircutting is also available at the Hylton Campus. Among the surprises when I checked is the information of the College’s involvement with the Blue Square training centre at Bolden, in South Tyneside. I was also interested in the published information on the City Bistro within the new centre which offers a fine fining experience at £10.95 lunchtimes 2 courses and £12.95 for three with an early bird theatre option from 5.30 to 6.30. A sample menu is published.

Before the procedure enjoyed a standard English breakfast, which included a round of toast with a spread and two cup of coffee for just over £4 at the Wouldhave, Wetherspoons, close to Morrisons supermarket and the present Metro Station. I emphasis  the present  Metro Station because we are likely to lose the present end of platform opposite  the Wouldhave entrance  when the new town Metro centre entrance with both lift and escalators is opened  adjoining the new bus station and for which a vast area has been cleared of redundant buildings. The end of line buildings and for the former coal line down to the former docks is being developed and extended both to accommodate parked overnight trains which provide for early and later trains than  now. I am unsure if this is where the new Nexus Training Centre is to be built which promises an additional 80 jobs to the town centre. There was also good news this week when a flyer posted in the letter box announced another low cost store is opening, billed as a department store and will use the former Marks and Spencer’s Building which confirms that along with Woolworths and more recently British Home Stores the town has lost three most well-known of its High Street stores and which were the mark of a town being a town, although in fact the addition of British Home Stores was only a more recent development when a small group  of stores was added to one side of the Asda development which in town moved from the building which became Morrisons close to where I live on a site part way down the hill, close to one end of the Metro station and the Wouldhave.

There is a published plan to cope with the retail market as it has developed and the changing balance of the community which over decades has improved from one of the most socially deprived areas in the Queendom with some 80% of housing rented, predominantly social and provided by the local authority to where every opportunity is being taken to attract new individually owned domestic properties which together with the universality of car ownership, good main roads and the public transport system throughout Tyne and Wearside means opportunities to gain employment across the region and where the traditional heavy industries of coal mining, steel making and ship building have been replaced by car manufacturing with Nissan at Washington now within the Sunderland local authority area, and dramatic developments in service provision particularly further Education and Health,  and  with service centres such at  the BT centre on the riverside here in South Shields, close to the National Centre of the Word, the former Customs House cultural and art centre, and the passenger ferry across the Tyne where the biggest of the ocean travelling holiday cruise ships now regularly docks for a few day’s stay to enable passengers to visit the shopping, entertainment and historical attractions of the region. On my way into Sunderland by bus for the procedure I noted that what had been one of the two large departmental stores in Sunderland and remained vacant for several years is being converted into premium student accommodation as Sunderland University and the City College expand. The other which occupied buildings on two sides of one end of the High Street became the public Library and Wilkinson’s, now Wilko.

In order to cope with the closure of the traditional department stores, there is also Binns, and some chain stores selling shoes to chocolates also abandoning our high street, the local authority has encouraged the supermarket and the low cost store with some success  as  local residents can chose between Morrisons, Asda and Tesco, together with two Sainsbury local conveniences stores and one Local Tesco. There is a Morrisons at Jarrow within the local government Borough and a Tesco Walmart at Bolden and in addition to Asda at Hebburn a new Aldi is being built. The Aldi in South Shields has been extended as has one of the two Lidl’s. There is also Iceland close by the Aldi and Farm Foods at the  Nook. Home Bargains which offers brands at discount is on my route in and out of the town to Newcastle or Durham, or when making visits to the recycle centre at Middlefield’s , or  more frequently when taking one of the two routes to the Cineworld Cinema at Bolden. I recently bought from Home Bargains a broom for £2.50 for clearing the fake grass at the back which I had purchased from the B and M store which moved from close to  an off High street car park to the vacant two floor building occupied previously by British Homes stores part of a new development with Debenhams and Next.

I am a regular user of Morrisons which is within walking distance  but involves a walk back up the steepest part of the hill on the last bend of the River Tyne before it joins into the North Sea.

I use the Morrisons as my day to day store but home deliver from the  north Sunderland Sainsbury’s because of their regular £6 and £8 discount vouchers for spending only £40 a delivery which can cost as little a £1 midweek or late at night. On Bank Holiday Monday evening some £45  of produce cost £32 because in addition to a general discount voucher there was one for failure to deliver the previous Sunday night and delayed to Monday, and another for a price comparison difference. It is not clear if the increase in the  value to the general voucher offering  a 20% reduction for three weeks is to do with the tie up with Asda Walmart.  I sometimes use  the Tesco in South Shields or North Sunderland  close to the Stadium of Light and that at Gateshead by the Metro interchange on the site of the  former iconic car park used in the  Get Carter film, as I can park the car in the lower level car park before taking an escalator to the Vue Cinema, or the Metro to Newcastle City Centre. The Tesco general voucher is usually 10%. The Lidl chain also stocks Iberian Foods including large jars of Queen Olives, at Christmas hard and soft Turron and on my last visit I failed to resist some almond biscuits although the packet, remains unopened. The two  local branches also stock Norwegian smoked salmon with a mustard and dill sauce.

The local Wetherspoons is used as a meeting place socially in the mornings for men who like an early drink, and by women for a chat. Some including couples come for the Breakfast and the unlimited coffee. On my recent visit I noted  a change in the Chicken club menu which is available from midday through to 11pm on Wednesdays with six main chicken options and seven of drinks for the one price of £6.49 The significance of the menu is the detail available for the calorie conscious so the main chicken dishes ranges from 1169 calories for ten spicy chicken wings to a plain grilled chicken breast at 304 Cals but all served with coleslaw. There is a choice of three sauces 51 to 106 Cals and sides  with 82 for salad or chips 597.  In addition to the six alcohol to soft drinks there is also the option of unlimited hot drinks. Until  about a year ago unlimited filter coffee of varying quality and warmth was available here and in other pub restaurants of the chain  until 2pm but the Wouldhave was one of the earliest to be converted to the latest six drink option self service machines which I first discovered in the branch across from Victoria Station in London prior to taking the bus to watch the final of 50 over innings cricket competition at Lords in 2016.  The unlimited hot drinks option is now available  throughout the day. Another feature of the chicken club menu is the options to  go for combo additions such spicy coated prawns 2.60 or half a rack of ribs at £3.60 or adding sides such as onion rings  or corn on the cob. I occasionally call in for one of the Curry Club options  although on a weekend visit recently I noted a manager’s curry special deal  at £3.60 to which a drink is extra.

I entered the Wouldhave around 11.25 having called in a Morrison’s for a copy of the Daily i and an early edition of the Gazette, the oldest local newspaper which is now printed with the Sunderland Echo although it retains a small editorial office opposite the Town Hall. I also got extra cash to cover a taxi if required on the way home. The front page headline in the ‘I’ was the welcome news that new improved prostate treatment has been approved for use in the National Health Service

The paper, as did others, announced that a documentary feature by Peter Jackson the Director of Lords of the Rings and the Hobbit will be shown in cinemas direct from a special showing from the London Film festival in October. The film will use existing but restored footage enabling soldiers who participated in the Great War talking of their experiences. The film print has been coloured and shot in 3D as well as 2D a copy will be broadcast by the BBC  and also given to every secondary school. The world relay will include a session with Peter Jackson chaired by Mark Kermode.

Two Saturday’s ago, I attended the Custom’s House on the Tyne Riverbank, a performance of a new play which closely follows the first series of When the Boat Comes In by the South Shields born writer James Mitchell who also created the important Callan series which brought Edward Woodward to international attention. James Bolam plays the pivotal character Jack Ford who survives the Great War as a Sergeant with distinction and becomes a friend of the Seaton Family in the fictious town of Gallowshields. The series which commenced in 1976 became so popular that 51 episodes were created over a five year period and for under £30 I bought the four series  on 3 DVD’s. James Bolam went on to perform in the Likely lads and  two of my other favourite series, the Beiderbeck Tapes  as a school teacher with a passion for traditional jazz and blues who becomes caught up in a mystery adventure  and which I have  added to my wish list,  and more recently as one of the original members of New Tricks which lasted for over a decade. I was sceptical how about 51 episode condensed into a two hour work, but this has been achieved brilliantly in a faithful way to the original production together with impressive stage craft including sound to recreate trench warfare and the pit cage, by concentrating on the first third. The work was received by nearly sell out audiences at this small Theatre and merits a West End Theatre and a nationwide tour.

I tend to book up will in  advance for my visits to local theatres so as to ensure an end of aisle seat as I attend on my own.  Presently scheduled is Our Finest Hour at Newcastle City Hall in September, followed by an Evening with Simon Reeve at the Sage and then  in October Miss Saigon at Sunderland’s Empire. I have  made fewer visits this year to live performances and disappointingly missed a musical about the life of Cilla Black at Theatre Royal Newcastle because of Beast from the East. Next month I discover the Nature of the Beast, the Beast in question is the left wing politician Denis Skinner who comes to the Customs House for a showing of a film on his life and some questioning.

After what has become an annual event in the New Year, in January I enjoyed Ray McVey’s tribute Glenn Miller Orchestra accompanied by the Polka Dot Singers and the Swing Time Jivers at the Sage, and the annual must attend visit of the Ellen Kent Opera company performing La Traviata and Madam Butterfly on successive January nights at Sunderland’s Empire Theatre. In February there was the Tribute group Money for Nothing with Aled Williams as Dire Straits Mark Knoffler from  Whitley Bay at the Sunderland Empire Theatre and a disappointing highly talented Bill Bailey at the Civic Hall.

The show which had everyone rocking in the Aisles was the return of Washington, Co Durham born Bryan Ferry at City Hall in April. Eric Burden, born Newcastle, and his present group of Animals, returned to City Hall for the second year in succession but this time without an opening band and performed well but I felt his voice is in decline. Also, that month Sheridan Smith at the Sage lived up to expectations whereas the poorly attended Adele tribute singer show Someone Like You at the City Hall in June was a revelation and it is not surprising that Katie Markham is endorsed by one of our greatest singer songwriters of all time. Later today or tomorrow I must review what shows are planned over the next six months including on my next visit to London in October. My only show in the capital this year was on the special day trip to see Absolute Hell at thr National Theatre on the south bank of the Thames as part of research about the reality of Soho  in the three decades immediately after the war.

Similarly, the number of live shows relayed to local cinemas attended has been less than previous years, in part because of my deteriorating sight, but mainly becoming more selective in my choice. There has been one Opera, Louisa Miller with Placido Domingo relayed from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. I went to this  previously unknown to me opera because one of  great opera singers  of all time was performing  and despite his  years his voice shows no indications of decline. The opera by Verdi was also a revelation.

The most unexpected relay was the interview with Bruce Dickinson of Iron maiden where I will comment further. I also enjoyed the interview with Michael Caine after a showing of his film about the 1960’s- My Generation.  Both he, Bruce Dickenson and John Cornwall, better known as Le Carre, the previous year, had some important things to say about the world and Britain today. It is disappointing the extended interviews with individual personalities intended for TV which Michael Caine mentioned have not appeared and I will check if they are included on the DVD. There was one live talk show attended locally at the Word  when South Shields born,  and Mirror assistant Editor and journalist Kevin Maguire was interviewed by a local radio personality. In 2014 I advised Kevin, the Mirror and former policeman Clive Driscoll who brought to justice two of the Stephen Lawrence killers of an issue  which led to the Mirror dropping from online record an article and Clive also amending his planned autobiography. I remain unclear where Kevin stands in relation to the position and politics of Jeremy Corbyn.

Nor have I been to the Stadium of Light for a football game to watch Sunderland, or St James Park to watch Newcastle and plans to go again before Winter cold sets in were put on hold with  Newcastle appearances and  two of Sunderland on Sky. I did visit St James on a very  weekend for the Dacia Rugby League Magi weekend when seven games are played, four on Saturday and three Sunday for the price of one inexpensive ticket and where a reserved seat only cost £39. Ominous Newcastle’s castle cup game at Notts Forest is also on Sky Wednesday where I assume they will lose to concentrate on Premiership survival.

Nor was there a trip or London to watch Durham at Lords, or the Oval, or to Nottingham,  or to watch England in a Test or  any Women’s  cricket game although there has been much watching on TV with the Indian Premier League, and recently the English version of the 20 over each side game in addition to the Test matches and the Ladies Final’s day at Hove on August Bank Holiday Monday. Although Middlesex joined Durham in the second division of the County four day game we will only play at Lords if both sides remain in the division  in 2019 which at present looks the likely position and Surrey are romping away at the top of the first division with Notts looking good for a top three place. With Sussex strong for promotion there is the extraordinary possibility that Lancashire and Yorkshire are relegation possibilities. I made one visit to the capital for the final of the 50 over  each side at Lords where Hampshire one of hate teams because  of what happened when I visit for 20 20 finals Day and which is also why I do not support Warwickshire. The only other team which I do not wish well is Lancashire for the way their pitch in South Liverpool behaved in the year when all county games were play there  while the cricket square at Old Trafford was reversed. I did attend the 50 over game between England and Australia ay Durham’s Riverside ground at Chester le Street in June  but had to miss England’s Innings as the car ceased to function on arrival and a tow back to South Shields was required during the interval. This proved an expensive breakdown where I was without the vehicle for two weeks while a new central electrical control unit was found and fitted by the appropriate car deal which also required a second car tow between repair garages.

I have been disappointed with recent choice available at the Cineworld multiplex chain and paid more attention to what was available on Sky, and in particular the Talking Pictures channel where two recent showing of films first screened in 1943 reinforced  the use of government sponsored or national interest cinema for propaganda purposes. The first film was biographic of the prolific writer of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and few plays, the former adventurer and journalist, Jack London. The film alleges that when he became the only journalist to make his way from Japan to Korea where the Japanese were conducting a brutal war against Russia he came across a commander who was open about his country’s ambition not just to conquer Asia to ensure its population could be fed but this would also involve removing the threat which the USA posed, allegedly declaring in 1904 it might take fifty to a hundred years before they were ready to  achieve their objective. The attack on Pearl Harbour occurred two years before the film was screened.

The Demi-Paradise is a British contribution to Anglo Russian relations after Hitler launched their attack which resulted in the death of 20 million  people and the subsequent Russian retaliation in which the men were shot, and the women raped.  The Demi Paradise is a quaint film in which Olivier stars as an amazing accent English speaking Russian  engineer to ask a specialist marine company to make a propeller for a new generation vessel. The head of the company is played by Felix Aylmer and who dines and wines and, tries to get the Russian to play golf with other members of the board in order to assess the character of the foreigner who uses the  visit to paint a picture of England and of Lords and Ladies, of middle class pageants and musical halls, of Speaker’s corner at Hyde Park and of a unique sense of humour. The working class are excluded and the whole purpose of the film is to persuade the British public that helping Russia was essential to the survival of Britian and its Empire, which it was. Jack London, an Atheist was also a very early socialist trade unionist and there is a Lake named after him in Russia as well as monument in the USA.

Both films are soft propaganda vehicles compared to the present ruthless and   unrelenting campaign to smear Jeremey Corbyn as anti-Semitic because if his misuse of Zionism in a seven minute participation in a conference on the subjugation of Palestinians against rthe expressed terms of the 1917 Balfour declaration and that of 1926 which promised the creation of a state for the Jewish people in Palestine but also the protection of the rights and position of the Arab population who comprised 95% of the population.  It was not after WW2 that the present Jewish state of Israel was founded, and it is necessary to understand what happened in Nazi Europe to appreciate the insecurity felt be the older generation of Jewish people  because of the atrocities committed against them and that of the Israel as a state because of the open threat of some Arab controlled states opposed to the continuation of Israel as a separate. Reaching a permanent settlement particularly over the future of Jerusalem appears to have become impossible.

Just before Parliament’s summer recess the government of Mrs May nearly fell because of divisions within her own Cabinet and Party over Brexit, the political and economic future of Britain’s relations with the rest of Europe and for once unit within the Parliamentary Labour Party with the exception of four hard line Brexiteers. The public admission by members of a hard Brexit group of Tories led by the aristocratic  right wing Mogg that they will replace May by former foreign secretary Boris Johnson if she pursues the present plan and makes any further concessions appears to have generated an alliance between the Tory Party together and the Corbyn hostile members of the PLP and some trade union leaders of a Corbyn led government coinciding with the likely extension of  support for him in the next month with the election of  supporters to the increased membership and power of constituency parties on the new Executive Committee coupled with the likely decision of the Party conference to introduce  the re-selection of  Labour candidates by constituency parties prior to every General Election.

Those members of the PLP who have continued to be openly hostile to the policies espoused by Jeremy Corbyn  and his supporters have  understandably become concerned about their political futures and these various elements having come together to create  the perfect political storm which will engulf the nation over the next two months and where it would be foolish to predict the outcome, given the political and public divisions on a  number of issues which exist although to a major extent manufactured through the use by vested interests of mainstream  and social media.

Unfortunately, the coming to power of Donald Trump in the USA is exacerbating the situation as political discourse degenerates into the sewer of smear and lie.  The reality of being a backbench politician and the “price” required to become a Minister is was portrayed in the resurrected 1961 film No Love for Johnnie which I did see in theatre at the time but have since forgotten how good it remains with an extraordinary cast led by Peter Finch and Johnnie Byrne with Stanley Holloway, Mary Peach, Donald Pleasance, Billie Whitelaw. Hugh Burden. Rosalie Crutchley, Mervyn Johns, Geoffrey Keen as the Prime Minister, Paul Rogers, Dennis Price, Peter Barkworth, Fenella Fielding, Derek Francis, Conrad Phillips and Peter Sallis as an MP. I bought the book  an edition from 1959 and the DVD.

Another important film in the German language is The Resistance shown on Sky a week ago which covers rhe comparatively few Jewish individuals who managed to survive in Germany  with help throughout WW2 and often with help of individual Germans who risked the immediate extinction of themselves and their families in doing so. Suite Francais shown on BBC two in March was about the relationship between French woman and an educated German composer turned officer in wartime France. The novel was written during the occupation but remained in family suitcase for more than half a century.

The documentary special screening of Scream for Sarajevo in April on the Iron Maiden Concert in the city and the return of Bruce Dickinson and band members to the country reflecting on the impact on them and who managed to attend and survive the siege is an important reminder of the continuing struggle of oppressed ordinary people to survive horror. In July I experienced the film  Renegades on Sky, set in Sarajevo in 1995 where a team of Navy Seals disguised as journalists capture the Serbian General Milic wanted for war crimes and given three days leave. They use the time to find 25 tons of gold ingots on their way from Paris to  a safe location during WW2 in  1944 and  are now at the bottom of a damned lake. The unit succeeds and with the help of their commanding officer half the £300 million recovered is returned to the French government and the rest goes to a local partisan for the rebuilding of her country. The unit also contribute theirs in a feel good ending. I found  An Ordinary Man a nasty film released in 2017 with Ben Kingsley as a wanted war criminal (Sarajevo era) protected by supporters who has a relationship with young woman employed to clean the flat where he is moved  and who is not what she seems to be. I still do not understand the point of the film.

In Harm’s Way screened on Sky in May was one of the  last  WW2 epics in Black and White with John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Dana Andrews and Henry Fonda among a host of major stars and the genuine differences  over tactics and personal rivalries and ambitions that occur in war as they do in peace.  In May the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Also, in May Defence of the Realm on Talking Pictures is political thriller on the cover up of a crashed nuclear  carrying bomber at an American airbase in the English countryside.  In the mid 1980’s I did a Drug Advisory Service visit  when a USA Bomber had buzzed the market town flying upside down with the crew high on drugs, so since then I have to accept that what is fiction may mirror reality.

A resurrected film from wartime 1943 is Since You went away  shown on Talking Pictures with Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotton and Shirley Temple  centres on what happens to families and loved ones when the men are called into wartime national service. The film has several overdone sentimental moments but given the circumstances when it was created it stands the test of time. Even more sentimental is the 1941 wartime drama about marriage break up and musicians down on their luck called Danny Boy when David Farrer as the musician falls on hard times with his school age son.

The most interesting, surprising and challenging film was shown in June, The Day After which I cannot recall having previously heard of. The film  made for USA Television and aired in 1983, shows what happens when the two super powers of the day decided to launch waves of intercontinental nuclear missiles at each other and follows the impact of this on local citizens, including those with responsibility for  security at a rocket base which goes into lockdown without them. The film reminded of my week at the National Civil Defence college

The Monument Men, a Sky film in June, previously seen in theatre also had a host of stars with George Clooney directing, Matt Damon, Bill Murray John Goodman, High Bonneville and Kate Blanchette on the search for and protection of art stolen by the Nazis I based on a 2008 published novel which looks back on events on channel Island during the WW2 occupation when some residents turned informers to further self interest than just to survive.

A different  kind of film to be mentioned in this context of the impact of economically advanced nations on the poorest was another Sky Screened film The Pirates of Somali which led to be buying the book of former would be investigative Journalist who helped the USA administration to understand what was really happening and change government policy .

In July I saw again the Sand Pebbles viewed in Theatre when first screened in the early 1960’s and  at least once on TV since. The film set in the  civil war  of the 1920’s which was lead to the emergence  of China as a single state and stars Steve McQueen who falls for missionary played by Candice Bergen with Richard Attenborough as shipmate who falls for young female hostess which echoes of the transformation of  Madam Butterfly into Miss Saigon.

For the record since March I thought Red Sparrow very interesting and the Greatest Showman brought back memories of taking family members to see Michael Crawford in Barnum at the London Palladium.  The Greatest Showman film is an improvement on the stage show because of some great music and its important message on diversity.

Mary Magdalene is a serious film which disappointed. Ladybird on the relationship between a rebellious teenager and her daughter  received Oscar nominations and merited the Golden Globe best picture award. Tomb Raider was fun.  Other films  experienced in March were City Lights (Sky) about which nothing  is recalled and Baby Driver on Sky.

April remains memorable because of the Cineworld D Box experience in Newcastle for Ready Player One a film about Virtual Reality experienced through Virtual Reality. The Avengers Infinity Wars was 3D fun with a great ending which heralds a part II. The Leisure Seeker with Donald Sinden and Helen Mirren remains memorable because of advocacy of the independence and rights of elders.  Happy Birthday Tony Simpson on Sky is a charming film about a young man in the wrong job and relationship who finds himself and the right girl at a west country music and lifestyle festival. Girls Trip with Queen Latifath was not funny as a supposed comedy. I have no memory of Going in Style on Sky

In May the latest episode of Star Wars was much enjoyed in Imax 3D. I paid attention to the latest Planet of Apes series on Sky having watched a cinema screening forgetting to bring 3D glasses and also affected by the cataract deterioration. I also paid close attention to Deadpool 2 as I had to the first in series but failed to get most of the humour and the references to other films in genre. I  enjoyed Atomic Blonde the USA made spy thriller  with Charlie Theron which begins in the days before the fall of the Berlin Wall which divided East and West Germany.

The ability of someone disturbed or with deliberate intent to ruin someone in a public position was the subject of the 1959 drama Serious Charge in which Anthony Quale played the accused, an unmarried vicar. Sarah Churchill is the accuser in a film shown on Talking Pictures. The Criminal with Stanley Baker remains an important film which provides insight to prison life in the 1960’s. There is a music score by Johnny Dankworth and his band and the cast incudes Sam Wanamaker, Jill Bennett, Rupert Davies, who became Maigret, Patrick McGee and Patrick Wymark, both who died when at the peak of their careers.

Few films about sport last the test of time. Night of the Grand National is more a detective drama from back in 1953 with Nigel Patrick, Moira Lister, Beatrice Campbell, Betty Ann Davies, Michael Horden and Leslie Mitchell. I also enjoyed a young Gordon Jackson in Floodtide 1959, the story of small family father who is determined to follow his ambition to work in ship building design and marries the boss’s daughter and revolutionises shipbuilding. John Laurie and Jimmy Logan are among the cast.

Rise of the Foot Soldier on Sky proved a dreadful film with gratuitous violence and  sexual exploitation which I watched because the subject was based on a true story and involved a notorious member of the Inter City football associated violent gangsters  which I directly encountered and wrote to clubs and politicians about in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

In June the epic adventure was Jurassic World which was the least successful of the genre this season. The all-female Oceans 8 cast was a clever fun film with  big office characters such as Helen Bonham Carter, Cate Blanchette and Sandra Bullock. The singer Rihanna also participated in a traditional caper stealing valuables from a highly protected security system and in plain sight. I have no recollection of seeing the 2014 film The November Man in theatre  until shown on Sky and which has Pierce Brosnan int he main role, based on a novel series of the same name and with a contemporary international spy plot.

July was a mixed month for memorable cinema visits and films watched on TV apart from one of the films of year, Mamma Mia! Here we go again. I think this is even better than the original film based on the stage show for two reasons. The  story and the way presented is deeper and requires attention as it switches constantly between present and past and secondly, because of the dramatic intent the film becomes emotionally engaging and satisfying and this all before the Abba songbook. The film includes all the main characters from the first feature and a new group of actors who play the cast as their younger selves; in this respect Lily James as the young Donna is brilliant. Cher also excels as Donna’s mother and Andy Garcia as the Hotel manager Fernando and Cher’s long lost lover. The hit song of the film is My love,  My Life brought tears to my eyes. For the first time I went to see a film for a second time the following day.

A two hour documentary on the challenged life of Witney Huston was experience in one of studio theatres at the Cineworld in Newcastle which is undergoing significant refurbishment with half the main theatres closed. This film, as those at the Tyneside film theatre, were experienced during the very hot weather. Sicario 2 Soldado provides insight into the power of Mexican drug interests and their capacity to corrupt and control the institutions of the state, particular the police and internal security services.

I was disappointed by Hotel Artemis other than a stela performance by Jodie Foster in a mature role. Mission Impossible Fallout lived up to expectations because of the antic of forever young Tom Cruise but the series should have been titled Missions Incredible or Missions unbelievable. It was experienced in 3D. I was also disappointed with All Night Long packed with modern Jazz musicians but with a poor story and poor acting. (Talking Pictures)

I enjoyed Christopher Robin which features the characters created in the Winnie the Pooh bear books and begins in a sad and dark period for Christopher Robin and for Pooh bear which I wondered about the impact on some of the younger children in the theatre. There was a similar reaction last year to Goodbye Christopher Robbin when seen in theatre and recently shown on Sky films. I have seen Hobson’s Choice at least once before on TV and may well have seen in theatre just before leaving school although I was preoccupied with revising for G.C.E’s at that time. I saw the film again on Talking Pictures during the first full week of August. Charles Laughton plays the dominating and conventional father of the time and a very young John Mills the unassuming employee who is taken up as a husband by the eldest of three daughters played by Brenda de Banzie. A young Prunella scales plays a sister. Richard Wattis courts one of the sisters and Raymond Huntly and John Laurie have  minor roles.

 A fun film was the computer generated Incredibles 2 which features the lead  character becoming a stay at home dad while his wife and mother saves the world. A good film with lots of ludicrous moments is the Spy Who Dumped Me as August drew to an end which one suspects is the first of another  couple of episodes as two long-time friends who tell each other everything become caught up with spy treachery from both sides of the Atlantic. 

Because of the dearth of films, I wanted to see using Cineworld unlimited, I ventured to the Tyneside film theatre three times, although the first visit was to watch the World Cup semi-final game against Belgium. I went to see First Reformed because of the role of Amanda Seyfried which contrasted with that enjoyed in Mama Mia, Here we go again. The film has an end which I did not see coming although then thinking over the film the clues are there. Ethan Hawke as Minister in a Tourist church puts in another outstanding performance. I also enjoyed the slow paced, The Bookshop at the Tyneside Film Theatre which is narrated by Julie Christie who I saw twice at the Birmingham Rep 1963-1964 when I attend a  child care social work course at the University. The film has one of my favourite actors in a supporting role Bill Nighy. The film is sad and depressing.  

The Equalizer 2 with Denzil Washington conjures mixed emotions  because vigilante justice can never be justified. Th return of a child to mother in the USA from Turkey, the reunion of a  Jewish brother sister in their old age softened the inevitable prolonged killing sequence at the end as Washington achieves vengeance on his former associates who have turned to private enterprise and killed his friend and former government agent played  Melissa Lo because she proved a loose end as she investigated one of their assignments in Paris. A poor choice in August was Kill Order on Sky, but the ancient biopic the Dorsey brothers reminded of the era of the swing bands and had a cameo role for the Pianist. The two  brothers played themselves and convincingly portrayed the reasons which led to both managing separate orchestras and not speaking for a time. They started out together in 1934  with Glenn Miller among the band members. Among those who also performed with them was Mildred Bailey, Bing Crosby  with vocals Jack Teagarden  who I saw at rteh Grand Theatre Croydon in the 1950’s, Bunny Berigan on Trumpet and Ray McKinley on drums. Jo Venuti played the violin. Paul Whiteman also played himself in the film as did Helen O’Connell the vocalist. I did not know before  that Elvis Presley first performed on US TV on their show in 1956.

The final film experienced in August at the Cineworld Newcastle is memorable for the events before and after as well for the film itself. The film is Alpha.

I was already on the Metro train from South Shields to Newcastle when I realised I had misread the time and could find  penalty fine notice as I was consequently short by five minutes of the payment required  as a consequence.

I had well planned the day but then found I needed a pair of new black shoes. The plan was to put in an order for more eye drops at the same time as arranging a dental appointment to replace a filling before doing some shopping at Morrisons. I decided to switch from a brown shoes outfit to the black shoes which needed a good clean and then I noticed that the leather at the top had split, another indication of the improved vision. We have only one shoe store left, when there were three, a branch of Clarks,  who do a broad fit, so I went there and bought two pairs, one for best with laces, and the other more expensive even with a 20% discount which has a cross over Velcro strap and even with this the bill came to £100.  I  then called in for some fruit  at the greengrocers under the Metro station entrance as what they sell is not only cheaper but as recently discovered of better quality than from Morrisons.  As I drove back from Morrisons the short distance to home the warning light  for petrol came on and I remembered I had forgotten to fill up on my way back from the cricket on Friday and looked at the time, misjudged by the hour and  rushed in to put the food away, go to the loo and get to the station hoping the petrol did not run out.  I took the car slowly to the nearest garage when I got back so there was a double sigh of relief!

 The rate at rthe Metro station car park is 1 a minute for the first hour and then 80p an hour. Although as I arrived a car parking warden  was on her  travels I decided not to tempt the fates an put in £1.40 although I was just 5 minutes short of only needing an hour. This is car where I had got a penalty notice on return from my day trip to London to see Absolute Hell at the National because the parking fee receipt had blown over but rescinded on appeal. If a warden did return to check  just before six when parking becomes free, then having paid 1.40 and not 60p as I had nearly done may have made the difference.  I would have paid any fine even though and all I needed to have done was to wait in car for five minutes to pass before paying the fee, but I had rushed because the train was in and I assumed I had only an hour to get to the theatre, get my ticket and find my set before the performance commenced.

I could have  experienced Alpha in 3D at Bolden,  but I would have had to have sat among the 4D seats recently imported from the Cineworld at the Borough. It is just the sets without the other effects now available at the specially constructed theatre in Newcastle.

I saw the film  in one of the screens at the Newcastle Cineworld which has been refurbished with  leather  reclining seats but the thing which I found best is that they have put in short steps, two per row instead of one, and the row letter is on the step as a little light so can be read if the screen is dark.  I wanted to see the film Alpha in 3D where there  is one showing a day in Newcstle otherwise I would have attended later in the evening when parking in South Shields is free. For six weeks after the Great North run in September the station at South Shileds will be closed  for some line straightening as the construction work for the new Metro station entrance, Nexus Training centre Metro train and bus depots gets even more underway.  This may explain why the platform exit opposite the Wouldhave was open but use of the combined bus and Metro ass did not work and therefore came up void at the Newcastle exit  and required human assistance to open the exit gate,

Alpha is a fictional account of how the wolf evolved into man’s best friend, set 20000 years ago when a young hunter survives a bad fall after being given up for dead and befriends an injured wolf. The film uses subtitles as the language of the tribe is said to be unidentified prehistoric !  There was also a row over the statement no animals were harmed because it  has been revealed  that 5 Bison were killed. The photography and acting are brilliant. The film is currenty15th in British Box office charts with Mama Mia and Incredibles 2 leading the way at over £50 million in today to date.

On TV the important George Gently, series came to end as did the Detective on a North East beach reminding of the cult film Get Carter when Michael Caine is also assassinated. The final two part episode was recently repeated. There was also an all too short new Inspector Montalbano Saturday Night Foreign production series of two episodes on BBC TV Four. The episodes   are more serious and darker than previously and with less attention to his love of food. The Young Morse series Endeavour of six episodes ended in March but with the promise of a sixth series next year. The fifth series saw the amalgamation of Oxford City and County to form the Thames Valley in 1968 which also covered the counties of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire and a strengthening of storylines against the Oxford City and County black cloth. I make time  to see the original Morse and Lewis series.  In the same level of excellence was a new series of the Bridge was broadcast and which had rthe autism spectrum detective Saga Nostram released from prison because of new evidence suggesting reasonable doubt that she had murdered her mother. It is her unique way of looking at information which brings results.

A series which surprised and emotionally engaged me more than anticipated was Unforgotten where  the third series of episodes 13 to 18 sees another female detective  breakdown from the horror and clinical detachment of the serial murderer of adolescent girls following sexual assault. The programme communicated the terror they would have felt and the lifelong impact on their families. There  is also a clever switching between possible murderers from a group of four men who shared a new year holiday home with their families at the time of the murder of a victim found during motorway repairs in London. It emergences  that one of the men was falsely accused watching child porn on his computer which destroyed his  job and family and nearly wrecks the second opportunity to find love in  a new relationship. A second of the group is murdered following false social media accusations and the  third secretly believed his son was responsible blighting their relationship discovered this could not be so and begins to rebuild the fractured relationship. Nicola Walter the senior detective is  joined by Sanjeev Bhaskar for the third series and both face domestic challenges in addition  the stressful daywork. Her father is showing the early signs of dementia which he is resisting, and she also faces pressure from her siblings and the character played by Sanjeev is approached by his former wife  who is seeking reconciliation. He consults his daughters who are satisfied with the status quo. DCI Cassandra Stuart and her father become reconciled.

Moving from Police detective work to those with a political and security interest. The successor to West Wing, Madam Secretary provided another must see series which came  to an end in June with all the indications of move to become Madam President. I watched over one day the new 8 episode series of Deep State with Mark Strong as a former MI6 assassin  who in effect blackmailed to return to active service and all today with a British USA plot for  respective governments to take a hard line over Iran and achieve  regime change. The problem is that for over a decade mark has ked a new life in France  with a French wife and their two children and during the course of the series she learns not only of his former role and the nature of  his actual work, torturing for information in addition to killing declared targets but she finds out about his get wife and son who has followed him  into the service  Behind the regime change machinations is an international company using its cash and power to place people in the security services and in government . At the end of the series Mark does a deal with the ambitious  would be female head of the CIA ,in which h appears to gain peace for himself, wives and children as she moves to thr CIA chief’s desk. However, she tells her global corporation employers that Mark has become a useful asset. Hence a second series next year.

The first two episodes of an impressive new series on BBC 1 the Bodyguard  stars a young man with issues following assignments in Afghanistan who has joined the Mets special protection squad and, on a train,  journey taking his two  children back to his estranged wife… not clear why the train journey he stops  the wife of a terrorist detonating. This brings him promotion to protect the hard line divorced Home Secretary who is listening more to MI5 that the Mets Anti-Terrorist  Our Friends in the North Gina McKee. The domestic situation intensified when he learns that his wife  has commenced an affairs with the individual staying overnight although we are yet to be introduced.

Then the situation becomes complicated after the Bodyguards witnesses the hard line approach of the Home Secretary who is accused by the Chief Whip of plotting to replace the Prime Minister and he attends a meeting of Veterans for  Peace when he meets someone from the Unit in Afghanistan who does not understand his willingness to protect Home Secretary  who is among those enthusiastic about British involvement in Afghanistan and  who are also seeking an extension of powers to keep under surveillance and monitor communications and social media. Attempts to assassinate the Home Secretary and blow up the school which our hero’s children attend are foiled. I became less enthusiastic when the Police commissioner want our hero to spy on rthe Home Sec and he contacts for them and eh embarks on a sexual relationship with the politician. More significant was today’ suggestion on social  media that Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Kahn had been the targets behind van attack outside a Mosque. This does not come as a surprise and it was good to see the additional security measure that the Durham Mines Gala this year after I warned appropriate interest about the situation last year.

There are echoes between  our hero in the Bodyguard who suffers Post Traumatic Stress from his Afghan experienced and the Terrorist Hostage taking  Danish  thriller Beneath the Surface shown in episodes in March. The head of the counter terror operation also suffers from PTS from being a hostage in Syria for a year. The interaction between politics and big business was the subject of the second Belgium 10 episode series Salamander also on BBC TV four in April and May. Earlier shown in February and March was the  second eight episode Swedish series Modus, billed a psychological thriller features a criminal psychologist and profiler with an autistic daughter who in the first series witnesses a contract killing. In the second the female president of the United States goes missing on an official visit to Sweden where she previously lived and has links. I was less impressed with the third series of Our Girl, the British drama about a female medic attached to an active unit working in crisis zones around the earth world although it had some important and emotional engaging storylines and individual moments. I was more impressed with the first part of the third series shown as four episodes focussed on Nepal after the earthquake than I was with the eight episodes  featuring two new tours in June and July.

Much of my TV watching from March to July focussed on Politics real with the divisions in the Tory Party over Brexit leading to resignation of David Davies and Boris Johnson from the Cabinet over the personal approach of the Prime Minister and her number 10 team while Dominic Greve, Anna Soubry, Sarah Wollaston and other attempted to push May and the party closer to accept a Customs Union and possibly a second referendum. They also used the significant support in the House of Lords and pro continuing membership supporters in rthe Labour and other Parties.  This was matched by the increasing open hostility and bias in the mainstream  media towards Corbyn’s leadership, especially when it became evident he was likely to strengthen his position on the Executive Committee and through Parliament back up by roadshows on democracy and policy making and targeted social media activity. I spent many hour monitoring debates in the House of Commons live, usually recording PMQ’s, similarly BBC, Sky, ITN and Channel four news at 7pm, reading the Guardian and Daily Mail only which are free, reviewing social  media information and comments and checking on What the Papers say on BBC and Sky misnomers as they are in fact what individual journalist need to say to reflect their biased interests. I also watched Newsnight selective and the dread Politics shows when Andrew Heil has control.

There has been a continuing sense horror over the antics of Donald Trump and his overseas lack of diplomacy and integrity especially re North Korea, Iran and Russia and his tendency to falsehood, then deny and blame  his enemies shows no abatement. His visit here had amusing aspects  as clearly H.M was clearly not amused. I watched rthe Wedding of Prince Harry and Megan  with great joy over  the calculated establishment attacking Wedding service, immediately noting that the tabloid press commenced to  sharpen their knives towards Megan. I was in London and in the Mall just before the impressed anniversary of the formation of the RAF   and was impressed by the fly past.

The two events which more than any others mark out the nature of British politics and rthe end for fundamental changes have been the horror of Grenfell and the failure of the system to prevent and then cope and the Windrush Scandal where the Home Secretary appears to have been required to take rthe Gall to protect the fragile position of the Prime Minister. The new Home Secretary sounds good and put on a brave show  at first of being his own man before Party and Civil Service pressure appear to be clipping his wings. Whereas Javid appears thriving his rival Chuka (Umunna) is denying plotting to lead a new centre breakaway Labour party.

The Latest series of Long Lost Family continues to offer great emotional nourishment in relation to my own search and struggle  recognition who my father was and the failure of the Bishops of Gibraltar and Malta to acknowledge my submission and follow up letter is open to a wide spectrum of interpretations.  Overall, Who do you Think you are, appears to be running out of personalities with great heritage stories but rhe biggest surprise was the episode on Culture Clubs’ Boy George and his connections to a leading  executed Irish rebel.

Sky continue not to be able to justify holding over the remaining episodes of the brilliant series Game of Thrones from this year to next. Mt radio listen is becoming non-existent other than dail doses of Classics FM or Smooth radio, sometimes both. Only now and again do a devote a Friday afternoon to the Film Review with Mayo  or Kermode and even to  the always entertaining Saturday morning Five Live do you have red or brown sauce on your sausage sandwich show. I did manage to listen back to back to the serial the Corrupted which touches on the interaction between London’s crime gangs, corrupt police and politicians and has Margaret Thatcher buddy with a major financially supporting criminal. In complete contrast I am presently listening to book at bedtime Jaws which I think is better than the film and takin nothing from the film of Peter Benchley’s book. In between there was an Icelandic saga featuring a  feminist who destiny has only commenced to unfold.

In terms of other events I was able to make a family visit in March after the Beast from the East prevented the original first and  London visit in between. The weather since has been glorious and after a recent dive to normal  it has got better today  but I write on abandoning a cricket visit  as soon as  Durham commenced to collapse all out for 125 and their opponents have made a good start so far.

The most important event for me even more important than being given the opportunity to see world anew is private and therefore not for public reference. In relation to the new vision I decided that I needed to do better with  the required drops and  general eye care  so on my last visit to  the Cineworld at Bolden, I called in at Asda bought the latest in cotton wool, small round pads and some baby skin wipes (not seeing any other antiseptic wipes for body use). I almost rubbed the recently done eye at one point but stopped myself doing it in time. Used an eye patch provided again over the two night and noticed that it takes a few seconds for the eyes to work when I wake and need the stronger of the reading glasses I bought for  very small print.

I will discuss if I should have an optician test and prescription lens arranged for September operation evaluation.  I will  get some  good sun glasses for driving.

The mentioned threat of another parking fine was only the latest in my forgetting my age and tendency to have memory freezes when faced with an emotional or unplanned or unexpected situation. I had been having problems using my Sky remote control and put off doing something about it until Fridays semi-final game with Sussex when having set to record the game for viewing our hoped for success. Just before setting it was the remote which froze so I quickly Cheech that one was in stock at the nearest Argos and paid on line for quick visit and collect. I had also failed to get to essential items on my visit to Morrisons made after the haircut and been too lazy to immediately return,

So , I decided to return to Morrisons before going on to the riverside, collect the remote from Argos and buy the two missed item on the way back. It was noticeably colder with the hint of a forecast rain shower so I put on a light pakamac with hood  but did not fasten as I walked through the  store towards the downward escalator and holding the printed information sheet with the  collect item number in one hand and the walking stick in other when  my attention was drawn by a couple to the fact that the down escalator had been closed,  again, for repair. What I should done is then button up the pakamac before leaving the store and going down the outside slop into Ocean Road and onward  to the Argos r of the   rod parallel to  the High Street immediately opposite the relocation of the B an M store. Instead the cold wind and spits of rain meant that I only attempted with great difficulty to fasten the pakamac, outside the Fitzpatrick public House and having done so could not find or immediately remember what I had done with the sheet with the collect number. I knew it had not been left at home and wondered if it had been left in the car, but did not feel this was so, and the only other possibility, or so it seemed is that I had let the paper slip when in the Morrisons store. It was only when I started on the upward escalator that I remembered and checked the pocket that I located the information sheet, but it was too late to get down and as stated the reason why this had happened was that the downward escalator was not working  so I had to go back to the car park entrance to the store an then back down the slop to the side  and pass the Kirkpatrick pub without stopping and then  having collected the remote take the escalator  back into the store to do the shopping before setting straight off for Chester le Street River.   This is not however the end of this story!

l managed to  get to the car park closest to the main entrance to the ground  before the gates opened but found there was a fair queue at the main gate. I noted one of the regulars always there to ensure an end seat in members balcony was at the ticket desk for as he told me later he had left the ticket at home in rushed  retain his place in what was expected to be a good crowd, an where  his ticket purchased was checked but he had failed to get  his end of aisle seat.  Someone aged of me in queue reserved his place. I managed to get a different end of row seat, the last available as had been the position the previous Friday when because of weather here was no play.

To begin there was a great atmosphere and the best crowd for an evening 20 20 even though the Membership had to pay £10  in advance for their ticket. A Family of two adults and children had to pay £40, children were admitted free irrespective of the number accompanying asnd there were many more children of all ages than before. Although it was early and knowing the rush there would be during short interval between innings I bought a fair sized cheeseburger with bacon for £5 (£2 with chips at McD’s) a good chat with immediate neighbours in the front row and those behind. Those behind were regulars and said they would be there to day which I planned before seeing who batted first, Durham when Durham were put into bat again and were all out for 125. So, I stay home on a nice day and write this.

Last Friday the weather cleared and although it got cold later, it became a very pleasant evening. The club and the ECB made the occasion a special one so in addition to the  hot sequential gas flame boxes  on the pitch side before the balcony which go off in rotation  for every four or six  hit  there were also firework attachments which went off as the game commenced. The game also got off to a great cricket start with Durham and Stokes hitting the bowlers all round scoring  over 60  in the first five overs and then Stokes was given out LBW and people who were watching at home on Sky started to phone to say he should not have been given out.   In fairness the two  usual opening batsmen and Collingwood were then quickly out. The young spin bowler who  replaced  Rashid for Sussex was as good as was their other spinner  and the runs stopped  down to four an over and they were  quickly out if they tried any big hits. The atmosphere dropped, and everyone knew we had not got enough runs by a margin. Hopes rose with a wicket in first over of the Susses innings and then soon after but after that it quickly became evident the game was  lost. I was not alone in making an early retreat and  when I arrived back I needed some hot soup.  It was then having unpacked I knew I had left the new Sky hand set in the car. I also remembered I had not stopped for petrol.

I decided to try out the little microwave saucepan with lid and guessed three minutes which proved hot enough and put the lid back on to take  back to living work room. The soup was good. I put on shoes again and wrapped up in a coat and made by way back to car. I found the new Remote but was not inclined to go for petrol, forgetting the issue until making my way to the Metro station carpark yesterday. Fortunately, the new one worked first time, so I stayed up till very late catching up TV  but  did not watch the Durham game  and playing  free patience games while I waited for the hosue to warm up a little. And switched the heating system on for the first time is a couple of months.  I thought I had got a cough before cold again so  had one of three little matured Scottish whiskies, a family present, kept for such a situation. I sipped slowly without adding water or ice. It did the trick as on waking if there had been making of a cold, it had been kept at bay, for now.