A Few More Niggles

Who's idea was it at Marks and Spencer to put stupid stickers on the soles of their slippers which are very difficult to remove? And, after some real effort, there is a really nasty sticky residue left which is even more difficult to remove. This seems to be a problem with quite a few items we've bought. You get similar stickers in books, for example, in Waterstone's when they have their 'Buy one get one half price' or 'buy one and get one free' offers. They insist on having stickers on the covers of the books which are difficult enough to remove and once removed, leave a nasty sticky residue which is even more difficult to remove. Why wants their books covered in the stickers in the first place? The same with books in The Works, the bargain book shop. Just as difficult to get the sticky goo off the cover of the books you have just purchased from them.

While I'm on the subject of labels, not particularly stickers, but those of a different type. Why does IKEA insist on having such ridiculously large labels on their products? I know they have to warn people of the dangers of the risk of fire (but, come on, who in their right mind is going to put a match to such items as curtains, carpets etc etc, or put them too close to an open flame or 'source of ignition.'? Although, thinking about it, I suppose there is always someone who would.) What I'm thinking about are the horrible long bits of material stuck to some items they sell, giving such details as materials and where the item is made, which just look ugly and out of place. We always cut them off, on some items, such as throws and soft toys we've bought for our dogs. I suppose it's to adhere to Health and Safety regulations or something. No doubt to do with the E.U. so something we won't have to contend with once Britain has left. Then, why, on hot drinks cups, for example, when you buy a coffee in Costa, Starbucks or any other outlet that sells take-away drinks, do they have to state the patently obvious on the cups, with the words 'Take care. Contents may be hot.' So, what do you expect with a hot drink? Are people do dumb they need to be reminded that the contents are hot? Doh! The same when you have a microwavable meal, they insist on telling you that the contents of the little plastic container you have which has a lasagne in it or other meal, will be very hot when it comes out of the microwave or oven? 'Open carefully because hot steam will escape.' There's a surprise. I have a real dislike of these cardboard cups anyway. How on earth are you expected to drink from them, with the lid on, out of such a tiny hole? You get such a tiny mouthful, it's hardly worth bothering. I don't know why anyone would want to buy these cups of coffee, usually from vending machines, and why do people have to walk around drinking hot coffee in the first place? A decent cup of coffee needs drinking from a proper china cup, not something made of nasty plastic or cardboard, which, incidentally, most likely not be recycled. It needs drinking fairly quickly before it gets cold and is totally unpleasant. 

Library Job

I've mentioned the many and various jobs I've done over the years. Not always successful. Certainly not in any way related to my theatre experience, but one that does spring to mind was working for Bedford Library Service. I was employed to drive a library van, and as part of the job I was to visit local schools in and around  Bedfordshire, with a group of librarians, who would help stock the libraries of the schools we visited and, later on, do story time with the children. With my experience of working in theatre, as well as puppetry (having done schools touring with several puppet companies, which I have never discussed on this blog, but may do in the not-too distant future.) it seemed the perfect job for me. I would have been good as a story-teller with the children. It was this part of the job which appealed to me most when I first applied for the job.  However, there were one or two problems which didn't help. I had a perfectly clean driving licence. I had been driving for many years. No problem with that. It was the driving of the library van which was the problem. When I went for the initial interview I had to do a driving test in the vehicle. It was large and very cumbersome. As you would expect of a mobile library. I had to drive the thing around the carpark at Bedford County Hall. A great deal of crashing of gears and it was extremely difficult to see clearly when reversing. Also, I had to take it out on the roads of Bedford (with another person sitting beside me, it has to be noted.) Some of the one-way system in Bedford town centre (this was in the mid 1980's.) was extremely hazardous, particularly one junction from Caldwell Street into St John's Street. The traffic is supposed to merge, with no traffic lights to control the flow, so you took your life in your hands and judge when to move into the road. I had real problems putting the vehicle into gear. Not nice if you are standing still, waiting at a junction, craning your neck round to get a view of the road over your left shoulder and then attempting to put the thing into gear so the vehicle will move off safely. The thing was extremely large and heavy, so it took some time to gather speed so I could drive into the flow of traffic. I had real problems with all this. But, regardless of my driving test, I was taken on for the job. It wasn't just driving around the town in the one-way traffic which was the problem (actually, out in the countryside there wasn't a problem at all. It was the gears in the wretched vehicle and the size of it which caused the problems.) but getting the thing in and out of the garage at County Hall which caused the greatest problems. It was extremely narrow and you were expected to reverse this colossal vehicle in and out of an extremely narrow entrance. Also, without the help of any member of staff. Crazy, if you think about it. It would have made the process of reversing so much easier. But they wouldn't do this for me. It  might have been easier if they'd cleared out the boxes and other clutter which blocked the rear of the garage, because there was actually an exit, which, had it been cleared properly, would have meant you drove IN one end and drove OUT the other. But the staff would not do this, they were stubborn in their total refusal to make my life easier. I think there was one occasion when I probably scratched the side of the benighted library van, because of the very narrowness of the garage i was expected to reverse into. Probably merely inches to clear on either side. Also, as you reversed in from the carpark, you had to negotiate a loading bay, a large chunk of concrete, which was directly to one side as you reversed into this garage. An extremely difficult manoeuvre, to say the least. It probably would have been really easy if driving a car (which is what I had only ever driven, apart from vans and minibusses.) Which begs the question 'Why did they employ me to drive a vehicle so large, which actually required the driver to hold either a PSV or HGV licence, neither of which I held?' A really good question. It also didn't exactly help that, at the time all this was going on, the river bridge in Prebend Street was closed to heavy vehicles, which included the library van I was expected to drive. As the library service in County Hall, Bedford, is on Prebend Street, you can imagine the inconvenience if you were required to cross the River Ouse, you had to drive all the way round the town and use the main river bridge which leads into the centre of Bedford and then traverse the one-way system in order to avoid using the Prebend Street bridge and then the other way round if you were coming into the town from the north of Bedfordshire. Not exactly making my job any easier.

The rest of the job was really straightforward. Sorting books. Reshelving them. As I'm something of a reader, as you might have realised if you've read any of my earlier posts. Put me near a bookshop and I can spend hours browsing. Also, merely looking around this room you will see bookshelves simply heaving with books. So, the job was perfect for me. Also, repairing covers, using the special plastic material they use to give library books a clear, protective cover. Also, learning how to use the Dewey system of classification. Then, going out in the library vehicle and visiting all those Primary Schools in and around Bedfordshire. What could have been more perfect? Particularly in the summer months.

Needless to say you must have by now got some idea how this all ended. I got sacked. Which was a great shame, as I actually enjoyed the job. Certainly better than a great many jobs I've done. I think they probably realised that I wasn't suitable as a driver (yes, a driver with an HGV or PSV licence would have been ideal, but wouldn't probably have had my experience of working in schools or an interest in the story-time aspect of the job.) But the library staff's somewhat arrogant attitude as regarding helping with reversing into the garage as well as clearing out the garage so I could drive in one end and out the other. Also, they would sit inside the library van when out on the road and in particular when in school playgrounds, it could be difficult reversing, for safety as much as anything else. A total refusal to help was unnecessary and, quite frankly, quite unpleasant. I think they had a sort of 'we're librarians, and it's not our job to help the driver' attitude. Sorry, but to be honest they were rather stuck-up.

Better NOT go to SpecSavers, but Happy 50th Birthday Milton Keynes!

Yesterday was Milton Keynes 50th Birthday. Not sure exactly what actually happened on 23rd January 1967, but I think it was when the Milton Keynes Development Corporation was set up. It was decommissioned by the Government of the day 25 years later. I have been living in the City (is it a town or a city? It has never received City status. It is has always been the butt of many jokes, particularly over such things as the number of roundabouts and the famous or infamous 'Concrete Cows.' It's an easy place to find your way around, because the grid roads have so many roundabouts that if you loose your way you can always go to the next roundabout, which are at approximately every mile and merely turn round. It can be difficult to imagine that it has so many people living here because of all the trees and driving through the place you can never always see the houses as they are screened by trees which line the roads and then the banks that run along the grid roads are where most of the trees grow.

On Saturday morning we went into the City centre, specifically to visit the Central Shopping Centre. We were looking for flip-flop footwear. It probably sounds strange to learn that we wanted them because, at Nuffield, walking back and forth between the changing rooms and the swimming pool, it is quite slippery. It seems that most of the other people wear something on their feet, such as flip-flops. We walked the length of the shopping centre, stopping at several shops on the way to try and buy myself and Carol our own pair. No success. Probably because they are a seasonal item, which most people buy when they go on holiday, for use on the beach or at the pool-side. We eventually ended up in John Lewis, but no flip-flops of any kind could be discover. We went to their cafe to have lattes and cake, as by the time we'd arrived at John Lewis's we were exhausted. We eventually visited Sports Direct, which has a branch in Midsummer place and it was here that we discovered the flip-flops we wanted. On trying mine on at home, I found that I couldn't wear them as the central 'bar' that goes between my big toe and next toe was hurting my foot so decided that I really needed to purchase what are called 'Sliders.' These are made of a similar material as flip-flops, but are more like backless slippers, but made of water resistant material, a sort of plastic/rubber combination. I have since been to the Sports Direct branch at Bletchley, the retail park on perhaps the worst roundabout combination in the area and got a pair of 'sliders' there.

There is currently work going on in the Central Shopping Central. It's being renovated. The entrance we went into near Marks and Spencer has been given a real spruce-up. It has new flooring, and there are areas which are currently screened off, where the old flooring has been taken up, no doubt ready for new tiling to be laid. Along the malls at one end, there are new seating areas and it seems that a lot of the plants that used to be set into raised beds have been removed. Well, to be honest, some of the plants were beginning to look a bit tired. Quite a few died. They've been in position since the shopping centre was opened by H.M. The Queen, in 1979. It seems amazing that this is Grade II Listed and it can't be altered substantially. It would appear that the rest of the shopping centre (which must be one of the first covered shopping centres in Great Britain, probably after the Brent Cross shopping centre just outside London.) H.M.V.'s store is about to close. They have a sale on, due to 'relocation.' No doubt because they don't need such a big unit. Also W.H.Smith's did the same. They have now moved into a much smaller unit, I think it was where the Post Office was originally when the shopping centre opened. That then moved to a unit in one of the 'Walks' which link the two sides of the centre, but has since transferred to a new unit near the theatre, which has been open a few years now. It would make sense that, instead of closing a store to refurbish, the company moves to a new unit, which would allow the old unit to remain until the new unit was completed. B.H.S. has been closed down since the company ceased trading last year. Also, Woolworth's, the old unit they had opposite W.H.Smith's old shop is now a T.K.Maax.

This morning I went back into the City centre as I had an appointment at SpecSavers. If you've read my earlier blog post, you will know that I had my eyes tested in November. I had gone to Boot's opticians, but took the prescription to SpecSavers to have the glasses made up there. I wish I hadn't bothered. The staff in this place is either dumb or just plain stupid. Just being fair and reasonable, but speaking the truth. I wanted TWO pairs of glasses made up, under their 'Two pairs for £69.' Not too difficult to explain, surely. A week later I go back to collect the order and discover the stupid girl who took the order had got it wrong and given me TWO PAIRS of the same glasses, for distance. Doh! So I had to get them to get it right, and a few days later I get the correct order and then discover that the reading glasses are not suitable  for close reading as well as working on the computer (as now). I went back today to have a re-test. The optician did a good job, but the staff at reception or front's-house, or what ever, who take the prescription to have it made up into glasses, well, another really dump girl who couldn't get what I wanted and I had to explain I don't know how many time that I wanted reading glasses made up for more distant reading work. Dumb or what? Not particularly on-the-ball. I don't trust them to do exactly what I required and will not in future be going to SpecSavers. I think they ought to train their staff better. Just poor customer service in my opinion.

Trumpery, Brexit and A Bitterly Cold Morning

A really bitterly cold morning. The ice on the car really took some shifting. I almost used up an entire bottle of spray anti-freeze. I have to be really careful with cold that intense. I get a real pain in my chest. Not sure I want to induce another heart attack as a result. I think it's because your arteries close up or something. Stops blood pumping through. I'm not going to see what happens so I'd rather be in the warm. The central heating is on. I turned it up a notch yesterday.

So, today is Donald Trump's inauguration. I'm not so sure how I feel about the man. He's made some really nasty comments, he's divisive, what will his Presidency be like? How will we, in Great Britain, get on with the man? More or less the complete opposite ideologically, to Barak Obama. Sorry to see him go. Let's wait and see what happens. I think Trump's style of campaigning during the run-up to the U.S. Election was based on his experience of being on the reality television show "The Apprentice." These shows rely on 'sound bites.' They need them so that people make comments on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. He has used these 'sound bites' to get a reaction, to get people talking, whether for good or bad. He just needs to temper his comments. He says something, and then sometimes regrets it. Something like "The Apprentice" has catch phrases such as 'Your Fired!" which everyone knows. The same with "Strictly Come Dancing" which is manipulated by the media to give it the best stories which can be reproduced in the Tabloid press. Whenever one of the judges says something nice or nasty, it gets a headline in 'The Sun' or 'The Mail.' (Other tabloid newspapers are available.) Do Americans realise that 'Trump' has a different meaning in this country? As George Bernard Shaw so succinctly said about American and British 'English' and the difference, 'two countries divided by one language.' 

As for Brexit (I'm sorry, but I hate the term.), why didn't our politicians make more effort to actually EXPLAIN what the E.U. was about, well in advance of the Referendum in June? How many voters in that vote actually know what they were voting for? So many people, particularly those in the youngest age-group, say from 18-30, don't appear to have any interest in politics. I know the scandal of M.P's expenses a few years ago tarnished the reputation of Parliament and it's members, which is understandable, but how many people really understand what we got out of the E.U.? If you don't understand the process of Parliament or the E.U. (which also has itself to blame.) how can anyone make an unbiased decision, to leave or remain, if they aren't given the facts? most young people seem more interested in celebrity culture, reality television, the latest football results, than politics and in particular, the E.U. How many people do you see walking about the streets with their mobile phones in their hands, and not actually interacting with the world around them?  When the result of the Referendum is going to have such far-reaching consequences, wouldn't it have been more important to vote in this important Referendum than keeping your face glued to a stupid mobile telephone? It was the tabloid press in Britain who were very much responsible for giving the E.U. a negative presentation, which would have swung there readers towards voting to leave. I also blame the government who drafted the legislation which allowed the Referendum. Why did they not have a clause in that which said that the vote either for or against, had to be of a certain percentage one way or another, to allow for a leave or remain decision? The fact that the 'Leave' vote was so low, I don't know the exact figure, but it was as low as 1-2% in favour of leaving the E.U.

Having done some research on the subject of the Referendum on the internet, I find that around 25,000 votes were invalid or blank. What are we to make of this? Why were they 'invalid'? Are some people so stupid that they spoilt their ballot papers so they became invalid? Didn't they think the vote was important enough to use this Referendum properly and actually vote one way or the other? If they had voted, perhaps the difference in the outcome would have been very different. It just shows the ignorance of some people knows no bounds.

A Sunny and Cold Day

It wasn't quite as cold as it was yesterday morning. I was expecting there to be quite a hard frost, but only actually a light icing on the car so not as bad as it might have been. As I write this the sun is making a valiant attempt to shine. When it's sunny the lounge can become quite warm, and it is then that you don't need the central heating on.

I was supposed to have gone into the City centre this morning to get my eyes re-tested at Spec Savers. I got my eyes tested by Boot's Opticians a couple of months ago, but then I saw that Spec Savers had a good offer whereby you got two pairs of specs made up for £69. You just take your prescription from one company to another and they make up the specs accordingly. When I got the glasses back around a week later I found that the distance pair were fine, but when I got home and tried the reading glasses, they weren't correct for reading at a fairly close distance, such as a book or newspaper or when working on the laptop computer, as I am at this moment. The pair I am currently using are an 'off the shelf' pair bought from Boots. I managed to book a re-test appointment on line and it was going to be today, but they rang this morning to say it couldn't go ahead as the optician was unwell. It is re-booked for this Tuesday morning. I suppose if a member of staff is ill there isn't much I can do about it. I was offered an alternative appointment but I really didn't fancy driving in to the city centre this afternoon, so I chose to have the Tuesday alternative.

I'm currently watching "The Man In The High Castle," The Amazon series which is available on Amazon Fire Television.  It's one of those series which keeps you guessing, and it certainly has that 'I must see the next episode' feel to it, which I suppose is essential when you have all the episodes available to view 'on line.' You could 'binge' view this quite well, if you were that way inclined. This sort of thing has certainly change the way people watch television. Gone are the days when you had to wait a full week before you got the next episode of a series. I'm on series 2 which began just before Christmas. It is based on a Philip K. Dick novel and takes the 'what if' concept of what would have happened if the Nazis had won the Second World War. They have divided the U.S.A. in to 'zones' and are in charge of the country in partnership, although it's an uneasy partnership, with the Japanese. It is co-produced by Ridley Scott, who is also responsible, in part, for the new BBC 1 drama 'Taboo" which stars Tom Hardy. It makes a change to have some television drama with a bit of bite to it. Not for those of a nervous disposition as this one in particular is dark and grimy. Why on earth is it that the BBC can commission this sort of stuff, yet insist on going on with pap like "Holby City" and "Casualty" which are both well past their 'sell-by' dates? Well, I suppose it gives someone work, even if it's a few actors and writers.

Red Sky In The Morning

There was an intensely bright red sky this morning. You know what they always say, ' red sky at night, shepherd's delight. Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning.' So, does that mean we are in for some severe weather? More snow? Really hard frosts? Snow drifts? Who knows. Just have to put up with it if it is really bad. 

 We drove to the Shell petrol station in Grafton Street early this morning to fill the car up with £30 worth of petrol. The sky was really beautiful and I would have gone back home and collected my Canon digital camera and gone out to take some photographs of it, but it was changing so rapidly, unfortunately, that it didn't seem worthwhile. A pity, because it would have made a great shot, or more than one shot, which I would have posted on here.

It was also cold and frosty. Not over-keen to get chilled to the bone, so sprayed the car's windscreen and windows before we drove out. Nothing worse, or for that matter, dangerous, than driving with partially misted or iced-up windows. My gloves and hat came in handy. 

Over the Christmas period I have been working on the plot line for another section of my writing project which I've been developing over the past couple of years. I had written this out in note-form several times and yesterday I transferred it to word processing. I have finished it off this morning and printed it out, two pages of it. It does seem to work and there's a fairly good story arc. Now I just have to sit down and write the piece, using the framework of the plot line as reference.

I shall revise this blog as the day goes on, so do come back to see what else I write.

11.30 a.m.

I've been into Milton Keynes Central Shopping Centre. It's turned out to be quite a bright and sunny day, so it's pleasant driving in and parking and then walking into the shopping centre. It was around 9.15 when I eventually got there. I wanted to buy new swimming shorts and I'd seen some in Marks and Spencer when I visited the other day. I thought £10 was a reasonable price to pay and they're a rather pleasant red-colour. Supposed to be quick drying. Not sure how they can be any different to any other swimwear. I suppose it's because they're made of polyester or something. We'll be going to Nuffield this evening once Carol gets in from work, so I'll wear them then. The old ones I have been wearing are beginning to get a bit tatty which is why I wanted new ones. We bought them from Very when we went to Chloe and Steve's wedding in August 2013 and we were staying at a holiday centre in Ilfracombe where there was a swimming pool. We then joined D.W. Health when we came back after the holiday.

I then walked along the shopping mall and went into Boots. I wanted to buy a G.T.N. spray because the one I have has more or less finished. I have one on order, through the repeat prescription, but, to avoid an angina attack when we go swimming I wanted one to put in my bag and use before going into the pool this evening. I was amazed by how much cheaper this one was compared to when I bought a spare a few months ago. It was a little over £3 compared to around £7 elsewhere. I shall be going back to buy this medication from Boots again in future.

On the way along the shopping centre I arrived at Middleton Hall, the large open space near John Lewis. This is where the annual Christmas display is held and also other events such as trade shows, exhibitions and so on. There is currently a really interesting exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of the building of Milton Keynes. A number of large maps, one being of the area that became the city in around the middle of the 19th century and another which shows archaeological finds. Also, models of buildings, such as the Civic Centre and others to show how bridges would be constructed and fit into the landscape.

It's Carol's birthday in March, and as a treat we were planning to go and see the musical 'Funny Girl' which is on the week of her birthday. I had hoped to buy two tickets for the Saturday matinee. I walked all the way to the theatre (Milton Keynes Theatre. You would think they could have come up with a more exciting name, would you not? Even the new theatre in Aylesbury is called the 'Waterside Theatre.'), quite a good hike along the shopping centre and then over the road near Campbell Park. The theatre was dark, no sign of life. The box office wasn't open, but then I saw that it didn't open until 10.00 a.m. I only had ten minutes or so to wait. Once I got inside, I went to the next available ticket person. I asked for two tickets for the matinee I wanted to book for, but was told that that performance was fully booked. Then the girl looked and saw that they had two returns, right up in 'The Gods,' the top-most tier of seating. I was then shocked to learn that these tickets were £45 each. That meant that the two seats would be £90. Far more than I'd intended paying and also, being in that position in the auditorium, having a really poor view of the stage. When we've been to see shows before we've usually had seats in the middle tier of seating, where you get a relatively good view of the stage. We'd been to see 'Guys and Dolls' a few years ago and sat in the top-most tier of seats and it had really poor visibility of the stage, which is why I didn't want to pay so much for rather inferior seating. I'm afraid we'll have to find something else to do that week, as, frankly I don't want to pay over-the-top prices for an out-of-town touring production of a show. It's around the same price of a West End show, which is all well and good, but my opinion is it's just a way of making a profit out of provincial audiences.

I walked back towards Marks and Spencer's and went into Waterstones. Why is it they dropped the apostrophe off their name? It makes me laugh when you think that as they are a book shop, you'd think they'd attempt to have such things as spelling and punctuation, particularly of their company name, written correctly. Anyway, there was a book on offer for half price which I wanted to check out. I shalln't say any more, just in case Carol is reading this, as I got it as a birthday present. It means I will have to hide it away somewhere so she can't see it. My sock drawer for example. I was also looking for Alan Bennet's Diaries, not literally, I mean, published. The latest selection has gone on sale in hardback, called 'Getting On, Getting On,' I want the earlier selection. I want to read the latest selection, but not having read his earlier jottings, it would be a good idea to read the earlier one's before proceeding to the latest. I wasn't sure where to look. It wouldn't be in the fiction section, so I went upstairs. The more academic books. No staff around. Nobody up there to ask, so I went downstairs and asked at the central pay desk. The young girl had a look on the computer. I said I had seen 'The Lady In The Van' which is a film based on Alan Bennet's relationship with an elderly lady, called Miss Shepherd, who came to live in his driveway, in an ancient yellow van. If you haven't seen it, you should. It stars the amazing Dame Maggie Smith. In a portrayal of a character very far removed from the character she plays in "Downton Abbey." Anyway, I didn't seem to elicit any sort of anything from this Waterstones employee, except to tell me the biography section upstairs had any books by Mr Bennett. The newer book was on display on the tables downstairs, but, as I say, it wasn't the actual book I was after, and anyway, I would wait for it to be released in paperback before I purchased it. So, armed with the information I was given I returned upstairs and there, in the biography section (even though, in actual fact, the book is autobiography) was one of Alan Bennett's books entitled "Untold Stories." I returned downstairs with the book and went to pay at the cash desk. The young woman was as distant and far away as it was possible. I do attempt to converse with shop staff, but she wasn't going to respond, unfortunately. I do think Waterstones should at least employ people who have some sort of conversational ability, or is it just, what with social media such as Facebook and Twitter, people don't need to actual converse anymore. Pity, because usually when I go into Waterstones, I get some sort of response when I try to speak to their staff. Some sort of interest in what they are selling, which isn't a great deal to ask, surely. I know that times are hard, or so we keep being told, but why are there so few staff in that shop? They've given it a facelift and there are actually two branches in Milton Keynes. The shops are much more bright and modern, not so dark and dingy as they used to be. It's a pity that the branch in Midsummer Place got rid of the Costa coffee shop upstairs. It has been replaced by what would appear to be Waterstone's own coffee shop, but last time Carol went in there for coffee we weren't exactly over-impressed. It's on the ground floor, which is probably better. I think the idea is that you choose your books and then take them to the coffee shop to browse through as you sip your latte or cappuccino. 

Even More Viewing

There's been quite a few television programmes about musical theatre over the past few weeks. Sky Arts have a programme called 'Backstage With Disney On Broadway'. It's 20 years since Disney produced 'Beauty and The Beast' as a stage musical. The show tells the background story to not only 'Beauty and The Beast' but the other Disney animated films which have since been bought to the stage, such as 'The Lion King,' 'Aladdin', 'Mary Poppins' and 'The Newsies.' This last show is new to me. I had never heard of it. If you don't manage to catch this show when it's broadcast,  then you might be able to see it because Sky Arts shows a lot of it's programmes in a sort of cycle, which means if you don't see it the first time round, it is very likely to be shown at a later date, and time, or, if you have Sky+ or, as we do, Sky Q, then you should be able to find it on catch-up, so you can download it. With our Sky Q box we can at least record around 300 hours of programmes (not that we're likely to store that many at any one time.) we can at least watch things which have been record, particularly when there's so much on, as there was over Christmas.

Then, over Christmas there was another treat. It was called 'West Side Stories: The Making of A Classic", and tells the story of how the Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical was conceived and bought to the stage in 1957. Loosely based on William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet,' but given a contemporary (well, 1950's) New York setting, the documentary concentrated more on the dance which was used in the show, which explains why Bruno Tonioli was one of the presenters (he is one of the judges on the popular BBC1 show, 'Strictly Come Dancing.') It has always been one of my favourite shows, basically because it has a very strong score, which has barely dated. I have the movie on DVD, which came out in 1961. As I say, the score hasn't dated, nor has the theme of tolerance and racial division, probably more relevant today than when it was first produced. The film looks as fresh as the first day it was released, although perhaps the costumes might look somewhat dated, but the style of the whole thing, the use of colour, graphics and the fact that it was filmed on the actual streets where it is set, makes it quite remarkable. It went on to win no less than 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Director and Cinematography. 

Then, last Friday, BBC Four gave us the first of a three-part documentary series called "Sound of Musicals With Neil Brand." The first episode did a short history of the musical, from the early 20th Century. Neil Brand, who is someone I haven't heard of before, gave a very academic reading of some of the most iconic songs from musicals, how they were written as well as how they were constructed as well as the background study on several classic musicals. He touched briefly on 'West Side Story," "Annie Get Your Gun" which was being shown in rehearsal at the Sheffield Crucible Theatre. Another bit of history was the background to "My Fair Lady" and had rare footage of Julie Andrews, who was the original Eliza Doolittle in the Broadway production in 1956 and then came to London for the transfer when it played at the  Theatre Royal Theatre, Drury Lane.  The next two programmes are going to cover the story of more recent musicals and no doubt will cover those shows created and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, such as 'Phantom of The Opera."

I have mentioned this in an earlier post, but when I was at Rushmoor School we went to see the original London production of Oliver! It must have been my first experience of a West End musical. I can't think how the teacher, Mr Crutchley, managed to get tickets for such a top-rated show. It can't have been opened very long when we went. We didn't pay for the tickets, so, even to this day, I have no idea who paid for them. I suppose around 25 of us went, on a Saturday. Quite a challenge for one man to take a group like us to London. I think I would have been 10-11, because the show opened in 1960, and, as I say, we can't have gone to see it barely months after it opened. I remember quite vividly the set, designed by Sean Kenny. A year or so later we went to see another musical 'Pickwick' which was on at the Saville Theatre in Shaftsbury Avenue. Since converted into a cinema. The show starred Harry Secombe. 

I think I became interested in not just theatre, but also musicals, because my grandmother was a good pianist (something my elder brother, Robert seems to have inherited.) She had a piano in her sitting room at Mill Farm,  Cardington, where she lived. On the top of the piano were scores for a number of musicals which would have been running at the time (the late 1950's, early 1960's, which included "My Fair Lady" and "Salad Days.") The last I mention was a show which was produced when I was working as a Student A.S.M. at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham in 1969. It was an exceptionally hot summer that year, and, as part of the season of shows, the programmed show which was scheduled to be staged, "The Country Wife," a Restoration comedy by William Wycherley. Because of falling audiences, due to the heatwave, it was decided that it would be better to abandon the Wycherley play and instead do "Salad Days," which would have been cheaper to stage. The costumes and wigs for a Restoration Comedy would have been too great. It was therefore the first time I'd worked on a musical. It's probably a bit twee and simplistic for modern audiences, about a magical piano which makes people dance. It was originally staged in the early 1950's, and the music is pleasant but I don't think it would go down too well with a modern, early 21st century audience, more used to shows such as 'Les Miswerables' or even 'Wicked.' The Artistic Director of the Everyman Theatre at the time, Michael Ashton, who directed this production of "Salad Days," was responsible for writing a musical himself. It was called "The Young Visiters." It was based on a book written by a young girl called Daisy Ashford. The musical was given a West End run and starred Alfred Marks and an actress who was in the company at the Everyman, Vivienne Ross, was also in this show. She was the female lead in the production of "Salad Days" at Cheltenham. She was in  the ITV soap 'Coronation Street'  as Stella Rigby, a friend of Bet Lynch when she was landlady of the Rover's Return pub, as Stella Rigby, another landlady who ran The White Swan.            
(Incidentally, I have spelt 'Visiters' correctly. It is how Daisy Ashford spelt the word, as a child would, when the book was originally published.)

Further to what I mentioned about Oliver!, in around 1968, at about the time I was leaving school, I was attempting to get into theatre, stage management in particular. I had an interview at R.A.D.A. (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) with the intention of doing a Stage Management course there. I went with my mother and aunt to London for this interview. I remember we went by train. We went from Sandy railway station, because my aunt lived near Sandy, so I suppose it was the best station to go to London from. When I'd had the interview (I didn't get into R.A.D.A. if you're interested. Read my earlier posts on my stage management experience working in 'rep.') After the interview, my mum and aunt went off somewhere in London on their own. No doubt they went to do some shopping. I want to see the film of 'Oliver!' which had then recently just opened at the Odeon, Leicester Square. It's a good transfer of a stage musical to the big screen, the dances are good and the production design is good, but it does seem a bit tame when you think how they did the movie version of 'Les Miserables.' Far too bright and well lit and clean to be convincing as Victorian London. I have since learnt that the young lad who played Oliver, Mark Lester, had his voice dubbed by a girl, which must have been a bit of an insult.

More Reading and Viewing

I'm currently reading Andrew Marr's book 'A History of Modern Britain.' I read his earlier volume, 'The Making of Modern Britain' which starts with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and concludes with the end of the Second World War in 1945. This second book (which, apparently, was written before the other book.) takes up the story in 1945 with the General Election which saw Labour win a landslide victory and Clement Attlee becoming Prime Minister. This administration ushered in the Welfare State, the birth of the N.H.S.,  and National Insurance. I'm not sure this wasn't written to compliment a documentary series which Marr wrote and presented on BBC 1. I think I may have seen it, but, when I saw these two books in The Works in Milton Keynes Shopping Centre I had to buy them. Full-price they cost £9.99 each, but they were selling for £6 for both.  I have to say I love a good bargain, and at that price they were more than a bargain.

Yesterday evening there was a documentary on BBC1 which was a sort of complimentary programme to the drama series 'Call The Midwife,' which gave a background to that series and mentioned the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948, so it was interesting to read about this in the Marr book and hear people talking about this on this programme.

I also learned that in 1947 there was a 'Big Freeze' that winter. Roads were blocked and food had to be rationed, even more than it had been during the war which ended in 1945. Things were certainly extremely tough. It reminds me of the winter of 1962-3. That was exceptionally cold. I lived on a farm and my father had real problems keeping pigeons off the Brussel sprouts which they grew on the farm.  They used what are called gas guns, contraptions which ran on cylinders of what I imagine would have been like caller gas, with a timer, and these things had a charge in them, with a timer, which was let off at a pre-determined length of time and which scared off the pigeons. It was one of these gas-guns which went off in the back of the Land Rover, which my father was driving at the time, and perforated my father's ear-drum and as a result made him profoundly deaf which he was forever after until he died in 1993. He did wear a hearing aid, when he could be bothered to wear it, but his hearing was never the same after that incident, as you can imagine. It must have been a very loud explosion, and in an enclosed space, as it would have been in the back of a vehicle and he would have been sitting quite close if he was driving the Land Rover. 

It was also the year I had my appendix out. I was supposed to go into Victoria Ward at Bedford Hospital over Christmas that year, but fortunately I went in well before Christmas so I could be at home for the Christmas period. I remember that ward, it had tile panels on the walls, each one showing illustrations for nursery rhyme characters. I don't imagine that old Victorian ward is still being used as a children's ward. Anyway, at Rushmoor School which I attended, no doubt after I returned to school in 1963,  the playground became so snowed over because it snowed and then thawed and then froze I seem to remember, the snow became so thick we had to go out and help shovel it off the surface (unlike today, when children don't have to help with anything at school, no doubt they would say it was contravening their 'Human Rights' to have to work, or even help to pick up litter which is something we had to do at school. Anyway, the snow was heaped at one end of the playground, against a wall, and when it was frozen solid, it began to push over the wall. I'm not sure it was able to actually collapse it, but I do remember it was pushed to a quite sharp angle.

Further Little Niggles

A further blog post about those annoyances that make life difficult or impossible and, without them, things would go just that bit better. Not just niggles, but also meanderings and whitterings. I shall publish this as it is, but add to it as the day goes on, so if you read this at 8.00 a.m. it is not going to be the same by the end of the day as I intend adding to it as the day progresses.

How about parking machines? I'm talking about those ticket machines which are set up, mainly by local authorities, which you are supposed to use when you go into town and want to park your car. They generally take One Pound coins and you put them into the slot provided and then, a couple of seconds later, they fall out the slot where your change comes out. Oh, on second thoughts, they don't give change, or, at least, those in and around the Milton Keynes Central Shopping Centre. Why is this? It seems a bit of a cheat, they would charge you if you didn't have a ticket in the first place, or you arrive back at your parked vehicle, having spent a small fortune in the shops, laden with packages. Is it your fault that your time was taken up in a queue in a certain store? Some old dear at the check-out, counting out her cash, a mountain of 1p and 2p pieces? Or people who can't find their debit or credit card, or some such similar hold-up? If you know you will need these items, why not have them handy, so there isn't a hold-up at the checkout? And, while we're on the subject of checkouts, if you use a self-service checkout, why do you have to have that awful voice which keeps telling you that there's an 'unexpected item in bagging area,' or having you every flaw shouted at you so the entire supermarket can hear. I don 't mind using the machines, but why have a voice, usually sounding like a grumpy old aunty shouting at you for misbehaving. Or mechanical voices in general. Another is in lifts. Who are they for? 'Doors opening' and 'doors closing,' Are they for the benefit of those with poor eyesight, the visually impaired (not supposed to say 'blind' as it's not 'Politically Correct.') Surely if you had a visual impairment, your hearing would be better than if you had sight, you would know well enough when the doors in a lift open or close. you would sense when this happens. You would feel the lift moving. it's just because THEY CAN put a mechanical voice in a list that there is one. And, a further thought, who records the voices in the first place? It's the same when you top up your mobile, the irritating female who is supposed to guide you through the operation. Is it some out of work Equity member who couldn't get a job working on EastEnders or who failed her audition for the R.S.C. or National Theatre. What a job! Standing in a recording studio and just saying 'doors opening' or 'doors closing,' how many 'takes' did they do to get the right inflection? Angry, pleased, frustrated?  You can only imagine. Why not do different voices for all of these? Or actors who work on radio shows such as 'The Archers.'

Why are the traffic lights in Milton Keynes so slow to change? There are several sets in and around the centre, along Witan Gate near Sainsbury's. You can drive along Witan Gate and then stop at each set. Surely they could be set so as to allow you to keep moving and not have to stop at the next set. Or is that too easy? The ones near Sainsbury's take far too long to change. There's no reason as the traffic along Witan Gate is generally not too busy. I usually go to Sainsbury's by going along Saxon Street (which is the main route from where we live in Eaglestone.) and then turn at the traffic lights near Debenhams and along Avebury Boulevard. The set of lights near Debenham's take an inordinately long time to change. Is it to allow busses time to come out from the stopping place they have near The Point? There has to be so reason. Surely no traffic lights should be set to hold up traffic for more than 20 seconds at the most. Just another little niggle.

I've been into the centre of Milton Keynes this morning. To go to the Central Shopping Centre. I manage to park in the surface carpark near The Point. Incidentally, why has this ironic Milton Keynes building been left to rot? The multiplex cinema complex behind is left empty. It looks in a really bad state. This was the first multiplex complex in this country. I know things move on, and we have a brand new cinema complex near the MK Stadium, but it seems scandalous that The Point, that pyramid-shaped construction which is a sort of symbol of Milton Keynes, along with the concrete cows, is at the point of no return. It looks scruffy and rusty. There used to be a nightclub inside it and when it was lit up you could see it for miles away, particularly when I lived in Bedford I drove over to Milton Keynes in my car at night, you could see it quite clearly on the hill from the road when you drove in from the Stagsden/Chichley/Newport Pagnall road.

A lot of black crows hanging around in the carpark. I've seen them several times when I park in that carpark. Quite creepy. They perch in trees as you cross the road into the shopping centre. It makes me think of the Alfred Hitchcock film 'The Birds.' Carol says she sees  similar birds hanging around the Academy and doesn't like walking past them. They are actually quite harmless, but being black and having that sort of gothic look, as well as long beaks that look as if they might give you a nasty peck, I can see why she doesn't like them. A sort of cliche used in movies and television dramas, suggest death, foreboding and so on. A sort of Hammer movie cliche I suppose. Short-hand for death and destruction. 

850th blog post: Snow and Cold

Incidentally, this is my 850th blog post. I can't believe I've managed to keep writing it for so long, and so consistently.

The weather has made a sudden turn for the worse over the past couple of days. The temperature has dropped considerably. We had a few days with things well below zero. We had been given fair warning on the television weather forecast. A couple of early mornings we've been out to the car and found ice on the windscreen and the windows, so it's just as well I remembered to stock up on spray de-icer. The aerosol versions are fine, but they don't last long. I got a plastic bottle with a trigger on it from Waitrose last week when we went shopping. These bottles are very good and supposed to be better for the environment but it takes some effort to get the spray to come out. You have to sort of 'prime' them to start and trying to keep a fine mist coming out is difficult. I suppose they don't need the propellant that an aerosol uses, the part which is supposed to be bad for the environment. I think they call them C.F.C'S, but I'm not sure what the initials stand for. I think they are the gasses which are supposed to be harmful to the ozone layer or something, and used to be used as refrigerants in freezers and fridges. Perhaps they don't use them any more and have been replaced. Carol would know, as she's a science teacher.

Yesterday morning it was cold and it rained early on. Carol has been hoping it would snow because if it does and it's deep, they will close the Academy. I can see why, as it can be dangerous, slippery, icy and nasty getting in and out of the place and the carpark would be difficult to walk across and keep free of snow and ice. I don't think we ever had a day off school because of ice or snow. In my day you just got on with things. I expect it's because of our old mate 'Health and Safety.' If someone fell over and twisted their ankle or broke a leg they might sue the Academy or worse. It started snowing mid-morning and it seemed it might continue and we've have a white-out. I suppose it did begin to settle, but it only lasted about an hour or two and seemed to fizzle out, so no chance that there would close the Academy early and Carol would have an extra-long weekend. I think she was disappointed when all this didn't materialise. Never mind. The sun made a vain attempt to show it's face, even if it was very weak and watery. Even so, it remained very cold, with more thin rain. The rest of the country has had some snow, in the north of England and along the East Coast they have severe weather warnings. I think they were expecting a tidal surge or something. 

We had planned to go for a swim at Nuffield Health, but by the time 3.30 came around (Carol finishes work early on a Friday.) we decided against it, as it was far too cold. Although it would have been nice to swim there as the water is usually quite warm and the sauna and steam room is good as relief for my back pain. Also, sitting in the jacuzzi is also really pleasant. Although, saying that, when we went to Nuffield on Wednesday we hot water was off. They had a notice at reception, telling us of this, and that a mechanic had been alerted and things would return to normal once things had been repaired, but it was not pleasant to have to shower under cold water. By the time we left for home it, apparently, had been restored to working order. tidal surge.

We went swimming at Nuffield last Sunday, after Church. We consider that we're getting value from our membership if we go there three times a week. We have now set up our membership and have even bought padlocks for use on the doors of the lockers in the changing rooms. These have combinations instead of keys. If you don't have your own padlock, they give you one to use and the key is on a rubber wrist band which you put on your arm. I prefer a combination lock as it means you don't have to worry about loosing the key, which might fall off in the swimming pool or somewhere else.

More of Life's Little Niggles

I have written something on this subject in one of my earlier posts, but there is quite a bit more mileage to be had on the subject. You know what I mean by 'niggle' I presume? My electronic dictionary has this definition 'cause slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or anxiety.' Further down it says, 'criticise in a petty way.' In this house, which is rented, there are a couple of definite niggles. For a start, the light switches at the bottom of the stairs are the wrong way round. Logic would tell me that the one which operates the downstairs, hallway, light, was at the bottom or right-hand side of the double switch, and the one which operates the upstairs, landing, light, was on the left. But no, for some unfathomable reason they are the wrong way round. Why didn't whoever wired them make sure they were wired the correct way round? The same goes for the taps in the kitchen sink and upstairs in the bathroom. The ho (red)t taps should be left and the cold right (blue.) I didn't realise this until we had to have a plumber come in to sort out the leak which came from the pipes behind the kitchen sink. It's supposed to be the same in all houses; it's just always supposed to be that way round. So why not in this house? Because our dear landlord is a cheapskate and doesn't get a decent plumber in to do the work. I know you're asking, why bother over such trivial matters? Well, why not? Why not do a job properly in the first place? I was bought up on the saying'If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.' The kitchen sink taps also turn on the wrong way, it seems odd, but they are just awkward for some reason, which is because they are the wrong way round! 

Then, what about packaging? It's not necessarily the amount of packaging that products come in. These days, with talk of waste, recycling and so on, I think companies have managed to cut down on over-packaging to some extent. There are some products which still come in too much packaging. But why do some products come with cellophane wrapping over them? Particularly, teabags? Why do P.G. Tips teabags come in a lovely box, without having cellophane over the box? What on earth is the point? You're supposed to strip off the cellophane by pulling a clever little tag which is fixed to a magic strip which is meant to mean, when you pull on it, the cellophane comes away and you gain entrance to the package. Not always, and virtually never, in my experience. So you spend ages attempting to get this cellophane wrapping off and using your teeth and if that doesn't work, resorting to using a kitchen knife or scissors. By which time you are simply gasping for the cup of tea you've been desperate for for the past half-hour or so. AND THEN, you have to break in to the box which is even more difficult. You're expected to use a perforated section which you're meant to press with a finger but this never works so, again, scissors or knife are required to make the final assault on the package.

Toilet rolls are another case in point. You go to the toilet and then discover that you've run out of loo roll. You eventually find the newly-purchased stock of loo rolls which come in a nine-roll package. It takes what seems like a month of Sundays to get the outer packaging open and remove one roll and then spend a further ten minutes trying to get the end of the roll of paper to seperate from the roll without it disintegrating completely. The roll is conveniently perforated so you can remove one or two pieces of loo roll but it's next to impossible to get a completely clean tear. The end of the roll of loo paper becomes no more than an untidy, jagged mess.

One of the worst things to open are those bottles that hand soap come in.  Y0u know, Palmolive do them. Carex if probably the brand leader. They seem to have replaced what I'd call 'traditional' cake soap. In Sainsbury's at least they have a wide selection of brands, including their own.They are locked to prevent them accidentally selling their contents when in transit. I presume. It can't be for any other reason. You have to turn the spouty sort of pouring tap-arrangement and this is supposed to open the bottle. But it never seems to work. Well, at least, not for me. Then, once it works, you just press downwards on this tap thing and the liquid soap inside the bottle is squeezed out onto your hand. Then, biggest niggle of all, towards the end of the life of the product, you get a little bit at the bottom of the bottle which you can never get out. It seems such a waste.Why can't the manufacturer make the clear tube within the bottle just that bit longer so it sucks up the little bit at the bottom of the bottle? It almost refuses to be removed when you squeeze down on the pump-thing.

Shower gel bottles can also be difficult to open. There you are, standing stark naked under the shower. It's taken you a while to set the temperature (yet another niggle this. I could write a few pages on this on it's own.) You decide to use the new bottle of shower gel. You reach for it, trying not to scald yourself in the process, or, if the temperature isn't right, freeze yourself in the cold water. They put a neat little hook on one end of the bottle, which is there so you can hang the bottle over a tap or other fitting on your shower. The other end is where the opening is, and it's so arranged that you have to get a bit of plastic to pull up with your finger or thumb. It's made to be so tight, so the liquid within the bottle doesn't leak out, but it's so difficult you just can't get it to open. Then, when you manage to get it open, you squeeze the contained fluid onto your sponge or flannel, and too much comes out and when you lather the gel over your body, you get left with so much foam it looks like a scene from one of those 1950's science fiction movies such as 'Quatermass.'

Biscuit packets are another bugbear. ('A cause of obsessive fear, anxiety or irritation.') Or niggle. They come in a packet with another innovation, which is supposed to make it easier to open said packet. A little tab which you pull and tears open the paper with a strip of material like string or plastic. Great if it works, but 99 out of 100 attempts and it fails miserably. Why not just go back to the old fashioned method of opening the packet? Then there's the innovation that has been bought in on such packets as for rice and other cooking ingredients. You open the packet and then there's a sticky sort of label which you use to reseal the packet. But it doesn't always stick to the surface of the packet once you've opened the packet. So, like the biscuit packet, somewhat redundant. And attempting to peel the sticky label off the packet in the first place is also very difficult because (as with Sellotape when you can't find the end.) it's next to impossible to find the edge to peel.

Going back to the subject of cellophane as I mentioned earlier on, how about such things as DVDs and CDs which come, fresh from the factory, but covered in cellophane and then you have the ordeal of opening the thing, finding the corner to get your finger nail under to start the peeling process or even finding the little tab that is meant to make the process easier. 

Reading and Viewing- Part 2

We probably get most enjoyment out of factual programming on television than from drama, although, if you've read the earlier post on here, we watch a considerable amount of television drama as there is such a wealth of choice at the moment, across all channels, including streaming services. We are National Trust members, and have been for quite a few years now. I think if you read my blog posts regularly you will already know that, because I mention the properties we mention on here. Sky Arts have been running Portrait Artist of The Year as well as Landscape Artist of The Year for a few years now. They started one for Photographers last year. I hope it continues. The painting competitions are done in association with the National Trust, because they use their properties as locations for the painters to get inspired to do their paintings. Also, the winner gets a prize of £10,000 and the winning painting is put in their permanent collection at one of the properties. This year it was Petworth House. We stayed in a cottage not far from Petworth during the Easter break in 2016, although our time was cut short because of really bad weather. As it was, we didn't get to actually visit Petworth because they closed it to the public more for safety reasons because of the high wind. Hopefully we can visit at a later date. A couple of episodes of the 2016 Landscape Artist shows were filmed at Stowe Landscape Gardens and the previous year Waddesdon Manor was used. Both these properties are close to us in Milton Keynes, perhaps no more than a 45 minute drive to Waddesdon and 30 minutes to Stowe. Visiting these places is far more rewarding if you know a bit more about their history and background. It's surprising how many of the places we visit are featured in television programmes we watch, such as Bargain Hunt and other antique shows such as Antiques Road Trip and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

The BBC does a lot of history documentaries. I am a subscriber to BBC History Magazine and some of the articles in that magazine are linked to television documentaries on all channels. Channel Four does a few history documentaries as well. One particularly good series was called 'Walking Through History' which was presented by Tony Robinson (actually knighted fairly recently, so I'd better refer to him as 'Sir Anthony,' although I doubt he'd want to be called 'Anthony.' Better know by the average television viewer for his portrayal of Baldrick in the comedy show 'Blackadder.') He spends his time in this series walking through some English landscape which has something historic to discover, as well as another series of documentaries on 'Britain's Ancient Tracks.' He visited somewhere we visited during 2016, Avebury. He is also know as a presenter of the archaeology programme 'Time Team' which is, alas, no more. It ran for 20 years and was an inspiration to not only myself but many others. I imagine it had run it's course and no doubt there were no more places for them to dig. I enjoy anything presented by Lucy Worsley. She recently did a BBC documentary series on the Six Wives of Henry VIII. Mary Beard did another series during 2016 about the history of Rome and called S.P.Q.R. I subsequently read the book which went with the series. Quite heavy going but nonetheless an interesting read. 

Reading and Viewing- Part 1

We have been spoilt recently by the number and quality of television drama. I have mentioned in earlier posts how I enjoyed the Channel 4 series 'Humans' (about 'synths' which are in actual fact robots which look like humans). The second series finished a week before Christmas and, as yet, it's not clear whether a third series will be commissioned. The finale episode did more or less tie up many of the story threads quite nicely, there again, a third series could carry things further. I started watching the Sky drama series 'Westworld' which has a similar theme as 'Humans' but set in an American Wild West theme park and based on a novel by Michael Crichton which was made into a 1973 science fiction movie.  He was responsible for the original novel, Jurassic Park, which has spawned four movies. The more recent one, Jurassic World, was very week, although the special effects are as good, if not better, than the original. I recall seeing the earlier movie of Westworld. . The television version is good, up to a point, but for me it was far too violent. It's worth seeing if just for the performance of Anthony Hopkins. It shows how actors of his calibre are turning to television instead of Hollywood movies. It seems that, at the moment, all we have to offer in the movie world is remakes and sequels. Endless superhero revamps. Television drama seems to be able to come up with far more in-depth storytelling. You are able to tell your story in one-hour episodes and over ten segments and then continue in further seasons. As we have Sky and Sky Movies, we can download movies to our Sky Q box and watch movies once they reach Sky a couple of months after cinema release. The Sky Q box has a far bigger capacity for storage than the old Sky+ box and also allows up to 4 programmes to be recorded which are broadcast at the same time. 'Downton Abbey' has come to an end. ITV came up with 'Victoria' as a replacement. It's a fairly faithful telling of the story of Queen Victoria from her youth and on to her ascending the throne in 1837 and eventual marriage to Prince Albert. Very lavish and quite watchable but not particularly ground breaking. Meanwhile Netflix, the streaming television service, has 'The Crown' which is another royal saga, following the true story of Elizabeth 11's life story. As it's on-line and streaming it means you have all 10 episodes and can watch whenever you like and back-to-back if you so wish, instead of waiting for the next episode the following week. We have not signed up to Netflix and as a result cannot see this series, but I have a feeling it will be shown on Sky eventually, because their other series, 'House of Cards' is on Sky for downloading as a box set. (This is based on the BBC series and starred Ian Richardson.) We enjoy 'Father Brown' which is based loosely on the G.K.Chesterton character. It's now in it's 5th series and is shown on BBC1 in an afternoon slot. It's very much tongue-in-cheek and has a sense of humour. We also like 'Last Tango In Halifax' which is set in an area of Yorkshire we know well and have spent a couple of holidays there. It's real. The characters are good and the acting is good. It stars Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid as 70-somethings, Alan Buttershaw and Celia Dawon, who reignite a romance after several decades and the effect this has on both their families and friends. It had a two-part Christmas special and returns for a full season in January 2017. On Amazon I have been more than impressed by 'The Man In The High Castle' which is based on a novel by Philip K. Dick (who wrote 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" which was filmed as 'Blade Runner' and directed by Ridley Scott (who Executive Produces 'High Castle.) It is set in an imagined world where the Nazis won the Second World War and America has been divided up by the Nazis and Japanese. Very convincing and well made and it has now gone to a second series and I hear that a third has been commissioned.

As for reading, I have just completed 'Gilliamesque", the autobiography of one of my favourite directors, former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, who did the animation for that comedy show and directed 'Monty Python and The Holy Grail,' 'Brazil', 'Jabberwocky,' 'Time Bandits' and 'Baron Munchausen', all of which have now become cult classics. I like his off-the-wall approach and he certainly doesn't make films which fit the 'Hollywood' mould in any way shape or form.

Swimming at Nuffield Health

I mentioned in an earlier post that we had had a free session at Nuffield Health, at Kents Hilll. Carol said she'd had an email from them saying that if you joined at the moment you could have two weeks free membership. We had the documentation ready to fill in with our bank details and yesterday we went after Carol finished work. It's tucked away in a very quiet part of Milton Keynes and seems pleasant enough. Certainly not as noisy as D.W. No loud music and they don't allow children in.  It was quite busy. Not only can we use a swimming pool but there's a Jacuzzi as well as a steam room and sauna. I'm fairly sure it used to be owned by B.T. as the health centre is part of a complex of buildings and I think it was B.T.'s training centre. When I was a carer I used to take someone there who was in a wheelchair and played boccia in what would be the tennis or squash court. That was well over 10 years ago and it's obvious that it's changed ownership since then. You get given towels which you didn't at D.W. and it all seems in far better condition. Unfortunately D.W. was beginning to get very run down and quite often the jacuzzis were not working or out of order and things like tiles were not replaced. I think, considering how much you pay for membership, they could at least spend money on keeping the place better maintained. It did have a steam room, not always working, but no sauna. I find these additional facilities are good for my back and shoulder. Generally, Nuffield seems a good deal more pleasant. It's great to have somewhere like this to go to, particularly for Carol, when she's had a really difficult day's teaching or just to unwind and relax. Generally good for both of us.

This morning it was exceptionally cold. Quite a few degrees below zero. There was ice on the car's windscreen. But, at 10.30 a.m., as I write this, the sun is out, but it is somewhat deceptive as it is still chilly.

New Year's Monday Bank Holiday

New Year's Bank Holiday Monday. Carol's last day before she has to return to work at Milton Keynes Academy. We drove up the A5 with the original intention of visiting Stoke Bruerne. But we decided to drive on towards Towcester and go first to Tesco, as we needed milk. Before we came out of Milton Keynes we visited Staples to get some things Carol needed for work. But she forgot to buy a memory stick in Staples as we were on  our way up the A5, so we bought one in Tesco. The alarm went off in the car to tell us the petrol was running low. So we drove on a bit further and went to the Shell garage on the roundabout just outside Towcester. I filled the car and then went into the kiosk to pay. There was a queue at the till and a man at the cashier was ranting and raving about something. I think it was about the fact he couldn't get the carwash to work or something. Totally unnecessary behaviour. Certainly no need to take out his frustration on the poor girl on the till. I don't think I could do that job, having to put up with customers who are aggressive and angry like that man was. Fortunately he walked out of the door and took his anger with him. Myself and the rest of the customers in the queue were very supportive of the cashier.  People seem to have got extremely short tempered recently. There seems to be very little respect for other people. It's the same sort of thing when you're driving, as I've mentioned in earlier posts on here, particularly when drivers have to drive right up close behind you, in an attempt to get you to drive faster and in some instances, cut you up on roundabouts. I paid and we drove off in the car. We went to the garden centre which is opposite the Shell petrol station, called Bell Plantation. We've visited before and had good food in their restaurant. The place is currently being redeveloped and the toilets had been closed and replaced with a temporary building which wasn't particularly easy to find. We had a bit of a browse around after we'd had lattes and sandwiches in the café. Antiques and gift shops and Carol bought some bird feeders and seed and bird food to go on our bird feeder stand in the garden, just in time before the real winter weather sets in. 

New Year

Well, here we are in a new year. I don't think there'll be that many people who will be sorry that 2016 is over and done with, what with the E.U. Referendum, Donald Trump being elected President in America (mind you, we still have his Inauguration in February to come.) and countless bombings, terrorist attacks, murders and however many famous people dying, amongst them George Michael, David Bowie, Victoria Wood (at 62, far too young. A great talent gone and a huge hole left.) etc etc. You could hardly turn on the news on television without there being news of someone significant reported as kicking the bucket. Nothing but gloom and doom. I just hope 2017 will be better.

As for myself, I'm hoping to do more writing. I have a fairly good story-arc constructed (working on this over the Christmas period. Always amazes me that, giving something a good deal of time and thought how ideas come along. Usually when I least expect them to.) My health is in fairly good order. Carol has had some real health problems to deal with. I just hope she is feeling better in the New Year, what with her recent eye condition and dealing with diabetes.) 2017 will see our 10th wedding anniversary in May and the 11th anniversary of my heart attack. We had a really great summer, visiting no end of National Trust properties as well as those which we can visit, free, as members of the H.H.A. (Historic Houses Association). It was exceptionally warm and pleasant which meant we got out more during the summer months. Having the SatNav made finding some of the more difficult to find properties easier than it might have been. A really clever bit of technology which gets plenty of use. We've been to Whipsnade Zoo on many occasions. The fact we can get in free because Carol is a Fellow makes a great difference. We're hoping to see more theatre in 2017 and in particular I'm looking forward to seeing the musical 'Billy Eliot' which is currently on tour and will be visiting the Milton Keynes Theatre in May.  Just in time for our wedding anniversary. We'll need to book our tickets fairly soon if we're to have a chance of seeing it.

We went to  the Kingston Centre yesterday morning, as Carol needed to get test strips to do her blood sugar tests and it seems that the branch of Boot's the chemist was the only place we could get them. Every shop seems to have sales on. A lot of Christmas stuff going half-price or less. The sort of junk you can, quite frankly, live without. Marks and Spencer's is full of such things as champagne and stuff for the New Year celebrations. We got salad and bits for tonight. We didn't go out but actually saw in 2017. Fireworks going off all over Milton Keynes as midnight came and went. This really upsets Alfie, our Yorkshire Terrier. He just doesn't understand what's going on. The noise did seem to go on a long time.