Ying Tong Diddle I Po!

 Thursday. 1.20 p.m. A bright and sunny day. I went to the Oaktree Centre and discovered that a theatre company is putting on a show, 'Songs From The Shows' or a similar title. After the Bible study, we set up chairs in the main hall for the show this evening.

6.15 p.m. Oh, what fun! I was eating my evening meal, as I normally do at this time of day, with the game show 'Pointless' on television, when the merry sound of the fire alarm started up. My immediate reaction was to close the door from the lounge into the hall and then put some loud music on my television set, playing through the soundbar. Fortunately, it didn't last for very long, because I heard a fire engine arriving and then there was silence! I think someone had burnt their toast or forget to remove something from their oven. I think if there was a charge for this, then there might be fewer of these incidents.

Friday. 5.00 a.m. Up out of bed and taking Alfie out as usual. It's a bit windy and overcast. I just hope the wind settles, and the sun comes out. Well, as the song says, 'The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow.' 

12.05 p.m. I've been out with the Hohem gimbal, walking along the Grand Union Canal near Peartree Bridge. It was such a fine morning, with the sun out and a slight breeze, it seemed the perfect opportunity to have a go at some filming (actually videoing, but I'm being pedantic.). I was disappointed that there were no ducks, but I did see a heron. I must get the focus sorted out, as it was a bit off. Not a problem. I was also hoping to see some narrow boats, but none of them either. Perhaps I should start the walk next time nearer to where the Red Way comes out of Eaglestone, near the dinosaur sculpture and the patch goes towards Woughton-On-The-Green. I have already viewed the results on my iPad. I'm getting the hang of using the gimbal. It seems a good idea to attempt to keep the horizon in approximately the same position in each shot.

Saturday, 5.30 a.m. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resigned. He says he was forced out, over the so-called 'Partygate' investigation. Well, all I can say, in all honesty, he had to go. Biggest liar of the century. Couldn't tell the truth if it came out and bit him. If you can't trust your leader, then, who on earth can you trust? It's the same with former U.S. President, Donald Trump. He lied just to get where he wanted to and then left office, taking important and highly secret and dangerous documents with him, which were found in his home in Florida. Just because he has money, he thinks he can pay off people and get away with it.

There is a health warning out today, suggesting that there will be a heatwave across Britain, with the possibility of temperatures reaching somewhere in the region of 30ºC. Those with a health problem, such I     have with my heart, are warned to keep out of the sun and remain indoors. I think sun hats and shorts should be worn outdoors. So, it's likely to be warm and humid.

10.15 a.m. I've been to Sainsbury's to buy a few items. Not a 'big shop.' It's relatively quiet early on a Saturday, so it's obviously the best time to go.

It's getting warm. I got home and then took Alfie out. I don't think he appreciates the warm weather. He doesn't appreciate cold, either. I think he's a bit like me regarding weather, we both like it mid-way, I suppose you might say 'temperate.' The digital thermometer currently reads 24º. I have windows open to create a through draught. 

Death of Our Queen

 I wasn't sure whether I would make any mention of events which have been unfolding over the last few days, most regarding the death of our monarch, HM Elizabeth II, but is such a momentous event that it's really not something I can ignore. The media made us aware that Her Majesty was seriously ill in her favourite place, Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, was announced on Monday, and she had to go to Balmoral to meet the Queen and be invited to form a government. It was Thursday evening when we eventually learnt that Her Majesty had passed away. Television programme schedules were quickly reorganized as the news came through. I had been watching the game show 'Pointless' which under normal circumstances would be on BBC1 at 5.15, but as news of the Queen's health had come through, BBC1 went over to continuous feed on that information and the normal programmes that were usually on BBC1 were moved onto BBC2, which is where I watched 'Pointless' as I ate my evening meal. It was when that ended that I returned to BBC1 and the news of the Queen's death was announced.

They were interviewing people who had met the Queen, under a variety of circumstances. I can't say I ever met the Queen, but there were a couple of times when I saw her in person. I was an A.S.M. at Liverpool Playhouse in the early 1970s (as I'm sure I have mentioned elsewhere in these posts.) Her Majesty visited Liverpool to open the new Mersey Tunnel. We were doing an Alan Ayckbourn play 'Relatively Speaking' on which I was responsible for the 'book.' They were going to put on a variety show (of sorts) at one of the other theatres in Liverpool, the Empire I think, although it might have been another local theatre. It wasn't considered appropriate for the Queen to see 'Relatively Speaking', the idea being that the show at the Empire would be extracts of plays, performed by actors who were connected to the Playhouse (I believe Rex Harrison, best known for playing Higgins in the stage and film versions of the musical 'My Fair Lady,' was such an actor, who had performed at the Liverpool Empire earlier in his acting career.) It was decided that an extract from another play which had been in the season should be included in the show, this show was called 'The Lancashire Twins', based on Goldoni's 'Servant of Two Masters.' As a result, a part of the set for that show was taken to the Empire Theatre and I was part of the crew which took it in a lorry and unloaded it in the scene dock at this theatre. It must be one of the largest theatres in Great Britain, with a very large stage and an audience which must have been able to accommodate around 2,500 people.

Her Majesty did a walk-about either before or after opening the tunnel and I was amongst the crowd on one of the Liverpool streets and when she appeared I was surprised at what a tiny figure she was, certainly a lot shorter than I expected.

More recently, she came to Milton Keynes, and she had several engagements in the city, one of which was to declare The Hub open. The morning she came, I went down the road and waited near the entrance to The Hub to be able to see her arrival, which she did, in the official black limousine, no doubt a Rolls-Royce. But you couldn't see her inside the car, as, I think, the windows were dark, and the car went into The Hub, so quickly it was over in a very few seconds.  She was only in Milton Keynes for perhaps two hours, and then she was taken to Stowe Landscape Garden for some other official engagement, but I'm not sure exactly what it was for.

Spring In The Air

That is metaphorically and actually. Each day that passes, it's getting lighter each morning earlier and earlier and at the same it, it's warmer. Yesterday was particularly sunny and warm.

Wednesday. 3.45 a.m. It's still and quiet on the weather front.

I have contacted Amazon regarding the missing DVD. This, via the online 'chat' function. It is the third attempt at sorting the problem. I am being sent a replacement DVD of the new, Stephen Spielberg directed 'West Side Story.' I have just this minute received an email telling me it has been dispatched and should arrive sometime today. I am still intrigued to know what happened to the first place containing a DVD. According to the Amazon website, it was 'received by the resident.' Not true. The delivery driver wasn't doing his/her job properly if that's the case. We'll wait and see what develops.

9.55 a.m. I was up early and my first outing with Alfie was around 6.20. Why hang around in bed when it's bright outside? Not sunny, but still bright. I don't think Alfie was awake when I went into the lounge to find him curled up in his bed. Never mind. I washed up from the evening before. I can't stand having dirty pots and plates in the sink, so I soon had it all done and put it away. We went out for another trot around the park at around 8.15, and then I thought I might just as well go to Sainsbury's. Go early mid-week and you avoid the crowds you would probably get on a Friday when people have been paid. Then I discovered that some bright spark had decided to rearrange the shelves in the store. I've been shopping in there for goodness knows how long, and you get used to where things are, but to suddenly find it all in different places is somewhat annoying. What is the reason for all this? No doubt they're preparing for something new in the store. I don't think I was the only customer to be somewhat lost as there were one or two others with annoyance written all over their faces. I do think if they are going to do this, they should at least have notices up telling you where the products have been moved too. Surely not much to ask. Never mind. Things will sort themselves out eventually.

1.30 p.m. There is a light rain as I write. Drizzle, I think the word to use is. It was similar to what it was like a few hours ago. Alfie doesn't like getting wet, but still wants to go out, but the moment he feels a raindrop on his back, he'll be back through the door and no doubt be curled up on either my bed or in his little nest beside the television. 

6.00 p.m. The 'West Side Story' DVD arrived at around 4.45 this afternoon! So that issue is now resolved.

There seems to be a rash of new game shows on television at the moment. BBC 1 has Pointless, which seems to be a more or less permanent fixture at 5.15 five days a week and now it's joined at 4.30 by 'Bridge of Lies', which is hosted by Ross Kemp, formerly of EastEnders. Then on BBC2 there's one I hadn't come across before called 'Lightening.' 'Eggheads moved to Channel 5 a couple of months ago and is on at exactly the same time, 6.30, that it was on when it was on BBC2. This might explain why the new kid on the block, 'Lightening' is on at the same time. Then ITV has 'The Chase' on at exactly the same time as Pointless. On ITV they have Tenable, Tipping Point and The Chase, one after the other. It really is taking it too far and totally unimaginative of ITV to just put one after the other. Why no drama in the afternoon schedules? The BBC has done rather well with their drama offerings, with Doctors doing well just after lunch, followed by such things as Father Brown and Shakespeare and Hathaway. Always good to watch that and pick out the cleaver Shakespearian connections, plot devices or character names worked into the plot. But it's a shame that BBC1 stopped showing children's programming in the 4-5 p.m. slot. I know they moved it all onto the BBC children's channels, but to just churn out endless gameshows really shows a total lack of imagination. It's obvious that game shows are cheap to produce, well, certainly when compared with drama. I presume the jackpots on Pointless (and other similar shows.) comes from the Television licence. As for ITV, it's just the slippery slope really, more dumbing down. Some questions on, for example, Tipping Point, are just plain embarrassingly easy, such as 'what colour is grass, or the sky?' Not really going to challenge a child for more than five or six really, or is that how they see their daytime audience? A lot of toddlers? Now, one doesn't expect Open University type programming (No, not like the 1970s lectures which were broadcast at nighttime for students.) Probably produced just up the road, here in Milton Keynes. But come on, at least have more difficult questions.

A Change In The Weather

(Saturday) The weather has become a good deal more wintry. It's to be expect I suppose. Generally, just as we begin a new year, the weather has a habit of becoming colder and there is the likelihood of snow and ice, making travelling, but whatever form of transport, difficult. Never mind, we can curl up with a good book, film or television series. I've finished watching 'The Crown' and have started on another Netflix show called 'Lupin,' a French series which has started streaming on the British Netflix site. It's good and seems to avoid a lot of the clichés of similar heist stories. 

It's reasonably sunny as I write this (1.30p.m.), but I have a feeling, if we go out, it will be cold. Alfie will definitely not like it, and neither will I. I must find my gloves as I don't want my hands to get cold. They can go numb and really hurt. A side effect of my heart medication.

(Sunday) Its a sunny morning. Actually a good deal milder than yesterday. The time, as I write this, at 9.53a.m. Church is on line again, at 10.30 on Facebook. Fortunately I can watch via my Fire Stick plugged into my television. The one problem with anything on line similar to that, including Zoom, is having to peer at a small screen. For a few minutes perhaps, but not around an hour plus. And with having on television I have the advantage of having a sound bar, so the sound is considerably improved.

(Later) We had a Freedom In Christ session via Zoom this afternoon. All was going well when Alfie, who was being somewhat demanding, wanting to sit on my knee and then jumping onto the sofa and then going off behind the sofa where I couldn't see him and then was immediately sick. I don't know what caused it but he has eaten his dinner and now seems fine. Everything cleared up and back to normal.

(Monday) The door which I got out through with Alfie this morning was locked. There appears to have been a problem, with the mechanism which locks it has fallen to pieces. I asked Barbara about this, because it meant I had to walk all the way round to the front door to get out and then take Alfie along the path which is beside Strudwick Drive. There is supposed to be someone coming to mend the door today. As it's a fire door it shouldn't, by rights, be locked. Just hope there isn't a fire as that would't be an exit when it should be open.

(Later) I have been out once more with Alfie and there was a workman repairing the door so we can go in and out of that door tomorrow. So pleased, as it's quite a long walk all the way to the front door and then along Dexter Avenue and eventually into Strudwick Drive.

I'm shocked that people cast off their face masking all around Oldbrook Green. I saw one flung into the hedge as we walked along the path towards the Green. Some people (it's probably a tiny minority) just have no thought for the environment and the fact that someone has to pick them up. There have been more Council workmen picking up litter. Some of the litter bins have been running over with rubbish and there's no end of litter flung on the ground. It makes me wonder how people live in their homes. Do they just throw litter on the floor when they've finished with it, usually crisp packets and the wrappings fo other food, sandwich cartons, sweet wrappings and so on.

(Later still) Yet another confounded coronavirus press briefing on BBC1 this evening. I just can't take any more boring waffle about numbers and miserable scientists (Chris Whitty can't be more boring if he tried and Matt Hancock is just behind him in the boring stakes.) Just needs jazzing up a bit, say, a couple of dancing girls, a band and a stand up comic. So I turned over to watch The Chase, but I didn't stay watching for long because when the ads came on there was one for constipation! Not what I want on when I eating my meal, thanks all the same. Switched over to Pointless, no awful adverts and I stayed on, even though it was on BBC2 this evening.

Alfie Visits The Vet

(Thursday)Well, the day got off to a difficult start. I looked out of the bathroom window as I was shaving this morning and I saw it was raining. So I thought that there was absolutely no way I could take Alfie out for his customary walk across Eaglestone Park. It was far too dark at that moment to go out, and when I had another look through the kitchen window I saw snowflakes falling.  Just a smattering or a scattering. It didn't settle, nor did it last long, fortunately, so we soon got outside, having gone through the routine of getting dressed without Alfie being aware. I kept him in the lounge so he couldn't see me putting on my shoes and jacket. Once outside it was relatively mild.

I have been concerned with the nasty mess which has built up under each of Alfie's eyes. It had become quite unsightly. I think it's caused by his eyes weeping, or at least, it's a bit like tears and builds up beneath each eye and over time it builds up and can be quite unsightly. It should be removed by merely wiping with a damp piece of cotton wool. Because of concentrating on other things over the past few months, I had neglected this. Under different circumstances I would have dealt with it. I took him to the vets within Pets At Home at the retail park at Bletchley, having been there earlier in the week to book an appointment. I took him in the cage in the back of the car, because he won't travel within the main body of the car without making problems. He just won't sit still. On arriving at the retail park, I parked the car and went to open the rear hatch where the cage with Alfie in it was. As soon as I raised the hatch he was out of the cage. Fortunately I managed to catch him. I had obviously not secured the gate properly, but he would have been off across the carpark if I hadn't been quick. I carried him inside the Pets At Home store and towards the vets section. Alfie, in his usual fashion, made an almighty sound as I carried him into the store. His barking echoed around the vastness of the warehouse-sized building. I got to the reception desk of the Vets For Pets section of the store. I had to wait with Alfie in the 'Dogs' waiting area (as opposed to the 'Cats' section. I don't think Alfie would have approved of sitting there, or if we had, he would have wanted to chase any pussycats away, as he does when any enter our garden!) It was some time before we were shown into the consulting room by one of the vets, called Bruno. I put Alfie on the metal-topped table so the vet could examine Alfie. He had to weight Alfie, and put a digital scales on the table and Alfie was placed on this device.

Alfie doesn't like me touching the mess under either of his eyes. I had hoped I could soften the mass of debris under his eyes, by using cotton wool soaked in water. I had imagined that, with time and effort, I could soften each area and it would eventually come away easily. But he only wriggled about and he growled at me. I don't think he would bite me, but he was getting really stressed each time I attempted to do this. Which was the reason why I had to take him to a vet to have the problem resolved. I was hoping that there would be a simple method of removing the built-up mess under Alfie's eyes. I was expecting the vet to have some sort of method to do this. Perhaps something which could be applied and would gradually dissolve the built-up matter. But he didn't suggest anything, but said that perhaps he would need to sedate Alfie to prevent him getting stressed so that he could remove the built-up matter. He then told me I would need to leave Alfie at the surgery and he would need to have a nurse to assist him to remove the built-up matter from Alfie's face. I was somewhat concerned, because if a sedative was used I was concerned for Alfie's safety, not that I'm suggesting that the vet didn't know his job and that Alfie would be in any danger if he had a sedative. But considering the last few months, any thought of loosing my best companion would deal me an enormous blow. He's been such good company during the time I had to go through with Carol being in hospital and her eventual death. So, I left Alfie with the vet and I was told that the surgery would telephone me when Alfie was ready to be collected.

I left the store and went to the car and drove home. I must say, entering the house, it was really strange not having Alfie there, to be greeted by him with his loud barking and yapping and coming up to meet me. Probably no stranger than not having Carol's presence in the house. It is taking a long time to come to terms with the fact that she won't be coming home. Particularly in the evening, when she would be coming home from work at Milton Keynes Academy and I would have our evening meal ready for her when she came in and we'd sit down together to watch television, usually the gameshow 'Pointless' on BBC1.

I got home and spent time resting. After about an hour I got a call from the vets to say Alfie was ready to collect. I drove back to the retail park and was glad to see Alfie with the horrible built-up mess gone, but each place where it had been pink and somewhat raw-looking. I paid the bill and was given a pack of antibiotics tablets. I have to give Alfie a quarter of each tablets twice a day and I should also keep cleaning each wound at least once a day with cotton wool and water which should prevent a further build-up of the weeping matter. Alfie, as usual, gave us a rendition of his barking and yapping and I put him in the cage in the back of the car and drove home.

I gave Alfie the first dose of the antibiotics. I have to give him a quarter of a tablet. They are large and you have to cut them with a knife which is quite difficult and then the section of tablet has to be crushed before it's mixed in with his food. You have to be careful when you cut a tablet, that pieces don't shoot out when they are cut and then crushed. 

Why On Earth?

Why on earth do so many television gameshows have to have such garish sets? 'Tenable', one of the back-to-back gameshows on ITV in the afternoon, has the most garish set design, mostly green. The green is a sort of pea-soup, even mushy pea-colour or artificial pea-colour. It's not just the bright colours used, but a lot of horrible moving lights and then that awful plunky sound (not correct in any way to describe it as 'music') every time something happens? Perhaps the set designers have a sort of design-style handbook for television gameshows, which says that the colour has to be bright and over-the-top and the sound design have horrible plunky-plunk music on the soundtrack. Can't ITV be more imaginative in it's scheduling, make and produce something different instead of gameshows? Actually, all channels in the afternoon. BBC1 has Pointless at 5.15 (the slot that used to have 'The Weakest Link' hosted by Anne Robinson.) and which now has 'The Chase' on ITV. 'Impossible' on BBC and perhaps one of the oddest of the lost, 'Tipping Point' based loosely on the old 'Shove Penny' game machine from fanfares and seaside piers.  You get sort of hypnotised by that machine, the different levels moving backwards and forwards. But lets be honest, it's not exactly gripping television. The questions are generally so easy any primary-school child could answer them. I reckon the producers are using psychology to get people hooked on these shows, rather like Pavlov's Dogs, when a bell rang, they get a dog to do a certain trick, make it drool when there was any food about. A certain sound, or light, would make you want to buy a product or do something else. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with gameshows. But when they become the main source of scheduling it does show a complete lack of imagination.

The BBC has had great success with drama in the early afternoon slot with things like 'Father Brown' and 'Moving On' which are very good considering they're made on minuscule budgets. I think 'Father Brown' has had around six series now (not sure of the exact number.) and it's built up a loyal following. It has humour at the heart of it, and the central characters are convincing. Also, the setting, a Cotswold village, also makes it worth watching. As with other television dramas, such as 'Doc Martin' and 'Morse' the setting almost becomes like another character and seems to define the show. In some ways it's difficult to separate the setting from the show. These shows wouldn't be the same if they were set elsewhere.

As for adverts on television. The current 'Mr Kipling' adverts drive me mad, the one where the daughter reveals that she has a tattoo to her father, and she only has to wave a plate of Mr Kipling cakes at him and he changes his mind.  Before he was totally against her having one, but suddenly- pow! He caves in. Ridiculous! He's an easy touch it would appear, swayed by pink and shiny confectionary. Does that mean if a robber comes into his house and threatens to steal the family silver, if they waved a plate of cakes at him, they could get away with the crime? How far could this go? I'm sure I could find plenty of other similar scenarios. Are people that easily swayed by a plateful of fancy cakes? If so, it's rather sad. The cakes look a good deal bigger than they are in real life. I've tried them, no better than any other brand. They do taste good but they are a real disappointment. You open the packet and are then disappointed by the fact that two bites and they're gone. Just small and pathetic. A bit of a con in my opinion. The way they shoot the ad they look much bigger, clever camera angles and close-ups and lighting make them appear larger than    they really are. Think of all the money they make out of this product and then add on the over-all cost of making these advertisements. A lot of adverts for food use a variety of tricks to make the food look appetising, using dry ice to create the appearance of steam, gelatine to give a shiny surface, clever lighting and other effects.

I've mentioned sofa adverts on these posts before now, but why do they think everyone is desperate to have a sofa for Christmas?  Companies such as D.F.S. and S.C.S. are two such sofa companies which comes to mind (by the way, what do D.F.S and S.C.S.. stand for?) It's the old advertising thing of getting people to buy something that they might not actually want or need, creating a sort of desperate need to have that something, and if it's in time for Christmas you can show the sofa off to friends and family. if you keep showing those ads for long enough, even if at first you didn't really feel you wanted the product, you'll sit and look around your living room (even more clever tactics, this, when you think the viewer will be sitting on a sofa or armchair which is probably past it's best, needs replacing or at least refurbishing. Shoving brand new, sparkling, fresh sofas on an ad on television, makes your tatty old cut-moquette three-piece suite look a little moth eaten, to say the least. So, you are compelled to order one and end up further in debt. But why on earth for Christmas? It doesn't actually have to be just Christmas, as it could be in the run-up to Easter, Mothering Sunday, or any holiday period where you're likely to have visitors. And when they see the lovely new sofa they feel they want one and have to go away and order their own. It's playing on the jealousy thing. If someone sees something and want it they have to go out and buy whatever it is.

Writing and Sunshine

It's turning out to be a particularly fine and sunny morning. Trying in vain to prevent our dogs seeing either of the two cats who live next door who seem to take real pleasure in teasing Alfie and Poppy, by appearing on the shed roof which can be seen clearly through the lounge window. They slink in and stare into the room and this makes both dogs mad and they rush to the window and stand on their hind legs to peer out, barking like crazy. If the sliding door is open from the kitchen into the garden they bound out, making so much noise it must be heard by all our neighbours on both sides. Alfie rushed out yesterday evening when we were attempting to watch 'Pointless,' which we watch every evening and stood looking up at the cat which was perched on top of the shed. I think it was enjoying the sun and sleeping peacefully until the dogs came out noisily. The cats know full well that they can't be reached by either dog, which is why they have this somewhat arrogant air about them as they sit on either the shed or the fence, such as it is. 'Fence' is a rather inappropriate word as the state of the pile of wood which once formed our boundary fence is really quite poor. Still no sign or it being repaired by our landlord, by the way.

I've done a bit more work on the new piece of writing I mentioned in the previous post. I think I've managed to write about one side of an A4 sheet, which I suppose is around 2-300 words or there about. I know that when word-processed, you can, on average, get around 500 words on an A4 sheet of paper, obviously depending on the size of the font you use.

I've started watching a new Channel Four drama series which began on Sunday called "Humans" which is about 'synths' or robotic 'helpers.' Good to have some science fiction drama that is intelligent and well developed for once. It leaves you  really pondering all sorts of things such as how robots could, and probably already do, get used in our lives, and most likely when we don't even realise, but obviously not as realistically 'human' as those portrayed here. Well worth a try if you haven't already seen it,  and is available to watch through Channel Four's catch-up service. Just to warn you: Contains  adult issues and themes, although fairly mild. Not suitable for children.

Tickets to see gameshow 'Pointless'

We've got tickets to see a recording of the hit B.B.C. 1 gameshow 'Pointless'. Yes, I know, I did mention in an earlier post that we got tickets to see this, but unfortunately it clashed with something else, so we didn't go. This time we're determined to go. It records at the studios in Elstree, just over the road from the B.B.C. studios where 'EastEnders' is made. I worked on the B.B.C. drama series 'House Of Cards' when I was a supporting artiste and we were supposed to be journalists outside Number 10 Downing Street. I did manage to get to look round the 'EastEnders' 'lot'  as the set I was on was right next to the outdoor set.

The recording is on 21st May, so I'll have to post on here how we got on, but I can't wait to see this show as we're both fans.

Free Tickets for television show "Pointless"

We have got tickets to see the gameshow "Pointless" being recorded at B.B.C. Television Centre on 16th February. We applied a few weeks ago, and I was wondering if we'd been successful. We have seen "Dead Ringers" recorded at Television Centre and went to see a couple of BBC radio shows recorded at the Drill Hall in London, one was called "The Write Stuff" a literary panel game which had Sebastian Faulks, author of "Birdsong" as a contestant. The other was a sitcom called "Clement Doesn't Live Here Anymore." No, I don't think it has survived much beyond one series. Not particularly funny, but it was interesting to see how they did the sound effects and how the actors performed for the microphone. I have seen quite a few television shows recorded over the years, going back to around the time I left school in the late '60s, a sitcom with Derek Nimmo, set in a monestry (I forget the title of it now.) an episode of "The Dick Emery Show" and something at London Weekend Television, the name of which totally escapes me now. It was when I was building up an interest in television as a career and working in theatre as an A.S.M. and it was useful to be able to see how a television show was put together and produced. The tickets are free so it makes a good evening's entertainment, although you must never treat it like a theatre performance, as you don't always see all the sets as you would in a theatre, some of the scenes are shot of sets that are not seen by the audience (you watch these scenes on a monitor) and the show may take a good deal longer than the running time of the broadcast, as there are breaks for scene changes, or whenever there is a technical problem. "Dead Ringers" took around two hours to record, as there were quite a few technical hitches, the actors fluffed their lines etc etc.