Disappointment - a short story

As business owners, we both work long hours in stressful jobs so a long weekend away with friends - also business owners in stressful jobs - was a lovely break. My overwhelming reaction on our return home was... Disappointment.

It was (almost) entirely my own fault - relaxing over the weekend must have softened my brain. We had left our teenage son, who was home from uni on a gap year, to fend for himself and we looked forward to seeing him. We had texted ahead and arrived home after a 7-hour drive via shopping at the supermarket, ready to make dinner.

We carried in our suitcases and shopping bags with no assistance from our loving son, who remained seated on the sofa, ignoring us. I wasn't disappointed just yet - this is normal behaviour that we are somehow resigned to. A dinner plate was by his side and we assumed that he had already eaten as we put away the shopping and prepared to cook just for ourselves rather than the family dinner that we had planned.

Meanwhile, my eyes had taken in the crumbs next to the sofa, the two dozen DVD/PS4 cases spread on the floor and a spilled pile of clean washing that I asked him to take up to his room before the weekend. Before I could hug my darling son, I expressed my disappointment and walked into the kitchen where I was met with a floor covered with all manner of foodstuffs - raisins, flour, toast crumbs, onion and garlic skin, dry spaghetti, carrot peelings (yes, I should have been pleased that he had eaten vegetables...)

I swept the floor whilst grumbling sarcastically in a low voice because I didn't want to walk in and immediately start an argument. I cleared the sink and filled the dishwasher. My husband cleaned the worktops and we cooked a quick meal. Setting the table, I was greeted by food spillage from a previous meal (or meals) glued to the place mat and table surface.

As we sat down to eat, our son informed us that he hadn't eaten - the plate was from his previous meal. Feeling guilty at the misunderstanding, I signaled to him to remove his headphones so that I could ask him if he'd like pizza (his favourite) which we'd brought home as a treat. Before I could ask, he announced that he would not be talking to me because I was mean to him.

No pizza, then.

Great homecoming/reunion, not! It wasn't until this morning that I looked in the shower room to find five wet bath towels (yes, yes, I should be pleased that he showered!!!)...

DVD Film Review: I Love You, Man.

I Love You, Man (2009)

A John Hamburg Film

Starring Paul Rudd & Jason Segal
Co-starring Rashida Jones 

Mike from Friends meets Marshall from HIMYM

Paul Rudd's character is an Estate Agent who proposes to his girlfriend and the wedding planning begins...

The groom-to-be has no male friends and is not close to his much older brother. He overhears the bride-to-be discussing his lack of friends with her friends and he sets out on a quest to find a best man.

After some desperate attempts to 'man-date', he is hosting an Open House to sell Lou (The Hulk) Ferrigno's property and starts chatting to Jason Segal's character about the food. They get along well and, despite Paul Rudd's character trying too hard to be cool, they become good friends but the friendship begins to affect the engagement.

There was a point where we were not quite sure if Jason Segal's character was trustworthy, as he asks for money for an investment but it was a valid, although unusual and interesting, investment.

The girlfriend, played by Rashida Jones, was charming throughout and everything works out well with the wedding going ahead at the end of the film. And we hope they all lived happily ever after.

Beebopalula

Reviews of Recent Films, Summer 2014

Films viewed: A Long Way Down, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Postman Pat, The Amazing Spider-man 2, Captain America: the Winter Soldier.

1. A Long Way Down

Based on the book by Nick Hornby. Starring Pierce Brosnan (007), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Imogen Poots, Toni Collette.

I enjoyed A Long Way Down - despite the story being about suicide attempts which, in real life, are not funny. Four people determined to jump off a roof in London on New Year's Eve are surprised to find that they are not alone. The characters are sympathetic and the dialogue was often amusing. I just wish that I could remember some of the amusing quotes... sorry, you'll have to watch it yourselves.

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel (but not Johnny Depp).

Wes Anderson's quirky film is an interesting recount of the hotel's ownership over 50-ish years and how the current and previous owners came to own it. A gentle, amusing comedy-drama; well acted, well made.

3. Postman Pat: The Movie

You will recognise the voices of David Tennant, Stephen Mangan, Jim Broadbent, Ronan Keating and perhaps Rupert Grint. Quite a few plot holes but the under-7s will probably overlook them. Look out for the guest appearance by a Dalek.

I think I may have become slightly de-geeked, reaching saturation point for superhero films, but here goes...

4. The Amazing Spider-man 2

I really like Andrew Garfield as Spiderman and this is a great film.
Familiar storyline of Peter Parker losing the girl and having to battle with his best friend. If you've not overdosed on Spidey films during the past decade, you should enjoy this one.

5. Captain America: the Winter Soldier

Starring Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford.
High-level shenanigans in the USA as SHIELD is infiltrated by Hydra and can no longer be trusted. The mysterious Winter Soldier emerges to battle with Captain America. Good, exciting storyline but how will they rebuild the city, yet again, in time for the next film - and where's the money coming from? Still, not as much devastation and destruction as in the Superman vs Zod battle.

BP2

Beneficiaries of Cancer Financials

Put simply, the British public pours £millions into cancer research and we celebrate when there is a breakthrough. It then takes years for the drugs to be made available to the NHS at an extortionate price.

Recap: the public pays for the research then the public pays again for the results - or not, because there's not enough money to cover the costs incurred by the pharmaceutical company. Specific costs include further development, testing, manufacture, packaging and sales commissions; shared costs include constantly upgrading laboratories, staff salaries, general business costs and shareholders profits.

What is the money cycle? This is not a factual statement, not even an educated guess, I am just wondering... 

• Charity donations presumably passed to universities and non-profit trusts to aid research?
• Do the pharma companies then have to bid for the research information or is it given freely?
• If no one buys the drugs, does the whole investment get written off as a loss? 
• If so, wouldn't it be better to halve the cost of drugs to the NHS and recoup some of the expenses? 

Compassion and emotion drive the campaigns, creating a demand for solutions and providing the blueprint in terms of research information, but commerce controls the engine. The NHS holds the role of completing the circle by bringing the benefits of cancer research to the British public.

There is an imbalance of power. The moment that Joe Public hands over the money, any control over its onward journey has gone. This applies both to cancer research donations and to compulsory NHS contributions.

Who has a workable solution?

Review - The Butler

On IMDB, The Butler has only 3.5 stars. Forest Whitaker's performance alone is worth another star.

The story is based on a real one and shows how the USA has progressed from apartheid to the election of President Barack Obama, as experienced by the lead character, Cecil. His family worked in the southern cotton fields and were brutalised by the owners. As a boy, Cecil was taken to the house as a servant and subsequently perfected those skills throughout his life to become a respected member of staff at The White House.

The story of his career is interlaced with his family life. He had a long, solid relationship with his wife (played by Oprah Winfrey) and a difficult relationship with his rebellious first son. He was proud of his younger son who was killed in the Vietnam war. Snippets of Cecil's life at The White House reveal insights into the administrations of several presidents over a number of years.

In Cecil's later years, he and his eldest son are reconciled and, towards the end of the film, they celebrate Obama's victory together.

Why Forest Whitaker's performance was incredible: I really believed he had become a frail old man in his 90s and found myself wondering if he was still alive in real life... he's only in his early 50s!

Other films to watch with Forest Whitaker: The Last King of Scotland, Good Morning Vietnam & The Color of Money.

The Monuments Men - film review

Based on a true story, The Monuments Men (2014) stars just about everybody - George Clooney (who was also co-writer/director), Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean DuJardin, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban, oh and Cate Blanchett who plays a Parisian.

It was like watching an interesting documentary but better, as the actors were masters of under-acting and seemed so natural . It was amazing to learn about the number of artworks that were stolen, stored or destroyed - and there was tons of gold stashed, too.

An enlightening and enjoyable film. If you want to know more, you can decode the following paragraph by pasting it into a text document and changing the font to something readable.

Guess which two of The Monuments Men team died - none of the Americans – just the Brit and the Frenchman!

Recommended. Give it a whirl!

FM soundtrack

I've never seen the film but I bought the double album of the soundtrack on vinyl in the late '70s and I subsequently got the CD. The FM soundtrack features Steely Dan (FM & Do It Again), Bob Seger (Night Moves), Joe Walsh (Life's Been Good), Boston (More Than A Feeling) - all favourites - plus tracks from Queen, Rolling Stones and more. It's a collection of some of the best artists of the day.

The full track list is below:
  "FM" - Steely Dan
  "Night Moves" - Bob Seger
  "Fly Like an Eagle" - Steve Miller Band
  "Cold as Ice" - Foreigner
  "Breakdown" - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
  "Bad Man" - Randy Meisner
  "Life in the Fast Lane" - Eagles
  "Do It Again" - Steely Dan
  "Lido Shuffle" - Boz Scaggs
  "More Than a Feeling" - Boston
  "Tumbling Dice" - Linda Ronstadt
  "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" - Linda Ronstadt
  "Livingston Saturday Night" - Jimmy Buffett
  "There's a Place in the World for a Gambler" - Dan Fogelberg
  "Just the Way You Are" - Billy Joel
  "It Keeps You Runnin'" - The Doobie Brothers
  "Your Smiling Face" - James Taylor
  "Life's Been Good" - Joe Walsh
  "We Will Rock You" - Queen
  "FM - Reprise" - Steely Dan

A last minute Wannabe Guide to the Fringe of the Edinburgh Festival

Suddenly inspired, penniless and without any sponsors, you decide to wander up to the Edinburgh Fringe and try your stuff, for free, on an audience that is likely to be receptive. As long as it isn’t raining, The Meadows is a great place to find people relaxing with their picnics.

Tip#1. Your material must be suitable for a family audience - nothing rude, lewd, illegal and no swearing.

Tip#2. Keep your act short and have some variations so people seeing you for a second time are not immediately bored.

Tip#3. Don’t force people to watch you by invading their space or interrupting whatever they are doing - let them find you.

Tip#4. Ensure that you stand out from the crowd. This isn’t easy in a city full of wannabes who are also trying to get noticed. Try a number of ‘looks’ to find out what works best. For example, heckling Tim Vine whilst dressed as a tomato will allow him to use you in his act – let’s face it, you won’t even need to heckle if he can see you in the audience.

Male, female or a duo, here’s a brilliant ‘family audience’ costume that you can wear with ease…

TWISTER DRESS | TWISTER JUMPSUIT   

Finally, here are some useful links for visiting the Fringe:

Survival Guide http://www.comedy.co.uk/fringe/2014/features/a_guide_to_visiting_2014_edinburgh_fringe/

What’s On http://www.comedy.co.uk/fringe/2014/

Tickets https://www.edfringe.com/

Le Quatorze Juillet

Just 10 days (plus a few years) after American Independence was declared, the French Revolution began.

The French Revolution

La Fête Nationale, usually referred to in Britain as Bastille Day, is the annual celebration of the beginning of the French Revolution, an uprising of the common people against the Monarchy, which began on 14th July 1789 with the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris.

King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, had become increasingly unpopular as the gap between rich and poor became wider. Despite re-establishing the previously disbanded Musketeers, Royalty was officially abolished in France in 1792.

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed by guillotine in the large public square now known as Place de la Concorde, which is situated next to the River Seine, nestled between the Champs Elysees and Jardin des Tuileries (which leads directly to the Louvre museum, home of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa).

Le Quatorze Juillet (14th July) is the start of the summer holidays in France. Celebrations are traditionally community events, parties with feasting and fireworks plus military parades.

Bastille Day in the UK

Every year, there are celebrations across the UK, often held by Anglo-French societies and town-twinning groups; there will be festivals in Reading (Berkshire) and London's Borough Market, Bankside area.

Dress up in Breton-style blue and white striped tops and a beret, add a moustache, onions and a bicycle for fun! Or go mad and hire a full Napoleon or Marie Antoinette costume or be silly and wear a French maid outfit. Alternatively, wear dark formal colours and add a scarf to represent a modern Parisian.

And this video will help you learn the words of La Marseillaise (with lyrics)... Bon chance et Vive La France!



Amazing France app for i-devices

AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY

The Birth of a Nation
(not to be confused with the 1915 film starring Lillian Gish)

American (USA) culture is so integral to films, TV and music absorbed by British audiences that there is almost no conscious division. There was a time that Britain ruled over this colony until they rebelled and, on 4th July each year, American Independence Day is the celebration of their independence from us!

We got over it… British children grow up with a barrage of Disney films and visits to Florida, understanding the terms ‘sidewalk’ and ‘elevator’ and using many Americanisms in their everyday life. Although a form of English is the unofficial/official language of the USA, it could easily have been French. Spanish is widely spoken throughout the Americas.

The Fourth of July is a United States federal holiday that embraces the implementation of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Americans across the globe traditionally celebrate with parties and firework displays.

It was almost a year after independence that the ‘Stars and Stripes’ was adopted as the national flag. It originally had 13 stars and 13 stripes, with a new star added for each new State that joined the Union. Today, there are 50 stars representing the 50 united States, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Celebrating American Independence Day in the UK.
(party information from Novelties Direct)

There are plenty of events and parties already planned and, no doubt, more will be arranged as July approaches. London has the monopoly including events at Portman Square, Camden, Chelsea, Soho, Covent Garden and several other venues.

Anyone considering hosting a 4th of July party can purchase a pack of decorations, flags, tableware and other goodies online. Party ideas surely have to start with a free standing ‘Uncle Sam’ cardboard cut-out, over 6ft tall, to greet guests on arrival.

Add some ‘Stars and Stripes’ party bunting and flags, a large drinks cooler plus a few party hats: cowboy hat, sailor/ doughboy hat, Chicago gangster hat or Wonder Woman style headband... Just add guests to your American Independence Day party supplies and enjoy!

Back to the Future Rebel without a Cause

Recently, I watched Rebel without a Cause, a 1955 film, the year that Marty McFly travelled back to in the original Back to the Future.

I have to admit that the lifestyles portrayed were getting on my nerves; James Dean played a teenager of 16/17 years of age whose parents bickered constantly and the girl-next-door, played by Natalie Wood, was physically pushed away by her father for hugging him. Both families seemed 'middle-class' and were the antithesis of the usual happy families from films of the era - and maybe that was the point.

The main character, Jim (James Dean) was a good guy whose biggest flaw was that he couldn't resist a challenge if he was called 'chicken' (ring any bells, BTTF fans?) therefore when Buzz / Biff made the call, Jim McFly responded.

There ensued a 'chicken' car driving contest, similar to the duel that was revived in Grease. This one involved driving stolen cars off the edge of a cliff and jumping out at the last second.

Throughout the film, I was appalled that 16/17 year olds were roaming the streets all night with no evidence of parental concern - maybe that was the Wild West legacy - and that didn't seem very realistic to me... until the news reminds me that this is happening in UK inner cities, almost 60 years later.

I'm glad I've finally seen the film and I'd probably recommend that film fans should see it but don't expect to love it. 

More Film Reviews...

♫ Music from 1962

Chart music from 1962 reflected a wide range of tastes from the post-war generation and their parents, who purchased their favourite songs. It was a mix of jazz, crooning ballads, rock and roll and the beginnings of pop - Beatlemania was just weeks away.

Vinyl had recently moved from large 78 r.p.m. discs to smaller 45 r.p.m. discs and usually came with a single recording on each side; consequently the common terms used were 78s, 45s (also called singles) and records. There were a few 45s that contained 4 or 5 songs in total and these were known as EPs (elongated play); LPs (long play) were larger discs (around 12") containing 8 to 14 tracks and were played at 33 r.p.m.

Charts were compiled each week by Melody Maker and other music-related media, using record sales (singles charts and LP charts) from a representative handful of record shops.

Elvis Presley (Return to Sender) and Cliff Richard (The Young Ones) featured - plus Bobby Vee, Billy Fury, Adam Faith, Lonnie Donegan, Sam Cooke and the Everly Brothers, all of whom released great records but not in this year, in my opinion.

Instrumentals
The Tornados: Telstar
Duane Eddy: Dance with the Guitar Man
The Shadows: Wonderful Land, Guitar Tango
Acker Bilk: Stranger on the Shore
Kenny Ball & his Jazzmen: Midnight in Moscow, March of the Siamese Children
Johnny Keating: Theme from Z-Cars

Comedic Songs
Bernard Cribbins: Hole in the Ground
Pat Boone: Speedy Gonzales
Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard: Come Outside

Other hits from 1962 including many Classics
The Four Seasons: Sherry
Bruce Channel: Hey Baby
Chubby Checker: Let's Twist Again
Dion: The Wanderer
Chris Montez: Let's Dance
Little Eva: The Loco-motion
Danny Williams: Moon River
Carole King: It Might as well Rain until September
Neil Sedaka: Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen
Joe Brown: A Picture of You
Bobby Darin: Things
Ketty Lester: Love Letters
Jimmy Justice: When My Little Girl is Smiling
Mark Wynter: Venus in Blue Jeans
Frank Ifield: I remember You
Eden Kane: Forget Me Not, I don't Know Why
Susan Maughan: Bobby's Girl
Miki & Griff: Little Bitty Tear / Burl Ives: Little Bitty Tear
Nat King Cole: Rambling Rose, Let There be Love
Jimmie Rodgers: English Country Garden
Ray Charles: I can't Stop Loving You
Karl Denver: Wimoweh
Brian Hyland: Ginny Come Lately, Sealed With A Kiss

 

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision 

Beebopalula

Book Reviews, Winter reading

I can't believe the number of novels I've read in the past three or four months! All these books were available as free downloads for Kindle so do you get what you pay for? Recent readings include:

• The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
• The Lost World - Arthur Conan Doyle
• The Man Who Never Was - Hylton Smith
• Tuppeny Hat Detective - Brian Sellars
• The Half-Life of Hannah - Nick Alexander
• The Christmas Bake Off - Abbey Clements
• The Fight Before Christmas - Frankie McGowan
• In a New York Minute - Eleanor Moran
• Death by Honeymoon - Jaden Skye
• Licence to Date (Better Date than Never) - Susan Hatler

(there were a couple more but a bit samey)

The Great Gatsby
I've never seen the films, just clips of affluent Americans from 100 years ago, so I began reading without any preconceptions. The overriding impression of the book is not the story but the writing of it - it's as much of a struggle as Shakespeare! That aside, it was like reading a narration of the adult life of Jay Gatsby but without much satisfaction, because the story-teller had only known the subject for a few weeks and was unable to address the questions that the readers most want to know, e.g. how exactly did he become so wealthy?

The Lost World
It has adventure and humour and, although the book was quite lengthy, it never failed to entertain. Briefly, the story is about an expedition to a small area of South America that has a micro-climate that has supported a few dinosaurs, millions of years after they ceased to exist everywhere else on earth. Good story, worth a read!

The Man Who Never Was
Interesting detective story spanning two time periods, mid-1940s and 1980s. The '80s CID from 'up north' were trying to solve a 40 year old suspicious death but there were some shenanigans from London's secret services - a cover up! The lives of the early characters were well described and became 'real' to the reader so that we want to know what happened to them later on - and that the complex investigation reaches a satisfactory conclusion. Good story, well written.

Tuppeny Hat Detective
Set in post WWII northern England, a young boy is determined to pursue enquiries relating to the death of a neighbour, while the Police and resident G.P. refuse to recognise clues. Well written tale, also with a satisfactory conclusion.

The Half Life of Hannah
A cleverly misleading title; a family drives to Southern France for a summer holiday, to a rural holiday home that they have rented with some relatives and a friend. A long lost brother returns from the dead (Australia) and upsets the family apple cart. OK for a 'light' read.

The Christmas Bake Off
I seem to remember this as a fairly short story, a pre-Christmas 'filler'. A Readers Digest style simple love story that took place in the few days around the village baking competition. Not particularly memorable.

The Fight Before Christmas
An ordinary story about ordinary people going through a family break-up and the pressures of Christmas - but well told and with happy endings all round - though not the ones you might think!

In a New York Minute
A short and sweet story of a work deadline in New York that results in a missed flight back to London on Christmas Eve but leads to a blossoming friendship with the promise of romance, turning despair into happiness within a minute.

Death By Honeymoon
The perfect boyfriend becomes the perfect husband and the happy couple start their honeymoon in a small beach hotel in a tourist-free spot in Barbados. Unfortunately, the husband is killed in a surfing accident. His wife doesn't believe that it was an accident and spends far too much time pathetically protesting this whilst cocooned back at home before the author decides to get her off her backside and back to the Caribbean to pursue the enquiry herself. She solves the murder and this sparks a new career. Despite the delay in the story getting back to the action, it was a good read and I will consider reading more in the series.

Licence To Date
Enjoyable read, a well written 'nice' story about a young woman finding romance following a break-up on the eve of her wedding day. Best of a 'samey' bunch of girlie stories.

BP2/3BPs

Crumpet Rant!

Dear Supermarkets,

Buttered Crumpet

Please stock more Warburtons crumpets and don't bother with those inferior products from Kingsmill or Hovis!

For the past three weeks, in two different supermarkets, there has been empty shelf-space where Warburtons crumpets should be - so it seems that everyone else has discovered that these are the best crumpets. In disappointment, I refused to purchase a substitute brand the first week.

The second week, I thought I'd try Hovis. Not only was the taste and texture not as good but after a couple of days, the ones we hadn't eaten had gone moldy - yuk! This week, I purchased Kingsmill and they are as horrible or possibly worse. I have put them in the freezer until I find someone hungry enough to want to eat them.

By the way, I had previously tried supermarkets' own brand crumpets, including their 'best' ranges and they just don't match the quality of Warburtons crumpets.

Regards,
Me.

5th Element - Bruce Willis - Temptations

Flicking through the TV channels I spotted The Fifth Element was on - great quirky film. It was a bit spooky that I'd been singing this song to myself just before that, the link being Bruce Willis...

Under the Boardwalk was originally a hit for the Drifters in 1964, a couple of years after another great song Up On The Roof which is mentioned in the first verse and which, in a round-about way, leads me to the year of 1962, featured on My Gold Radio that same morning.

Hits from that year were incredible. The end of the '50s rock and roll era blending with the emerging Brit-pop allowed for a wide range of musical tastes to be catered for. Artists included Elvis, Cliff, Buddy Holly and The Beatles but oh so much more...

In fact, 1962 music will have a blog post of its own, soon!

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision

Beebopalula

Starting in London then wandering around

Would I swap places with 75-year-old multi-billionaire Samuel Tak Lee? Nah! So what if he owns/owned properties in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Geneva and London? In recent years, he has had to try to contain a scandal by a trusted ex-secretary who tried to blackmail him, for which he paid over £1m in legal costs. Then, just months ago, he helped to appeal against his son's wife's divorce settlement of a record HK$1.4bn. The wife, who is a solicitor, wanted half the marital assets, around HK£6.5bn. The son seems to be 'privileged' and denies himself nothing: a jet, a couple of yachts, 28 cars (28 cars!!) and half the world's expensive wine – and he demanded that his pregnant wife must have an abortion.

What does all this matter to me? Nothing really, I just came across these snippets when searching for something unrelated and found myself in the middle of a Hawaii-50 script!

Anyway, closer to home, Lee reportedly purchased 14 acres of prime investment in London's West End, between Soho and Mayfair, known as The Langham Estate, for $75 million/£51million 20 years ago – it must be worth considerably more now. It is listed as being owned by Mount Eden Land Ltd (a Guernsey-registered company) where businesses can rent commercial space with prestigious London addresses, including restaurants and offices (there's a comprehensive list of clients that have been blogged about). It’s amazing what interesting stories can be discovered just by searching for new premises and checking out the property management companies!

For instance, in Eastcastle Street, W1, outside the very interesting grade II listed Capel Bedyddwyr Cymreig, a Bugatti Veyron reminded me of the YouTube video of a ‘bobby on a bicycle’ who pulled over the Bugatti driver for not having a front number plate. This led to many discussions so I looked up the official rules and discovered that failure to properly display number plates is a fine up to £1,000 (no problem if you can afford a £1m Veyron) and… your car will fail its MOT test!! (Of course, if you ride a motorbike, you don’t need a front number plate.)

And here's a rare image of a Bugatti Veyron WITH a front number plate.

Brina

The 39 Steps - stage play adaptation

I've seen a couple of the film versions, years ago, and recently read the book by John Buchan. Yesterday, I saw the stage play adaptation of The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow, performed in the West End by a cast of four.

It was cleverly funny, with numerous references to Alfred Hitchcock (director of the 1935 film) including his silhouette, some birds, a rear window, vertigo, the man who knew too much and a 'psycho' moment.

One of the many highlights was delivered by 'Mr Memory':

"Who won the cup in 1926? The Tottenham Hotspurs won the cup in 1926 defeatin’ the Arsenal Gunners by Five goals to nil in the presence of His Majesty King George the Fifth. Am I right, sir?"

According to theFA.com, he wasn't:

• Tottenham Hotspur won the cup in 1921, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0
• Bolton Wanderers beat Manchester City in 1926, 1-0
• Arsenal reached the final in 1927, losing to Cardiff, 1-0

But who cares? We'll take that win! ;-)

3BPs

Twinkle: ♫Terry ♫Golden Lights ... retirement

Actor Fay Ripley (Cold Feet) mentioned her Auntie Twinkle (Lynn Ripley) during an interview.

In the mid-60s, Twinkle released a couple of singles: Terry and Golden Lights, songs that she wrote herself. Appearing on Top of the Pops as a teenage mod in fashionable clingy striped top,  mini-skirt and long boots, with her long blonde hair, full fringe and pale lipstick, she was the envy and idol of every teenage school-girl. Twinkle's time in the spotlight was less than two years and she retired from her pop singing career at the ripe old age of 18.

I heard one of the songs on the radio at the weekend and decided to share these with you:

♪ ♫ Terry by Twinkle (unfortunately, the link no longer works)

♪ ♫ Golden Lights by Twinkle

 

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision

Beebopalula

Passion vs Perfection in music

Quite often, my favourite songs from an artist or a band are their early ones where the enthusiasm and excitement comes across. As an example, listen to '5 colours' from McFly and compare it with their later recordings which are very good but less exciting.



Going way back, other examples include Cliff Richard and David Essex. An exception to this is Queen whose synergy grew to the heights of unparalleled entertainment, both visually and musically. Many 'entertainers' have tried, including Elton John and Robbie Williams, but none have come close (in my opinion) to those four talented people in a harmonious direction.

Except, perhaps, The Beatles with their song-writing talents and harmonies, who exempted themselves by shifting their style (and possibly the LSD was a factor in that). But, unlike Queen, The Beatles were talented people with ambitions in different musical directions.

And the other exception: the constantly shape-shifting David Bowie.

This theory is more difficult to prove for 'mentored' artists but if we think back to the X-factor final between Joe McElderry with a perfect voice that won him the competition and Olly Murs whose voice was good and gave him in second place - who really won? Olly Murs had the energy and obvious enjoyment of performing for his audience and is as popular as Joe McElderry is obscure - thus illustrating that passion beats perfection.

Beebopalula

Doctor Who's Birthdays

A truly random post. Here is a list of Doctor Who's birthdays - well, the birthdays of all the actors who have been Doctor Who. Might be handy in some sort of weird quiz!

• 8 January 1908 - William Hartnell (Capricorn)
• 20 January 1934 - Tom Baker (Capricorn)
• 22 January 1940 - John Hurt (Aquarius)
• 16 February 1964 - Christopher Eccleston (Aquarius)
• 25 March 1920 - Patrick Troughton (Aries)
• 13 April 1951 - Peter Davison (Aries)
• 14 April 1958 - Peter Capaldi (Aries)
• 18 April 1971 - David Tennant (Aries)
• 26 May 1913 - Peter Cushing (Gemini)
• 8 June 1943 - Colin Baker (Gemini)
• 7 July 1919 - Jon Pertwee (Cancer)
• 20 August 1943 - Sylvester McCoy (Leo)
• 28 October 1982 - Matt Smith (Scorpio)
• 14 November 1959 - Paul McGann (Scorpio)

Additional Comic Relief Doctors* not included!
*Rowan Atkinson, Richard E Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant & Joanna Lumley.

3BPs

How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live?

I've just discovered this song from 1929 - link to info and lyrics

Written by Blind Alfred Reed, here is the original:



There have been several covers, including from Ry Cooder and my personal favourite, at a live performance in London in 2006, a powerful rendition by Bruce Springsteen. 

 

Comments welcome :-) 

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision

Beebopalula...

♪ ♫ I think It's Going To Work Out Fine.

Everyone I've spoken to lately is stressed or depressed. Maybe the weather, their health, their job or the cost of living is the underlying cause - I can do nothing about that but if you close your eyes and listen to "I think it's going to work out fine" by Ry Cooder, really listen, it is calming and then uplifting. Enjoy.

Recommended Music Blog: soundsandvision 

Beebopalula...

School = Prison

I heard a news report about a high number of teenagers being depressed and it doesn't take a genius to understand why. Parents are forced to send their children to school to complete a minimum of 13 years in an institution where parents and kids have very little say.

School is just like an open prison where children have to follow rules without question. There is often bullying by teachers and other inmates -er, pupils- and sentences are not commuted for good behaviour. These kids have done nothing wrong and not even had a trial - so much for living in a 'free' country.

Here's the shocker... some teenagers hate school and this leads to depression and aggression. Earlier generations could leave school at 14, 15 or 16 but now it's 18 and the reasons for this are not improved education but political convenience. No wonder that some teenagers feel that the only control they have over their lives is the power to end it.

Flexing yet more power, authorities are now punishing parents with hefty fines for deciding that two weeks of quality family time is important. This is not about the child's education, it's a spiteful reaction to stop people stepping out of line.

During a discussion regarding discretionary term-time holidays, a councillor from Leeds on Breakfast TV nullified her argument by asking What if 20 people wanted to take their child out of a class in the same week? Reverting to discussions between parents and head-teacher would ensure that such occasions are managed properly and work can be made up, as it has to be if a child is off sick or suspended.

And, oh joy, we are exporting our education system to third world countries in the same way our ancestors exported religion. I think we need a re-think.

Mum
(who never took a child out of school)

Celebrating Celts

The Scots seems to condense all their celebrations to an eight week window each winter.

• St Andrew's Day - 30th November
• Hogmanay - 31st December
• Burns Night - 25th January

On these three dates, the kilts get an airing and glorious tartans be-deck the globe across all continents. Andy Stewart can be heard asking "Donald, Where's Your Troosers?" and bag-pipes are allowed in public for a few refrains of Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace. (To be fair, they are also heard at other events north of the border, such as the Edinburgh Tattoo.)

There is a structure to Burns Night with the piping in of Haggis, a spicy savoury dish of mutton and oatmeal and reading of some of Burns' works. By contrast to formal events, there are parties in pubs and restaurants where 'Jimmy' hats and Scotch whisky are more in abundance!

Moving on to the Irish... It's warmed up a bit by 17th March when everything is beginning to turn green, not just the shamrock-coloured revellers' attire and their St Patrick's Day after-party pallor from Guinness and Irish whiskey, but the leaves on the trees as we approach the vernal equinox.

TV should be good that evening, possibly re-runs of Father Ted, My Hero and Mrs Brown's Boys. The next day, Paddy McGinty's Goat will graze on the luscious spring grass, digesting accompaniments of left-over party hats, banners and green balloons as Danny Boy can be heard endlessly in the distance.

That's addressed my Scottish & Irish relatives - now to squeeze in something for the Welsh ones: St David's Day is on March 1st but all we do is wear a daffodil or, worse, a leek! And finally, the English - St George's Day is on April 23rd but English patriotism creates bad feeling unless we're playing football. Mad world.

Bee

Film Reviews: Action & Comedy Genres

In 2014, so far, I've watched these films:

• About Time
• Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
• Iron Man Three
• Man Of Steel
• Red 2
• The Hangover Part III
• The Internship
• The World's End
• We're The Millers

About Time is based in London and Cornwall. It's the story of nice middle class family, headed up by Bill Nighy's character who passes on a secret to his son. This is where the film declares itself to be charmingly silly rather than sinister... the men in the family can travel back in time for a do-over, by hiding in a dark cupboard, clenching fists and concentrating on the time and place to be visited, which has to be within their own timeline.
Summary: a little bit of sadness and a lot of laughs. Excellent casting by a 'Withnail' and 'Uncle Monty' fan? Nighy was brilliant.

Alpha Papa is as good as the Alan Partridge TV series so if you are a fan, you will like it. I thought it was quite good.

Iron Man Three had a few moments of over-doing the destruction of Tony Stark's house otherwise the film was first-rate, with the usual brand of humour and Stan Lee cameo. Overly long credits worth sitting through for the post-credit scene with... well, you'll find out if you stick with it.

The story, casting and Superman's costume in Man Of Steel are great. Enjoyable until the battle between Kal-El and General Zod gets out of hand and destroys every building within three miles then has to step up so half the Earth gets destroyed (I'm not sure really because after what seemed like hours of samey fighting and simulated destruction, my mind had wandered). It ended well, though. Does Superman look a bit like Andy Murray?

Red 2 seemed very similar to the original but never mind because it was played for laughs all the way. Special mention to Helen Mirren's performance - she surely had some of the best lines in the film and delivered them brilliantly.

The Hangover Part III was missing a hangover!!! A more mature approach from most of the cast and a funny film that seemed to underline the message 'no more hangover sequels'.

I only saw half of The Internship but I was really getting into it and will have to watch it again, to the end. It's about two experienced out-of-work sales guys who fluke their way onto an Internship challenge at Google. Formulaic but fun.

The World's End was quite good. I will need to watch it again but on DVD so that I can pause to fully recognise parts of Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City. Weird ending.

We're The Millers was a bit of fun. A grittier start for Jennifer Aniston who plays a stripper who then, as the film progresses, turns back into the typical sweet caring Jennifer Aniston character we're used to. A 'real life Ned Flanders' and his family adds to the comedy. Entertaining - definitely on the winding-down watch-list.

BP2

Flying with Hagrid

I sat next to Hagrid on a 7.5 hour overnight flight with Virgin Atlantic - and the aircraft designers really didn't consider him during their calculations.

Of course it wasn't really Hagrid, it was a young man of rugby player stature: 6'2" tall with huge chest and thighs. His knees touched the back of the seat in front of him but when the person in that seat decided to recline it to sleep, Hagrid had to splay his legs to either side of the recliner, one knee poking into the aisle and the other hogging part of my space.

Another knock-on effect of this was that his thighs were then forcing the arm rests up which, in turn, prevented the tables folding down properly... really, did nobody test this?

He didn't grumble though. Probably thought it was more comfortable than a broomstick.

BP2