12.00 It was cold with a sharp wind and passing a newspaper stand I noted that a freezing Easter is being predicted. I delivered the letter, seeking access to my early medical records, to my doctor’s administrative assistant and then walked to the bank. I noted that Coleman’s award winning fish and chip restaurant is offering OAPs a pot of tea with the sit down fish dinner or tea for £5.99 $3. This reminded of a chat at the football with two other elders about the cost of living to-day and in yester year, so I said my first earning were £5 $2.5 a week whereas another said his were £2 $1 fro a week’s work down the coal mine and his companion said when he had started was only £1.50 $.75. I reflected more on this in the town centre noting as I have before the number of elders with some form of disability and faces which demonstrate the years of toil and bodies affected by poor nutrition.
12.15 There is major works commencing at the junction at the centre of town with the intention of creating more decorative paving and on pavement seating around the restaurants and cafes and just for sitting and for smoking.
12.20 I thought for a moment that there was further work being undertaken at the Criterion Pub on the corner which has had attention to the its façade, a different structure in the main bar area and closure of its first floor restaurant. The opening of new facilities or expenditure on old is interesting given the recent headlines of night life closures and declining attendances except on Saturdays with the cause blamed on the improved attractions at Newcastle and Sunderland.
12.30 The headline sheet at the local news stands is of vandalism to cars in the town centre but the headline on the front page is of a early morning drug bust. I am still recovering from the surprise of thirty years ago when I was summoned by the Director of the Regional Treatment Drug Abuse centre and explained that he was looking after more heroin addicts from South Shields than the rest of the region and wanted to know what I was going to do about it. It took sometime although about a decade later a Department of Health wag commented that there appeared to be more drug prevention and treatment workers in the borough than registered addicts. The Folklore of how we got the problem is a good lesson that unless you deal with such problems nationally, and these days internationally, all that happens is that action in one area results in the problem being shifted elsewhere. In the sixties there was major drive to tackle heroin use in London and a number of heroin addicts who also pushed the drugs in order to feed their habit headed up the motorway and instead of taking the fork into Newcastle took that which ended at the Port of South Shields where there was a Marine Training college and strong middle eastern connections. There was then a steady stream of recruits at odds with their parents and the closely knit parental culture who found solace becoming members of this subterranean world, while their more conventional contemporaries downed pints and smoked fags before love on the dole and repeating the cycle. One lots went to prison or into prostitution and the other lot got cancer and heart disease.
12.45 After paying into my bank account the small premium bond win after three blank months I decided to get the milk and breakfast cereal from Marks and Spencer’s and to use up the rest of available cash on a gift card by taking up their 4 for 3 offer from a selection of Indian, Chinese and Italian, British dishes. The most expensive item was some pieces of lamb in a red wine sauce with potatoes cooked in olive oil and rosemary. I purchased two portions of a seafood salad which includes some salmon and prawns and the fourth and free item was some Singapore Noodles with little pieces of chicken bits of egg and prawns The free item led in effect a 20% reduction in the overall Bill.
13.00 On the way back I still took the escalator up through Asda and could not resist a three half prawn sandwich lunch on the hoof. I used the seat in passport photograph booth to have one half before tackling the climb home.
13.15 Enjoyed the two remaining halves with a cup of tea and then checked the emails and played some chess and commenced to write.
13.55 I am still hungry so make a single slice Leerdammer brown bread sandwich and coffee before taking some cardboard cartons and clothing to the recycle centre and then for a showing of Vantage Point a film in which the assassination of yet another USA President is viewed from the perspective of eight individuals. I remain fascinated by the interest the Americans have in killing their heads of state but my main interest is how the same situation is always seen differently by every observer present, or when viewing recordings or reading accounts.
14.30 Visit Council’s award winning recycling village and deposit some cardboard cartons, a cracked plastic washing up bowl and some clothing to the charities who have specialist containers at the site. I object to the door to door circulation of plastic bags which is almost a weekly occurrence for clothing, and also the teenagers who come round at regular intervals trying to get residents sign up direct debits. I will get around to have a moan to the council about the practice of licensing any form of door to door calling other than democratic.
15.20 I was early at the cinema but resisted the temptation to go for some sweeties. By the time the show commenced there were eight others at the performance in one of the larger screen theatres.
15.40ish-17.30. The film Vantage Point was disappointing with a preposterous script aimed at 13 year olds and their dads who play shoot em and chase em video games, plus teenagers on first or second weekend dates who do not mind what kind of film they are seeing. The trailer presentation that this is a film which examines the same events from different perspective is misleading, but not significantly, because each sequence although having the same starting point does not cover the same events. No one, other than the ultimate Hero Harrison Ford, and perhaps the President end the film with any merit and I therefore have no hesitation, although this a film on release by explain why it is so awful whatever some critics have found to embrace.
The most culpable and unbelievable are the USA security service, who admit they have advance intelligence of an assassination terrorist plot, down to knowing who the terrorists are and the where they come from, to the extent of putting its forces on a moment’s standby to obliterate their base despite its location in a friendly power, one of 150 world leaders that is attending the anti terrorist summit outside of the USA, in socialist Spain, and who then receive confirmation from the terrorists they will attack, The President is not immediately removed to a safe place or the public and other leaders and notables protected. The location in a small square surrounded by tall buildings is such a death trap bombers paradise that those responsible for the venue would in real life be charged with treasonable negligence. Spain would be blacklisted as an international venue for switching off the scrutiny mechanism allowing a satchel of high explosive into the area. While had not many if not most of the local Presidential security command post been killed together with the those guarding the President when they abandon their position protecting him to help other downed colleague, I would have immediately arrested then and charged with culpable homicide from dereliction of duty.
The most ludicrous aspect of this film is that having sets off several bombs maiming and killing innocents including children bombs, and killing a number of friends and foe, the President is saved because the terrorist leader crashes his vehicle rather than hit a child crossing the road. The portrayal of the women in the film is also appalling. Sigourney Weaver plays the cow Director of the on spot CNN like news team, the second main terrorist shows no mercy or hesitation in bombing the public assembled in the courtyard square, leaving her used lover to his death and blackmailing a stupid member of the Spanish Police to commit several murders and help kidnap the President but hesitates briefly when asked kill the man’s brother, and the third staring female is the mother of a small child who takes her into the centre of the town full of demonstrators from all over the world and armed riot and security police, and then after she loses contact with her child, she wonders the streets instead of reporting the child missing to the nearest police officer. Bar far the worst individual character is a black man who combines the worth caricature of the Yankee tourist in Europe with those portrayals of African Americans in pre war and immediate post World War films. I can well understand his wife having a strong doubt about her marriage as he goes off on a jaunt around Europe on his own. He is kind and well intentioned but becomes the cause of the child being mown down by the terrorist vehicle while her mother watches in despair. He has already encountered both as the child knocks into him losing her ice cream and mother is so keen to catch a glimpse of the American President that she refuses to buy the child a replacement or accept an offer from the African American who on finding the child separate from her mother makes no effort to find the mother or take the child to the Spanish police, but takes the child away from the scene until he seeing something which interests him and hands her over to the a bemused Spanish policewoman, who as with the portrayal of all the other women in the film, lets the child wonder off. It is not as if Westernised countries have no experience of their leaders experience assassination and kidnap attempts with Churchill the subject of a score. There are some aspects of the film which are accurate in that all leaders have more than one means of transport with route changes except for the official and long term planned public and state outings. The use of look alikes has also been a feature throughout history with the most well known the stand in for General Montgomery who attended a dinner in his honour by the Governor of Gibraltar in World War II and went around North Africa congratulating the troops. It has also become standard in this type of film from Bond to the Bourne Ultimatum to have prolonged spectacular but unrealistic car chases and other stunts and the film is a timely reminder to American and other World leaders and Presidential Candidates that you should never rely entirely on your security staff if you wish to survive and it is wise to be trained in hand guns and have some always close by whose first duty is to hand your weapon at any time of the day or night day or night. It was only after I left the cinema and was driving home that I worked out that this was a British secretly funded film showing what can go wrong unless you buy our training and method expertise.
17.45 I have a large hot soup with a crust of bread and play some chess.
18.30 I cut up the remains of the pork jaunt and bathe in a hot gravy with one helping of vegetables followed by grapes and then a coffee.
19.45 I watch a depressing game of Football on Satanta between Birmingham and Newcastle who for once do not sell their away fans location.
21.00 I switch to Sky 2 for the next episode of Lost. This does not get off to a good start so switch back to the football during the adverts as Newcastle equalise from a Michael Owen goal.
22.00 This week’s episode ends on a sad note as we move ion the future and learn that the Asian girl has her baby but her husband has died.
22.30 I tidy up yesterday writing and post and then write up some of this, enjoying some of the M & S breakfast cereal.
23.40. I got to bed to read some Antwone Fisher, Finding Fish. I read for a while but I am tired and book deserves better attention.
03.15ish I did check he time as I staggered to the toilet carefully holding on to the banister in the darkness on reaching the two steps and aiming for the doorway and not the metal display units on either side.
05.31 I remember the time as I repeat the venture although this occasion the mouth is dry so I take a large swig of water but do not swallow.
07.20ish and I am now uncertain about the accuracy of the 5.31 it could have 5.15 and then 7.31. It only matters to me, not the precise time but the training of the mind to remember accurately everything which is not immediately noted at the time. I would never make a good witness except under cross examination such is often my self doubt outside those instance when I am certain because I have checked, rechecked and recorded.. Given that I sometimes rise around 5 am when I been to bed before midnight the decision to return to bed and rest at this point is unusual bit I remember feeling physically weak and drowsy . I cannot remember if the dreaming was then or later as it was 9 am when I woke again after three rising in the night. This time because I was breathing through my nose rather than he mouth the saliva was normal. The dream well the theme was a familiar one I was at work, in paid work, of a kind despite my age, but centred on a giant open area where I was going to cut the grass with a machine in my own time but doing so in gratitude for being in work but where I could not open the door of where the mowing equipment was stored. My dreams are usually about work in some form, places recognised and then become different and about being lost rather than loss.
9.38 I place chess having drawn a game before going to be and bleary eyes draw another six drawn from the 380 played with the percentage drawn up from 1% to 2%. I woke feeling a little wretched and sorry for myself and then remember the plight of others but resist the temptation to check the news. I must make progress today on the priority list, however slow that progress is. It looks as if I shall be able to walk also although must remember to wrap up against the chilling wind
10.15 Contact the Inland Revenue to clarify the new tax coding. There is no explanation regarding the new code, and I can contact again when the information on income for next financial year is known. So even if there is underpayment for the this financial year it will not take effect until a year’s time without having to pay interest over the delay.
10.45 Have coffee, play a couple of games of chess and recommence work on annual accounts and master records.
12.00 Completed. First set 19620 and create master list of contents and action
12.15 There is major works commencing at the junction at the centre of town with the intention of creating more decorative paving and on pavement seating around the restaurants and cafes and just for sitting and for smoking.
12.20 I thought for a moment that there was further work being undertaken at the Criterion Pub on the corner which has had attention to the its façade, a different structure in the main bar area and closure of its first floor restaurant. The opening of new facilities or expenditure on old is interesting given the recent headlines of night life closures and declining attendances except on Saturdays with the cause blamed on the improved attractions at Newcastle and Sunderland.
12.30 The headline sheet at the local news stands is of vandalism to cars in the town centre but the headline on the front page is of a early morning drug bust. I am still recovering from the surprise of thirty years ago when I was summoned by the Director of the Regional Treatment Drug Abuse centre and explained that he was looking after more heroin addicts from South Shields than the rest of the region and wanted to know what I was going to do about it. It took sometime although about a decade later a Department of Health wag commented that there appeared to be more drug prevention and treatment workers in the borough than registered addicts. The Folklore of how we got the problem is a good lesson that unless you deal with such problems nationally, and these days internationally, all that happens is that action in one area results in the problem being shifted elsewhere. In the sixties there was major drive to tackle heroin use in London and a number of heroin addicts who also pushed the drugs in order to feed their habit headed up the motorway and instead of taking the fork into Newcastle took that which ended at the Port of South Shields where there was a Marine Training college and strong middle eastern connections. There was then a steady stream of recruits at odds with their parents and the closely knit parental culture who found solace becoming members of this subterranean world, while their more conventional contemporaries downed pints and smoked fags before love on the dole and repeating the cycle. One lots went to prison or into prostitution and the other lot got cancer and heart disease.
12.45 After paying into my bank account the small premium bond win after three blank months I decided to get the milk and breakfast cereal from Marks and Spencer’s and to use up the rest of available cash on a gift card by taking up their 4 for 3 offer from a selection of Indian, Chinese and Italian, British dishes. The most expensive item was some pieces of lamb in a red wine sauce with potatoes cooked in olive oil and rosemary. I purchased two portions of a seafood salad which includes some salmon and prawns and the fourth and free item was some Singapore Noodles with little pieces of chicken bits of egg and prawns The free item led in effect a 20% reduction in the overall Bill.
13.00 On the way back I still took the escalator up through Asda and could not resist a three half prawn sandwich lunch on the hoof. I used the seat in passport photograph booth to have one half before tackling the climb home.
13.15 Enjoyed the two remaining halves with a cup of tea and then checked the emails and played some chess and commenced to write.
13.55 I am still hungry so make a single slice Leerdammer brown bread sandwich and coffee before taking some cardboard cartons and clothing to the recycle centre and then for a showing of Vantage Point a film in which the assassination of yet another USA President is viewed from the perspective of eight individuals. I remain fascinated by the interest the Americans have in killing their heads of state but my main interest is how the same situation is always seen differently by every observer present, or when viewing recordings or reading accounts.
14.30 Visit Council’s award winning recycling village and deposit some cardboard cartons, a cracked plastic washing up bowl and some clothing to the charities who have specialist containers at the site. I object to the door to door circulation of plastic bags which is almost a weekly occurrence for clothing, and also the teenagers who come round at regular intervals trying to get residents sign up direct debits. I will get around to have a moan to the council about the practice of licensing any form of door to door calling other than democratic.
15.20 I was early at the cinema but resisted the temptation to go for some sweeties. By the time the show commenced there were eight others at the performance in one of the larger screen theatres.
15.40ish-17.30. The film Vantage Point was disappointing with a preposterous script aimed at 13 year olds and their dads who play shoot em and chase em video games, plus teenagers on first or second weekend dates who do not mind what kind of film they are seeing. The trailer presentation that this is a film which examines the same events from different perspective is misleading, but not significantly, because each sequence although having the same starting point does not cover the same events. No one, other than the ultimate Hero Harrison Ford, and perhaps the President end the film with any merit and I therefore have no hesitation, although this a film on release by explain why it is so awful whatever some critics have found to embrace.
The most culpable and unbelievable are the USA security service, who admit they have advance intelligence of an assassination terrorist plot, down to knowing who the terrorists are and the where they come from, to the extent of putting its forces on a moment’s standby to obliterate their base despite its location in a friendly power, one of 150 world leaders that is attending the anti terrorist summit outside of the USA, in socialist Spain, and who then receive confirmation from the terrorists they will attack, The President is not immediately removed to a safe place or the public and other leaders and notables protected. The location in a small square surrounded by tall buildings is such a death trap bombers paradise that those responsible for the venue would in real life be charged with treasonable negligence. Spain would be blacklisted as an international venue for switching off the scrutiny mechanism allowing a satchel of high explosive into the area. While had not many if not most of the local Presidential security command post been killed together with the those guarding the President when they abandon their position protecting him to help other downed colleague, I would have immediately arrested then and charged with culpable homicide from dereliction of duty.
The most ludicrous aspect of this film is that having sets off several bombs maiming and killing innocents including children bombs, and killing a number of friends and foe, the President is saved because the terrorist leader crashes his vehicle rather than hit a child crossing the road. The portrayal of the women in the film is also appalling. Sigourney Weaver plays the cow Director of the on spot CNN like news team, the second main terrorist shows no mercy or hesitation in bombing the public assembled in the courtyard square, leaving her used lover to his death and blackmailing a stupid member of the Spanish Police to commit several murders and help kidnap the President but hesitates briefly when asked kill the man’s brother, and the third staring female is the mother of a small child who takes her into the centre of the town full of demonstrators from all over the world and armed riot and security police, and then after she loses contact with her child, she wonders the streets instead of reporting the child missing to the nearest police officer. Bar far the worst individual character is a black man who combines the worth caricature of the Yankee tourist in Europe with those portrayals of African Americans in pre war and immediate post World War films. I can well understand his wife having a strong doubt about her marriage as he goes off on a jaunt around Europe on his own. He is kind and well intentioned but becomes the cause of the child being mown down by the terrorist vehicle while her mother watches in despair. He has already encountered both as the child knocks into him losing her ice cream and mother is so keen to catch a glimpse of the American President that she refuses to buy the child a replacement or accept an offer from the African American who on finding the child separate from her mother makes no effort to find the mother or take the child to the Spanish police, but takes the child away from the scene until he seeing something which interests him and hands her over to the a bemused Spanish policewoman, who as with the portrayal of all the other women in the film, lets the child wonder off. It is not as if Westernised countries have no experience of their leaders experience assassination and kidnap attempts with Churchill the subject of a score. There are some aspects of the film which are accurate in that all leaders have more than one means of transport with route changes except for the official and long term planned public and state outings. The use of look alikes has also been a feature throughout history with the most well known the stand in for General Montgomery who attended a dinner in his honour by the Governor of Gibraltar in World War II and went around North Africa congratulating the troops. It has also become standard in this type of film from Bond to the Bourne Ultimatum to have prolonged spectacular but unrealistic car chases and other stunts and the film is a timely reminder to American and other World leaders and Presidential Candidates that you should never rely entirely on your security staff if you wish to survive and it is wise to be trained in hand guns and have some always close by whose first duty is to hand your weapon at any time of the day or night day or night. It was only after I left the cinema and was driving home that I worked out that this was a British secretly funded film showing what can go wrong unless you buy our training and method expertise.
17.45 I have a large hot soup with a crust of bread and play some chess.
18.30 I cut up the remains of the pork jaunt and bathe in a hot gravy with one helping of vegetables followed by grapes and then a coffee.
19.45 I watch a depressing game of Football on Satanta between Birmingham and Newcastle who for once do not sell their away fans location.
21.00 I switch to Sky 2 for the next episode of Lost. This does not get off to a good start so switch back to the football during the adverts as Newcastle equalise from a Michael Owen goal.
22.00 This week’s episode ends on a sad note as we move ion the future and learn that the Asian girl has her baby but her husband has died.
22.30 I tidy up yesterday writing and post and then write up some of this, enjoying some of the M & S breakfast cereal.
23.40. I got to bed to read some Antwone Fisher, Finding Fish. I read for a while but I am tired and book deserves better attention.
03.15ish I did check he time as I staggered to the toilet carefully holding on to the banister in the darkness on reaching the two steps and aiming for the doorway and not the metal display units on either side.
05.31 I remember the time as I repeat the venture although this occasion the mouth is dry so I take a large swig of water but do not swallow.
07.20ish and I am now uncertain about the accuracy of the 5.31 it could have 5.15 and then 7.31. It only matters to me, not the precise time but the training of the mind to remember accurately everything which is not immediately noted at the time. I would never make a good witness except under cross examination such is often my self doubt outside those instance when I am certain because I have checked, rechecked and recorded.. Given that I sometimes rise around 5 am when I been to bed before midnight the decision to return to bed and rest at this point is unusual bit I remember feeling physically weak and drowsy . I cannot remember if the dreaming was then or later as it was 9 am when I woke again after three rising in the night. This time because I was breathing through my nose rather than he mouth the saliva was normal. The dream well the theme was a familiar one I was at work, in paid work, of a kind despite my age, but centred on a giant open area where I was going to cut the grass with a machine in my own time but doing so in gratitude for being in work but where I could not open the door of where the mowing equipment was stored. My dreams are usually about work in some form, places recognised and then become different and about being lost rather than loss.
9.38 I place chess having drawn a game before going to be and bleary eyes draw another six drawn from the 380 played with the percentage drawn up from 1% to 2%. I woke feeling a little wretched and sorry for myself and then remember the plight of others but resist the temptation to check the news. I must make progress today on the priority list, however slow that progress is. It looks as if I shall be able to walk also although must remember to wrap up against the chilling wind
10.15 Contact the Inland Revenue to clarify the new tax coding. There is no explanation regarding the new code, and I can contact again when the information on income for next financial year is known. So even if there is underpayment for the this financial year it will not take effect until a year’s time without having to pay interest over the delay.
10.45 Have coffee, play a couple of games of chess and recommence work on annual accounts and master records.
12.00 Completed. First set 19620 and create master list of contents and action
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