1370 The Country Fair

Yesterday I made an unplanned first visit ever to a British Country Fair. During my childhood my concept of a Country Fair was American based with an emphasis on fairground, community activities, on screen relationships A quick internet search revealed major commercial events lasting several weeks attracting a huge number of visitors and major commercial opportunities with in addition to celebratory and competitive events for those involved in agriculture and animal husbandry, major concert and sporting events, the traditional fair, and family centred activities. The Texas State Fair site. BigTex.com boasts the biggest fair in the Union and the biggest Ferris wheel in the world.

An Octagon screen is to be centre piece of an evening multi Media performance event involving visual effect, fire and pyrotechnics choreographed to every genre of music. There is a dare devil event with free shows daily. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of feathered performers from around the globe. The Women's Museum in conjunction with the State Fair will present the 21st century intelligent house. There will be free concerts from live bands every night with top entertainers and weekends. There is to be a State Fair musical, the Colour Purple with daily performances except Monday. Along side these attraction there are the live stock shows and auctions. There is a major motor show event with 300000 square feet of buildings display areas for vehicles including trucks, activities and entertainments including the launch of new models. 3 million people visit each year generating 350 dollars into the Dallas Economy. Entry costs are amazingly low with for someone like me over 60 ten dollars around £5 with free entry on Thursdays for the three weeks for senior and local school children.

There were similar but smaller scale features for the County weekend events I attend on one of the hottest sunniest days of the year. There were motorcycle dare devils and a falconry displays and a small fairground. There were displays of agricultural vehicles and a comparatively large area for Veteran, Vintage and Classic cars, Tucked away on one corner was a bandstand I enjoyed some mainstream Jazz on a Summer's Day with Summertime hitting the mood for an audience escaping from the heat under an open sided Marquee to laze the early afternoon after a lunch and drink where cool fresh real lemonade was doing better business than wine, although some went for draught beer or cider. Food was a high light in various forms from unusual offerings such as Buffalo steak burgers from the Water Buffalo company although nothing to compete with the Texas deep fried Oreo cookies, deep fried peanut butter, jelly and banana sandwiches. deep fried Twinkies, fried cheesecake and batter based fried Coke. There was some emphasis on country crafts and environmental issues and there were several events for horse or pony and carriage and with a special show jumping arena. There was judging of live stock with sheep, pigs, goats and cows, but the most popular attraction were the Alpacas who hum in varying strengths and pitches. There was the Flower Show and Gardeners questions time but as with the Cookery demonstrations many were more interested the available seating than the actual event. I was also impressed with skill and determination of the Tug of War teams who treated the event with great seriousness and where there was skill as well as brawn which meant that some teams included ladies and slim looking young men.
My previous knowledge of the British Country Fair was based on the long running after the war agricultural and village life of the Archers of Ambridge with the nearby county town of Borchester. This programme has always been about working farmers and villagers centring around the pub, the church and Women's Institute. The programme has provide the opportunity raise contemporary rural issues from rights of way to subsidies, small versus big, and the problems of being young and old in a rural setting. The programme always encouraged the working farmer to see the annual event not just as a social occasion but to do good business from buying a new tractor to considering change in stock or crop.

There were also two symbols of the time when the show attempted to emphasise the rule of the landed gentry. A visit to the toilet at one point coincided with the departure of some of the guests of the President's lunch with ladies in their expensive finery and men looking sporty and countrified. However the master stroke was by the Master of the Foxhounds who after the riders dismounted and their horse were taken away encouraged children of all ages to enter the main a parade ring and find out just how friendly and harmless the dogs really are, especially since the legislation three years ago they were no longer allowed to tear the fox to pieces to the glee and enjoyment of the hunters.

On return I checked out information for Durham and Northumberland. The Durham show has been cancelled at short notice because of problems with the cost of policing but the Northumberland Show is taking place on one bank holiday with a combination of events which suggest a similar make up to that experienced this weekend and subject to the weather and other priorities I am tempted to take a second look.

1369 Family Matters

Although I was going on a long drive I decided against setting the alarm and hoped for a natural and reasonable waking. My second rising of the night took place after the dawn but the level of light was such that I knew that the sea fog had come inland and wondered if this meant that the week of summer weather had come to an end. I felt like more sleep and my memory is that I did so, quickly, untroubled by the two issues which had come to dominate the past two weeks, the discovery that there was no information in the medical records of my birth mother until the early 1950's, over a decade after she came to England pregnant, banished from her homeland. There are therefore only two records of my existence identified so far. The corrected birth certificate and the baptismal record held at the Catholic Church where I served as an alter boy as the age of eleven throughout my last year, once a week during the school terms. No one had wanted me to exist until the aunt who became my care mother arrived in England and discovered my being and even then she participated in the conspiracy that kept my existence secret from the rest of family and friends in Gibraltar and in the U.S.A, and then from those who came to stay in England for the War period and then subsequently to visit.

It is my fault that there are no answers to some questions, although responsibility rather than blame is more appropriate. I could have undertaken the research before and questioned those who were still alive but chose not to do so because those who I care about did not want me to do so, and because I preferred the status quo to what I might find to be the truth. I suspect many if not most children have moments when they wish their parents were not their parents and that they had parents who were more wealthy or famous, just as the children of the famous wish they had been brought up in families where their parents were anonymous to everyone except their children, and even then children usually want their parents to have lives which revolve around them.

It is now over five years since the premature and preventable death of the woman who provided some mothering as a child, although she remained a child throughout her life, really wanting a life size female doll to put into dresses and to play with, and saying that, says a lot about the person I became. I could, and with hindsight, should have approached differently, the task of getting those directly responsible to acknowledge what happened and the part which they played. I should also have tried to insist that anything other that one independent investigation covering all the interests and issues was necessary, even though I was told this was out of the question in the beginning although too late for my care mother it has become increasingly possible for this to be the situation with the Health Commission being able to undertake enquiries covering all aspects of the health services and for the involvement of the personal social services to be covered by the inspectorate for those services.

And yet having said this when I consider the circumstances which governed the various phases of decision taking, I believe the right choices were made taken into account the welfare and interests of everyone, including myself. On Friday just before going away for the weekend the response of the Ombudsman service arrived to my request for the reports to the Health Minster to be withdrawn or for the conclusions to be substantially revised. The document requires careful study, and I decided to try forget it until after the weekend. I knew this would not happen, but viewing the matter in a different environment was helpful and on my journey back home I believe I have worked out the best approach in all the circumstances. The mist was back and with increasing intensity and dampness as homeland was approach. It was also cold, but I arrived before the binmen called and I was soon lost in other activities.

1362 Without childhood medical records and La Meglio Geoventu

23.45 I can write again. Before I was overwhelmed by the emotions of my own experience, reliving pain, regret, grief, frustration, anger, disappointment, and then experiencing fresh pain, grief, frustration anger, disappointment regret.

I can write again and get on with other work if I am not too tired afterwards because of watching the last part of a beautiful Italian film La Meglio Gioventu- -the best of Youth, a six hour film, now over four years since its first showing in Italy, and available as a two disk DVD region 1 from the USA. There are some beautiful scenes and the characters are complex, cultured, artistic. The lives of one family between 1960 and 2003, four generations and with several moments of exquisite familiarity. The film was being shown on BBC 4 and changed my mood in a positive way.

19.15 3rd May. It has been the warmest day of the year and I enjoyed a leisurely walk to the shops after finishing going through the medical records of my birth mother. I bought the Journal from Smith's and had a quick read on a nearby bench. That was a delight. Walking on I got a bank statement. It is quirk to get printed statements from the bank as well on line. Then to Wilkinson's for Glitter glue seven packs and a tub of crayons, needing black since I have misplaced the last used for my Artman signature to the registration card with an artman signature glitter card as the frontispiece. Oh how I would like to just take off to France, Italy, Spain, or Greece. I bought the last pack of grapes from under the Metro Bridge and then went for bread at Asda and also to look for D.I.Y stir fry, two onions 25p, four yellow/orange peppers£1.30, six small packs of noodles £2 one pack stir fry vegetables £ 1.43. I bottle Chilli sauce £1.15 £6. The meat will come from a whole chicken which will provide a traditional Sunday lunch to-morrow and two portions this week and then a further two portions from the pork joint the following weekend, although I made use one of the portions of chicken and pork to make a curry thus keeping the stir fry to one a week. I use the peppers for salads and he mixed veg is an addition. I anticipate needing more chilli sauce but thought I would try this one and then try a hotter version. The reason for this experiment is my protest at the rise from £3 to just under £4 on the ready chicken or beef stir fry's that that I have enjoyed over the past six months. I reckon I can produce a similar dish for around £2 with a better balance between the meat and onions and peppers, and the noodles. I have already been added half a pepper and some additional onion. Tonight I settled for a plate of Indian starters and a pint of lager followed by some ice cream.

00.30 The cause of the earlier overwhelming emotional state was the second part of going through and writing up the contents of the 140 pages of information in the medical record of my birth mother

I am resigned to the possibility that Dr Stewart, the family doctor destroyed the early records when he retired in the first part of the 1950's and a change of doctors was needed. I have always been cautions about relying on memory without supporting record. I want a situation where anyone else seeking the same information, will make a similar judgement and reach similar conclusions. That is the standard of scholarship I have aspired to since facing the challenges of producing weekly essays for tutorial assignments at Ruskin and then on the post grad diploma course in public and social administration. There is nothing like listening to the essay of a first class Oxbridge graduate to realise ones limitations and understand the nature of academic scholarship. Having studied the psychology of memory and of perception and all aspects of childhood development I am aware of the pitfalls, especially of self suggestion and wishfulness. But I have a vague picture memory of overhearing a conversation between my "aunts" about the problem of having to move to a new doctor and of the retiring doctor offering to help out in maintaining the secrecy, and which later I assumed was because my mother was un unmarried teacher in post war Britain.

I will still approach the record resource in Surrey which might have some information but I am not optimistic. This was less upsetting than going through the records for the period 1998 2003 and going through the evidence which substantiates many of the issues in dispute during the five years of investigation into the premature and preventable death of my care mother. It is an angry and frustrating kind of upset because it could have been resolved within a matters of months. I can foresee months if not years more of upsetting work before my care mother, my birth mother and I can find the peace of knowing that the truth has been recognised by all those involved. I do not see how individuals can learn and put things right or better in the future until there is agreement about what happened and why.

At midday I watched Manchester United take West Ham apart and one was envious of the fans who are to watch this quality week in and week out. This feeling was underlined as I watched a lack lustre performance by Sunderland at Bolton and I continue to be hesitant about acquiring a season ticket for only the second time in three and a half decades. I had intended to watch the whole match and then Dr Who on BBC eye but saw more of Doctor Who such was my mood

1360 Cold Feet at Lindisfarne, Extraordinary Rendition

21.40 It has been a difficult and an emotional day. During which I completed the creation of one set of files of documentation in relation to the investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman. Late in the day I decided to telephone and if I understand what was said the Deputy Health Ombudsman arranged for someone to conduct a final level review and the result of that review has been with the deputy since March to complete a formal response. The work has spurred on to commencing to review all the key documentation and prepare a latest position of issues as a consequence but tomorrow I will concentrate on sorting out information for a letter on missing medical record information.

22.15 I decided to spend the evening watching the Chelsea V Liverpool semi final of the Champions League. It is a mark of the level of play among the top teams in the English Premiership that three teams, albeit all managed by men who were not born in England and made their name managing clubs in their own countries, have reached the semi finals of this competition: Manchester United who beat Barcelona yesterday and now Chelsea who won 3.2 in extra time, a win which included a Frank Lampard penalty in the week in which his mother died. Now absurdly they will have to play the final in Moscow rather than Wembley. Just think of what the expense means for the average supporter!
As a consequence of transferring files and papers around the house to different locations and filing cabinets according to present access priorities I discovered my semi final complimentary ticket for the Sunderland V Chelsea semi final first leg match of what was then known as the Milk Cup, as opposed to the F A Cup where all FA teams are eligible to compete. Although I had a season ticket for Roker Park, I was invited as a guest of the Local Authority who were the main sponsors for the match and I have a photograph of those at the table where we had a meal beforehand after a Champagne reception on arrival. There was mayhem at the replay about which I have previously. I found the ticket on the Day room floor which is puzzling because I have a number of boxes of football programmes and cricket score cards and the like, although it may have come from the box which had held the paper on violence at or near football matches and where I alerted the football, police and Parliamentary authorities back in the 1980's when over a decade I experienced unprovoked attacks by children and teenagers throwing rocks at coaches after departing from an evening match at Everton, twice witnessed organised violence associated with Chelsea both involving Sunderland away fans but also involving a West Ham gang who broke their way out of a underground train on which I was travelling to get at Chelsea fans and where the police reported that they had come under siege and required reinforcements. I had run for my life from Spurs terrorists while supporting Sunderland, but also been asked by a senior police officer to formally complain about the conduct of one of his junior colleagues at a match at Arsenal. There were several occasion when I felt concern at the approach taken by the police to manage crowds at football matches, but have not experienced anything over the past decade. It was therefore disturbing to first learn that their had been after match problems are the recent Newcastle Derby and the evening phone in programme which covers the rivalry between North East Clubs on century radio from 6 to 8 revealed disquieting reports about the approach of the police towards visiting Boro fans after the Tees Wear Derby. Given the cost of supporting football and that British reputation in the world is at stake this is a situation which needs to be quickly sorted.

In the afternoon I watched the remaining episodes of season 2 Cold Feet which included what for me was one of the most memorable episodes when the three couples spend the new Millennium at a castle on Lindisfarne. All six characters have become fully drawn and their portrayal of contemporary relationships is both touching and realistic and as far removed from the image which popular media, church and state through its politicians would have everyone wanting to believe. I have visited Holy Island and the Castle only once as it is located in north Northumberland and with the tides it usually means an exceptionally early start and then long tiring drive back. It is a proper island although one can drive from the mainland along the causeway but only according to the tides which today were from twenty past midnight to nine fifteen and then from twelve forty to twenty two and five which means that for the past hour it has only been accessible by boat. In the Millennium episode the island is presented as otherwise deserted and the men take a boat to the mainland to collect firework, have a drink and buy Pizza's and become becalmed on the way back when the engine cuts out. When they accidentally set the boat on fire trying to attract the attention of those looking out for them in the darkness, they set fire to it accidentally and jumping into the water, they find that the tide has gone out and they can walk the remaining distance. Usually it is visitors who get stranded in their cars because they leave departure until the last minute and then find the tide has swept in. When this happened accommodation is usually available in one of the 30 properties available, the majority self catering but there are two hotels, two pubs and several others offering bed and breakfast, and evenings meals. Occasionally mooring and walkers get stranded along the causeway where there are above water rescue points if you can make it to them

There Island is a great place to stay for a relaxing, romantic or spiritual retreat, or as a base for also exploring the rest of North Northumberland, with Bamborough Castle, Berwick and the largest human made lake reservoir in Europe at Keilder, surrounded by forests, farms and hills and lots of sheep. There are escorted boat trips to the Farne Island bird, and sea bird and sea life sanctuary
No one knows what the name Lindisfarne means and in this region Lindisfarne is the regarded as the name of a popular folk band which sued to provide great sing song concerts at Christmas at the City Hall Fog on Tyne and all that and the Island is known as Holy Island because of its longstanding religious significance fist established by Irish Monks from Iona and then developed by Benedictine monks from Durham. The most famous work is the Lindisfarne decorated Gospels. Cold Feet is set in Manchester and the use of Lindisfarne rather than the closer English Lakeland was inspirational.

A combination of indifferent weather and wanting to make progress in my work resulted in not going out for the DVD or the monthly stock up of the fridge and freezer and other household requirements. although with going out walking daily, well almost, over the past three weeks, I have taken the haversack and brought back a few items each day.

I also have the making of a cough which drinks have not eased completely and which I shall now use some of my special medicine, a glass of single malt whisky acquired on my few days in Scotland last year. A stay on Lindisfarne Island is tempting if only I was not so busy and lose weight and a few days of continuous good weather could be guaranteed.

I decided to stay up and watch an a challenged to watch British low budget film called Extraordinary Rendition mainly because it feature Andy Gollum Serkis in a serious role as an interrogation. Once you have seen one film or drama documentary about Extraordinary Rendition, which means kidnapped and tortured without the rule of international law, there is no point to any others. This is more of a Kafka version in which the subject appears to eb a British born Muslim, a teacher a higher education establishment with a non Muslim wife who is kidnapped on slim grounds, held in a container and then transported to somewhere extremely hot and then dumped back in the UK when he is found dazed and badly beaten after he agrees to sign a confession. There is no reference to who the kidnappers and torturers are or to any specific crime. The film is a political statement in favour of the rule of law and demonstrating what happens when you give the creatives within the security forces free licence. The films ends with a note on the number of arrest warrants form CIA operative that have been issued by European countries for the adduction of torture of their citizens.

I had with a couple of trivial matters in that given the price of a cup of coffee has reached £1 to £2 and that I recently have taken to drinking coffee again as I can consume without sugar I have worked out that it is possible to have thirty cups from a £2 pack of Taylor's of Harrogate brand which allowing for two pints of milk work out at around 30p a cup plus the cost of electricity for boiling the water. I do not begrudge the made for you cup especially if the surroundings are pleasant and no one bothers if you relax with a paper, if only I had the time, it provides a good business and employment, although one wonders how much goes to the those who grow and harvest the coffee beans. The trivial bit is that having measured out the contents of a pack this morning I read the information on the pack and discovered that the way to keep it fresh is not to put in a coffee jar or in my case in wooden box but keep in refrigerator for a maximum of two weeks. I also managed to briefly achieve an 18% win rate at hearts but it quickly reverted to 17 although this is still a considerable improvement over 11%

1357 Cold Feet Day

13.45 28.04.2008 Project 100.75 and Civilization work day. Also taking a relaxed approach after rising early to place wheelie bin outside and prepare environmental box for putting out later after returning from Smiths for DVD, the under station bridge green grocers for some black grapes and to the supermarket where I acquired three battery spotlights as advertised on TV in a separate location from where I last looked, and for lunch there was a prepared organic salad reduced to half price, but which I did not enjoy as much as those I make for myself. Now there's an experience not to be repeated. The special price stir fry which I have enjoyed over the past six months has finally moved to its profit making price from the introductory offer and remains firmly stacked on its shelves and we shall all wait until they either climb down and go back to the price we are prepared to pay or sell off at a reduced price. It was on this basis that I purchased a stuffed shoulder of lamb reduced by nearly 50% because to day was the last recommended sale day and have frozen for the weekend, I could not see my chicken with sausages and stuffing to-day and although I was not proposing to buy I foresee a stocking up visit to Morrison and Lidl coming tomorrow or Wednesday. There was no post to speak of which means I will have to concentrate on those letters and associated preparatory work after ensuring that I meet the 120 new card sets target for this month.

21.00 A moderately successful work day in that I am 8 sets away from achieving the monthly target for two months in succession, although I had hoped to have two free days to attend to other priorities and interests. My general writing is therefore being kept short.

Earlier I watched the first three episodes of the second series of Cold Feet, thus missing the last three of first series but was able to catch up from what happens in these three. I also have the other 3 episodes of the second series which I shall view tomorrow. Having said that the character played by Robert Bathurst was the least developed as a one dimensional male shit as husband, father and work colleague, the combination of being made redundant and a momentary lack of concentration in which is son is a millisecond from being knocked down by car, he makes a genuine effort within his inherent limitations to change, and interestingly is forced back to work and to his more competitive self by his wife who needs the man she was attracted without having to play the dutiful stay at home housewife. During his brief period of unemployment having been given the kind of redundancy cheque which enables them to continue in their lifestyle for a time she goes to work taking as yet unstated power job or I may missed what she does if it was said. It is Mr James Nesbit who character becomes the more type cast with during the three episodes has former partner Helen Baxendale returning having had a termination due to being uncertain of the father was James or her former husband and hoping to re establish the relationship, there is the friend and work colleague of Pete Gifford, (James friend from childhood; she proves to me a five times a night nymphomaniac, who subsequently has a night of passion with Pete when they escape to a hotel from a work bonding weekend camping; there is the friend of the nympho who becomes James's new flatmate and bedmate for one night until they decide to stick to the landlord and tenant relationship, there is Pete's wife who has always carried something of a torch for James and confesses her crush in her diary which husband reads and to James's when she goes to comfort him when he learns that Kate has had an abortion, and there is the also a date from a newspaper add, which I think makes five. There are moments of farce which I have never found funny mixed up with some hit the mark fantasy sequences and overall the penetrating truths can only by the majority of the such a large audience by having the framework of the situation comedy. However I as I still has images and phrases from Jane Austin last the difference between the two programmes is that I had give undivided attention to the Jane Austin and will watch again if I can find the time whereas I was able to do other work during Cold Feet. Not so with the first of Cold Case which has a contemporary theme, the impact of serving in Iraq and the growth of highly trained ex army and ex police trained security services. Remembered to watch the missing twenty minutes of Dr Who when I fell asleep on Saturday and find it is a two parter.

1356 Jane Austin's Emma, Boxing.

10.25 27.04.2008
Today could become a solid work only catch up day and therefore my writing will be short and boring. It is the life of 100's of millions who struggle to feed themselves and their families, combat illness and disability, avoid the horrors of civil and racial warfare or are required to work for ten or twelve hours to return exhausted to a sparsely furnished room, and if they are fortunate to be able to briefly share the companionship of family and friend. They may dream of a better life tomorrow although some this is too painful and unrealistic that you concentrate on making the most of what you have than what you have not, The closest I came to such an experience was being in prison but I was fed and clothed and warm.

11.15 Monster washing up completed and now to wash me, water plants and go in search of house shoes. Need some different dandruff shampoo as the Boots brand does not work on me.

12.00 Could not find the house plants watering can until remembering I used it outside. I have five poinsettias., two out of three from three years ago and three out of five from this, the latter all thriving, the former are tall with only some red leaves. The ere is also the inherited cactus with two now fading dark blue flowers with some white and light blue. This is my pride because it was small and neglected and is now about ten times its original size and his been twice re-potted. I also have finished the move of work sets from downstairs to the first floor and vice versa, and cleaned the day room table. Decide that tomorrow I will give the bathroom a throughout clean. Take a decision to convert some half finished 6 to 8 volume lever arch files which have not yet been identified with glitter on the casing with the mini folders which can be housed in boxed. Still puzzled by only to find seven of the old type red boxes where I though I had ten. Will do another search next week. Now to some work updating rather than the letters that were planned.

13.00 Enjoyed a lunch of four pieces of prepared and cooked fish, smoked mackerel, peppered mackerel, smoked salmon and peppered salmon; sufficient to be divided into two with salad but in this stance I decided on the whole platter without anything else and a cup of tea. Before this while sorting out completed cards in subjects watch Joe Calzaghe the six floor 12 stone boxer from Wales where he has lived all his life although born Hammersmith West London, and who has to has now won all his 43 fights and switched weights to win in America on a split vote last night to become a two weight undefeated world champion and beginning to win under the various world champion banner which does tend to make Boxing a questionable sport, although it was also part of my childhood listening to major matches on the radio any my single excursion fighting for the House at school and then being prevented from joining the Boxing club by my birth case care mothers because of additional cost and did want me to fight

Now watching the opening laps of the Spanish Grand Prix in which Hamilton started fifth but managed to gain a place before a first round crash down the field which meant the Safety car had to be deployed.

16.30 One of the problem with an intense period of working is that you do not feel like continuing or doing anything else I was able to watch the rest of the Spanish Grand Prix. There was horrifying accident to the team mate of Lewis but he appears to be Ok with nothing broken but was taken to hospital for a through check having hit a tyre wall at 140 MPH. Started to watch a film Paper Bullets until I remembered that I had seen knew the outcome of a police thriller with yet another corrupt senior policeman in the pay of the local Asian mafia USA style. Now listening to the Simply Red D from last Sunday's Mail which is pleasant stuff, in need of soothing after the work and have a problem with the printer which I can see could involve a trip back to the agents Wonderland is beautiful and is worth buying the paper at £1.50 Sudden thought where the house shoes are located, they were not but did find them elsewhere. When tired I can quickly feel overwhelmed so having a glass of OJ and some shell on prawns... Lots of work can be done photography completed work, making artman glitter cards and some registration of completed set work.
Simply Red Stars: something got me started; stars; thrill me; your mirror; she's got it bad; for your Babies; model; how could I fall; freedom; wonderland, Tour is 29th June 10th July Bristol; Wolves; Liverpool; Manchester; Oxford; Leicester; Ipswich; and London
18.30 The printing is printing. I have completed 46 artman glitter signature cards Development Sets 2060-2065 except for the glitter cards and photographing which I find boring and will spread over the coming week or two to catch up; Culture 2008 sets 9851-9851 and one communications confidential 19519.

20.00 Enjoyed an evening meal of roast chicken breast stuffing and roast potatoes followed by fresh pineapple, accompanied by a glass of Speargrass Shiraz 2006 from South East Australia, a deep crimson wine.

22.00 My work was disrupted by an enormous clap of prolonged thunder followed by torrential rain, both unexpected except that in fairness I did not follow the weather forecast closely, Having switched everything off of then checked what I could see of the sky and witched everything on again and returned to work.

Earlier I had watched an interesting engaging dramatised life of Jane Austin who I sometimes confuse with the Bronte sisters, and where I posses a video Bronte Country and visited the parsonage and went on to the moors as she would have done. Once I had disentangled the two pictures and went to Wikipedia I realise how little I had known anyway, particularly that the published work had appeared over so short a period Sense and Sensibility in 1811 Pride and Prejudice1813' Mansfield Park 1814; Emma 1815, and the Persuasion and Northanger Abbey in 1817 posthumously a period coinciding with the Peninsular War 1808-1814 and when my mothers great grandfather had his childhood in Calne.

The play tonight was a speculation of both what should have and could have been. It is said that only 160 letters of the estimated 3000 she wrote survive loss, destruction and family censorship. It is correct as portrayed in the film that as a young woman she fell in love but the marriage was considered impractical by the families as neither had money and they were kept apart subsequently into meeting again although in the film she does meet the man, married, and unhappy. It is also accurate that she was proposed once and accepted and then withdrew her acceptance the following morning, although there is no evidence of why although it is known that he was an unattractive man of limited conversation and that he was an heir to wealth which would have secured the position of the family whose position as minor gentry. Was always precarious and worsened with time. It is also corrected that she was invited to meet the Library of the Prince Regent who said that the Prince kept a set of her books at each of residence and suggested she dedicate Emma to him.

I enjoyed the film immensely because of its main theme, the problem of being a creative writer in a confining family situation while wanting the conventional of marriage children, social acceptance, but also seeing and understanding the reality and understanding something of the cross she had to bear and that it is unlikely she would have produced her great works had she travelled the conventional life of young girl and married woman at that period. It struck me that it would be good to visit the museum at Chawton and read at one or two of her works again as my head is filled more with the cinema productions and the TV serializations than the original works. While I have Wuthering Heights and Jane Eye of the Bronte's I do not have a Jane Austin, There are now several internet sites where the works can be read on line and printed on line. What also interest me is that it was over 100 years after her death that academic scholarship and writing about her books and the life and times she portrayed commenced and has mushroomed across the world with fan club literary societies devoted to her in the UK, North America and Australia.

00.00 Continuing to work hard on British History and ancient Civilizations. I had two slices of cheese with salami which produced indigestion which served me right and drank a pint of iced water and went to bed around 1 am. I had relaxed with several games of hearts winning four over the day a record and bring to percentage to 17% from 16 and 69 wins from 360. Another form of number symmetry is that completed set 7777 during the course of the evening. I stayed up even till around 2.30 because started to read and think about some of the ancient civilizations and their art.

1855 The coldest on record, Fourth coup against PM fails and 725 MySpace Friends review completed

It was the coldest night of the year, last year and perhaps the decade with -22 in Scotland and still under - 10 in most places. The cold occurred in the early hour setting th conditions for the rest of the day. It is the coldest in the house since my arrival and oldest I can remember since before the installation of central heating at my form home in the mid 1970’s.

I have had a nose cold for more than week which is a nuisance but not debilitating although getting comfortable in bed at night is more difficult than usual. The weather conditions are the main subject of their media with outside broadcasts from reporters revealing he blanket of snow and ice covering the UK, including Cornwall, the southernmost area of England. An estimated 10000 schools closed across the UK closed with traffic only possible to move on the main roads and even here supplies of grit and salt are increasingly in short supply. There is much controversy over the closure of schools, especially those in towns and cities. The argument of the education authorities that the function of the schools is to teach and not to provide child care to enable parents to attempt to continue working. There is also the issue of health and safety, especially at secondary level where th sites are large and 1000 to 2000 pupils will be crossing open areas to attend classes through the day, with the risk of accidents as well wet clothing. There is concern for pupils getting to and from schools with the general instruction that people should avoid using their private cars unless essential. There is concern about energy supplies

There is no end in sight to the exceptional wintry conditions which I cannot recall for forty years with temperatures lower than before, and lower than Nordic countries and at the South Pole

There was one item which for a period of several hours took precedence over the weather. Two former members of the Government Patricia Hewitt and Geoffrey Hoon called for a secret ballot in which Members of Parliament could express their view as to whether Gordon Brown should lead the party into the next General Election previously anticipated to take place in late March. The announcement that the two had written to all members of the Parliamentary Labour Party was time for the start of Parliamentary Question Time and appears to have come as a surprise to many of their colleagues. Political commentators were quick to suggest that although the two denied having had contact with any Members of the Government, although this does not mean others did not have contact on their behalf, which Frank Dobson suggested as playing an important role, and six identified Members of the Cabinet were said to be sympathetic to their call including the deputy leader of the Party and Leader of the House of Commons, Harriet Harman, who is about to face a court case for use of a telephone while in control of a motor vehicle( she pleaded guilty later in the day and was fined with three endorsement points to her licence), and David Miliband, my Member of Parliament here in South Shields and who has been accused previously, three times no less, of being ready to stand against Mr Brown should a leadership election be called.

For several hours these individuals remained silent and indeed statements from other members of the Cabinet were slow in coming as the Parliamentary Whips assessed the reaction of the Parliamentary Party to the call. David Miliband was one of the last to issue a statement which was considered at best luke warm in support for Mr Brown. By the end of the day Number Ten could talk confidently that the revolt had fizzled out before it got started. So why had two distinguished and highly intelligent former Members of the Government taken the action and at this moment in time?

Obviously I can only speculate. Both are leaving frontline politics at the General Election and therefore were not hoping to revive their former political careers, although both might anticipate a Peerage if they wished to participate in the affairs of the House of Lords.

Patricia Hewitt has gone the full political circle in British politics. Born in Australia, her father was a senior civil servant and on emigrating to the UK she was educated at Newham College Cambridge and Nuffield College, the post Graduate Oxford College where she obtained two further degrees. He first political interest was on the right but she move into feminism and civil right issues becoming a distinguished chief executive of the National Council for Civil Liberties, Liberty, 1974 1982 and whose work there is said to have had the close of attention of homeland security, according to Wikipedia, because of her marriage, This is very odd as her husband progressed through the legal system as lawyer in the 1980‘s when they married, becoming Recorder in the 1990’s and then full time Judge. They have a son and a daughter with the son causing some political and social embarrassment when charged with cocaine possession in the late 1990’s.

Having joined the Labour Party in the 1970’s and losing her first attempt to become a Member of Parliament she became Press officer to Neil Kinnock, the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons having admitted that she wrote letters supporting both candidates, Roy Hattersley, the other, for the Labour Leadership. Having been elected to Parliament as Labour swept to power in 1997 she was appointed a Treasury Minister in 1998, a Minister for Trade in 1999 and Cabinet Member as Ministerial Chief in the same Department following the General Election in 2001 where she was also asked to take responsibility within the Cabinet for the Position of Women and Equality issues. In 2005 she was promoted to one of the great offices of State Chief Minister for Health where she ran into problems, yielding to pressure from General Practitioners for a massive increase in their salary. I attend a private Party consultation meeting which she presided and was struck by the extent to which she remained a quietly spoken academic natured individual without any of the usual political flamboyances and unappealing political characteristics. I believe her counsel will always be considered, honest and fair. I was not surprised when she was not offered a position in the Brown led government or that she announced her attention to leave the Commons and accept consultant and advisory positions. I would have expected she would have been created a Peer in the presently unreformed second chamber, which makes her recent attack on the present leader so interesting.

Geoffrey Hoon has also struck me as an essentially honest and dedicated politician with an academic and legal background, but unlike Patricia Hewitt his parents were working class with his father a railway man, and he became the first member of his family to go to University. He lectured in law at Leeds University, and practiced at the Bar for 2 years and then served as a Member of the European Parliament for 10 years invited to attend a meeting of the Bilderberg Conference in the late 1990, always an indication of someone regarded by the International establishment as destined for High Office. He served for a time in the Ministerial team of the Lord Chancellor before becoming Cabinet Minister for Defence. He had served in the University Combined Cadet Force for three years. He also served as Minister for Transport and a Minister for Europe, has been Chief Whip within the House Commons and its Leader. He is one of the Ministers where significant concern was raised about his use of the official parliamentary expense allowances. It can be assumed his experience will be wanted by industry and international bodies and therefore again he is unlikely to have agreed to being a front for an attack on the Prime Minister without justification and considered judgement.

The great question is did they expect to win or was this intended as political manoeuvre as the Party prepares to launch its General Election campaign and with increasing prospects with the prospect of remaining the largest political party in the Commons but without an overall political majority to automatically form a government. Gordon Brown has become increasingly confident at the Despatch Box at Prime Minister’s Question Time and the Conservatives have started to wobble over their policies. The Chancellor has been able to show that the Conservatives are promising significantly more than they can show they will be able to pay without massive increases in taxation or massive reductions in existing services. There is also the Prime Minister effect so that even those who do not like him may prefer the Devil they know tot eh Devil in waiting. There is also no contest between safe hands Chancellor Darling and adventurous George Osborne. There was also no mechanism for holding the secret ballot as suggested by Hoon and Hewitt and no stomach for it within the Parliamentary Party and membership in general. The position of the Scottish Nationalists has weekend in relation to Labour which could be crucial and the political situation in Northern Ireland is looking more settled and positive despite the problems of the present first Minister.

I am therefore going to suggests that the initiative may not have been as disloyal and undermining of the Government relation to the General Election as it might seem. It forced the dissenters within the Cabinet to either put up or shut up. They bottled out and are shown not to have had the courage of their convictions or ambition. If Brown win the election, or at least commands sufficient seats in the Commons to form the next Government he can dispense with the half hearted and promote those who remained loyal.
The only way for the dissenters to gain power is for Brown to lose and resign as is the custom although this is not obligatory and I believe he would make an effective Opposition Leader in the absence of any other obvious candidate although Frank Dobson is one name which comes to mind along with Peter Mandelson, if he can get himself a seat in the Commons.

I missed the ending of the first Test Match in South Africa in which Collinwood and Onions battled to achieve a draw especially the last over which Graham Onions had to bat through. England’s victory in the second Test was emphatic and in hindsight the decision to put South Africa into bat on the first morning of the Third is open to question although had Swann not dropped that catch the wobble could have turned into the hoped for rout. In the event England were on the wrack with a day and half to get a world record fourth innings score of over 450 to win the game. With four wickets down and a lively wicket the task of avoiding defeat looked difficult until Collingwood and Bell came together and defended for hour upon hour. With one hour left to play it looked that with another half an hour played the game would be called off as a draw. Then Collingwood, Broad and Bell departed leaving Onions with Swann to withstand the final overs and Onions once more the last six balls. They did and with the series only four games, England can win if they do not lose the last game in week‘s time. The two sides are evenly matched and the game of test cricket has proved to be exciting once more, albeit nerve wracking.

So I reach the final 100 myspace friends as the January 2010 review ends with T to Z, 725 in total with 855 Blogs and 144 Friends departed. Bringing the Friends and Blogs into matching is a challenge I will defer although two additions agreed yesterday is a good start

T

624 Tom original My Space Feb 17th

625 The Mars before May 2007 accepted

The Mongrel 2008 not at review 115

626 The Rolling Stones nov dec 2008

627 Tracey Jane Before May 2007 added

628 Thomas Hardy nov dec 2008

629 The Spells 7 July 2007 Accepted

630 The Hostiles before May 2007 accepted

631 The Invisibles nov dec 2008

632 The 4th Dimension October 2008 T 40

633 TS Elliot Before May 2007 T 40

634 Theo 2008

635 The official Bruce Springsteen 2007

636 Team Plastique April 2008

637 Theo nov dec 2008

638 The Jive before August 2007 accepted

639 Tori Haynes Before May 2007Accepted

640 Tino Rodriquez 2008

T B 2008 nar 116

Tasty Treats before May 2007 added NAR 117

641 Tee added 2009

642 Tate before May 2007 added

643 Tommy Inferno 20July 2007 Accepted

644 The Loved one added 2009

645Trentemoller added 2009

646Toumani nov dec 2008

647 The cave summer 2008

648 Think Swing nov 2007

649 Teddy Wayne added 2009

650 The Rock and roll July 2007 Accepted

651 The Heathers before May 2007

652 Tanis before May 2007 added

Tony July 2007 118

653 The Last nov dec 2008

654 The Rhodes added 2009



655 Toulouse Lautrec nov dec 2008

656 The Poetry July 2007 accepted

657 The no Tomorrow accepted autumn 2007


The Circus before May 2007 dep (119
The Daze before May 2007 dep (120)

658 The Deathlance before May 2007 accepted

659 Tzigart nov dec 2008


660 The Four before May 2007 accepted

The Lubins before August 2007 accepted dep (121)

The Rocks Winter 2008 accepted 122
The Role Player Before May 2007 added dep 123
The Sugar Spun Sister August 2007 dep (124
The three flusher productions 2007 dep (125

661 The Thought Police Before august 2007

Tiger accepted autumn 2007 dep (126

662 The amphitheatre south shields summer 2007

663 The single mother accepted Jan 2008 T40

664 The Police nov dec 2008

665 Tyneside Cinema added January 2008

666 Tanja added 2009532

667 Tamara 2008

668 The Journal added January 2008

669 The Hippie Love Gods added 2009

670The Other side speaks added 2009

671 Tomatito added 2009

672 Tamara de Lempicka added 2008

673 The Arusha late 2007 accepted

674 Thilo Martinho added 2009

675 The Caledonians added 2009

676 The Hand that added January 2008

677 This Broadcast 2008-11-21

678 The Lady & The Colours nov dec 2008

679 Two Creative Roses added 2009

The Might by April 2007 NAR 127

680- The Constant Father nov dec 2008

681 Tito Alcedo added 2009

682 The Official Bo Diddley added 2009

683 The 112 Stars nov dec 2008

684 Troupe ranym added 2009

685 The California Mods added 2009

686 The Dirty Strangers added 2009

687 Tilly Trotter added 2009 T 40

688 The Truth and Poetry added 2009




U

Uptownboy February 2008 accepted NAR 129

689 U2 by April 2008

690 Unexploded added 2009

Unlocal by April 2008 NAR 130

691 Upscale 2008

692 UNICEF added 2009

693 Up all Night 2007

694 Under Sanction added 2009

695 Undefeated and Unchained added 2009

696 Unchor added 2009

697 Unevullunpo added 2009


V

698 Vertigo autumn 2008

699 Voltaire autumn 2008

700 VIX July 13 2007 Accepted

701 Vincent July2007 added top 40

Virgina W Before May 2007 131

702 Vladivojna added 2009

703 Venus Blue February 2008 accepted

Vergine summer 2008 NAR 132

704 Veli Cassini nov dec 2008

705 Vince Kline added 2009


W


706 Wendy Colonna autumn 2008

707 Wiser Time February 2008 added

708 Wendy Starland added 2009

709 Willie Dixon added 2009

710 Wake Up added before May 2007

711 William Shakes before May 2007 added

712 Wind of Change accept 2007

713 WWW art brother accept 2007

714 Willie Pheonix added 2009

715 World War 11 added 2008

716 Writers cafe autumn 2008

717 Worship in the city by april 2008


718 William Blake nov dec 2008


719 William Wright added 2009

Yana added 2007 133

Zitronemn accepted 2007 134

720 xsean added 2009

721 Yadam added 2009

722 Ziaff added before May 2007

723 Zietgeist accept nov 2007

724 Zen Lemonade added 2009

725 Zut Alors nov dec 2008


Zoe Zara 2007 dep 135
Emerald Sky 136
Frances 137
FU 138
Insides Out 139
Innoy 140
Lupe Lue 141
Myrto 142
Penelope 143
We miss you 144

1335 Team Plastique and Saturday Night Football

19.30 Arpil 6th 2008 . I usually have the need to write earlier than this in the day, and the lateness of the hour reflects the mood of relaxed and good humoured laziness. I was feeling a little low in spirits before going to be bed well after midnight when I received an unexpected Myspace email from Team Plastique, a Berlin based erotic band who recently circulated their British ’friends’ that they were to visit the UK to appear at Glastonbury 2008. Given the tendency of the British weather to turn the ground into a swamp I could not resist advising the band to bring along umbrellas, a la Rihanna, although they already wear the obligatory Macintoshes and boots, a la Plastique. With over 20000 friends listed, I never expected to get an acknowledgement, so was pleased to hear that my advice was being passed on to their fetish wear suppliers.

19.55 Alas I am too unfit to contemplate a Glastonbury or other festivals unless financial circumstances enable a personal helicopter, a chauffeured 4 x 4, VIP backstage pass, and the ability to get around the campus to various stages. and areas of interest without having to trek for miles and hours. Glastonbury has become and extraordinary British phenomenon about which I wrote a piece 24.06.2007 working my ay through 25 pages of artists events and activities. There is the increasing military and commercial precision of the business which with 150000 attending and with a weekend pass £155 plus the usual extras means that they must have a gross budget in excess of £20 million of which they donate £2 million to their chosen charities. After the success of last year’s attempt to eliminate profiteering resale of tickets everyone interested had to register with a photograph during the past six weeks and this morning from 9 am they could start to buy tickets. There are fly, train, coach, accommodation packages with the most appealing a Tipi tent for six for £1730 although if you had been quick you could have got nearby Travel Lodge family rooms for 2 adults and two children for £9 a night. I guess along with the Olympics I will watch again on the Telly, especially to see if Team Plastique becomes one of the few non main stage phenomenon on to make it on the Aunty Beeb late night round ups. The other question is will Amy Winehouse perform. My regret is not seeing Leonard Cohen live, who is at Glastonbury as part of his first world tour for 15 years. I could plan to get myself to Manchester Opera House when he is doing four nights, Dublin two, the London O2 Dome. or Edinburgh Castle, although if I was to travel it would be to Athens or the Nice Jazz Festival. If I was to go a travelling it would be to the Jazz and Literary Festivals.

Earlier at 18.20 I watched the first of the new series of Dr Who with the theme of how close we sometimes can be to people we want to be with yet not see them and therefore miss them. Tonight’s episode had some something of a pantomime feel, with Rose also making an appearance from her alternative dimension. It was designed to scare all those who take drugs to lose weight Next week they are Up Pompeii just before Etna blew her top.
21.00 For the second Saturday in succession I have two football matches to watch back to back as Sunderland and Newcastle celebrated their third wins in a row. Wins. I decide to watch the extended highlights of Sunderland’s win after which On a day Like to day Keane gave an honest view of the overall performance and according to related information has said that he will need to spend around £40 million if the team is progress next season. As the Newcastle goals were then shown in the after special match I decided to go back to the tales of Marco Polo which were shown over the evenings on BBC 3, but I did catch Somewhere only we know Keegan admit Everybody’s Changing. I first read the recorded adventures of Marco Polo when I moved from the Children’s Library to the Adult at Wallington and book fired my imagination in various ways. Earlier at midday I watched a disappointing Semi Final in which Portsmouth tuned up, failed to remember they had to play but still managed to win, due to the fact that the Baggies, who have scored nearly 100 goals in the season which should see them back in the premiership, and who dominated match possession, could not convert opportunities into goals. I had seriously thought of planning a weekend in London to support Barnsley in the other semi final on Sunday after watching Sunderland at Fulham, having visited Craven Cottage only once in my lifetime, as with Charlton at the Valley and the Boro play at QPR, Like many other fans I once had the ambition to visit every league ground in the UK and must have achieved around 75%, the same with County Cricket, and one day I must try and make a list from my programme and scorecard collections.

23.00 It has been un odd unsatisfactory day for food with a sardine salad, two small vegetable bakes and a chicken stir Fry with for going to bed supper a sandwich. This did not set me up for a good night. Punishment fro also having a can of Pepsi along with water, lots of coffee but no tea or OJ.