1191 England Win Rugby world cup; Arsenal Stadium Murders and Ladyhawke.

It was a great night with a great result. As the texts revealed afterwards English men and women all over the world listened or watched in disbelief, disappointment, growing hope and the wonderment. In sporting terms this was Dunkirk turned into victory.

Four years ago, Sir Clive, as he became, Woodward had created a settled winning side whose names had become known across the Rugby world. Winning the world cup became a strong possibility although whatever the result it was expected to be tight. One of the most iconic moments in all of British sporting history is the drop goal by Johnny Wilkinson in the final seconds has been replayed more than the famous moment in 1966 when the later Kenneth Wolstenholm uttered those immortal words, "they think it is all over, it is now," as the final goal sealed the victory.

The last four years has seen Johnny Wilkinson injured, recovering and never getting back to the phenomenal kicking ability which culminated in that glorious matching winning moment. He has however scored more points in World Cup Football than anyone else and his place in the cup squad offered a little hope after a Team in the process of rebuilding following a series of defeats and failures to come close to being champions again. It was all reminiscent of the Football world cup win forty year ago. When England crashed to South Africa 36.0 in the preliminary phase of the competition it was possible to get a bet on an English cup victory of 66 to 1. What price now?

The game against Australia could have been a one off, but the feeling was of another gruelling victory when we scored a try within seconds of the start, the quickest ever, the dream was underway, Still cautious we were gripped with feat as the French fought back with vigour and slowly took the lead, although this would not have been so if Johnny had succeeded in three opportunities to kick a goal, two most difficult. So the game drew to a close, and tense well there is tense and then again there is tense, but this was tense as we still believed in the dream, for once in a lifetime, if we are among the fortunate, we live the dream, and so it was. First the French were about to score a try which would have put the game out of reach hen stand in Joe Worsley, remember that name, stopped them win inches by one of those tackles that are only written about in Boy's own books, and then with five minutes to go, a penalty was awarded because of a high tackle on Jason Robinson and Wilkinson had a kick again to take the lead and of course we knew he would not fail, did we not? Didn't we? And he did not and then well there was an instant opportunity for a drop kick, but he seemed to move away, or so the commentator thought no he realised he was just getting into a better position and it happened again, the lightening striking twice I mean, he kicked that dropped goal again and now the French had to score a try and convert to win for we 14 points and we were 9.That was the measure of those two kicks and the commentator could no longer contain his delight bordering on ecstasy, and for a moment I thought he would say they think it is all over, now it is, but if he thought them, he kept his counsel because the French were not done and pressed back as if their national honour was at stake, well it was you see, but our men with their backs to wall as we need to be to bring out our best, stood firm in what appeared to be interminable minutes but were in fact only seconds, and that whistle came, and it was done, we had won.

But this is only the semi final, but by King Harry and St George, a any English person who was not there or does not understand will curse their ill fortunate for ever more. And it is just a week for the third and final part of this fantasy made into reality, along with Lewis Hamilton's an attempt to become world captainship driver and with Sunderland and Newcastle both on TV on the Sunday and the Monday it promises to be a weekend to remember.

So how did you celebrate will my experience was unique, of that I am certain, because it was just before ten that I remembered I had forgotten to get the first two parts of a 19 DVD series about the first world war given with the Mail. Now on Saturday the supermarkets close at 10 pm so they were out so it was likely to be a garage. It was two minutes past ten when I decided not to stop at Azda and while there was every other paper at the garage by Mabel's former residential home, there was no mail, and the garage on the way to Cleadon village did not have papers and that in the village was closed so I decided one last try at the end of the A1M, and there were two copies and I only needed one and a small bar of chocolate and one of two custard creams.

So to day was destined to be anti climax especially after getting up with the dawn and making ready for the new cooker and then the phone call calling it off, so I spent the day with rubbish TV as a consolation and over eating and drinking, mostly water though as this morning I had two bacon rolls in baked onion and cheese topped rolls, and this afternoon half a piece of gammon joint £1.25p worth with potatoes and corn and a deep sleep in between the most awful film about sport and football ever called The Arsenal Stadium Murders made in 1940's although the film had a significance for me because it was as I remembered going to the ground in the late 1940's with the uncovered standing terraces at either end when I stood with an uncle to watch Stanley Matthews in a 4.4 draw, which then reminded of the day I watched Sir Donald Bradman come to the wicket and return being out first ball in his last innings in his last Test match in England. With regard to the film which featured a special charity match between the Gunners now called the Gooners and an ammeter team one of whom dies poisoned on the pitch it should be compulsory viewing for all professional footballers and their wives as to why they should thank their talent and lucky stars. . Several Arsenal stars played for the home side and Brentford players doubled for the amateurs on the pitch and this was the last arranged fixture before the outbreak of World War II. The investigating police inspector has a penchant for funny hats and for theatricals in which his colleagues dress up in tutus

After the sleep I watched a beautifully photographed medieval family fantasy Ladyhawke in which Michele Feiffer played the cursed love destined to be only a Hawk in the presence of her lover until the curse is lifted with the help of Matthew Brodericke and Leo Mckern. I had watched the film before and therefore that I was still full of sleep helped my anticlimactic recovery.

Passing thought I did say Gordon needed several miracles and a faultless personal performance from now if he and his political party are to recover. A Rugby World Cup plus Lewis Hamilton and Formula One driver could be the start.

And thus the day commenced to peter out until in the evening there was Michael Plain had been in the Baltic states and the Russian Naval outpost country 16 of his European tour so far.

Followed by the discovery of another Dylan evening of homage to him and to folk music. Some I had seen before I am not sure about composite black and white film of thee Newport Folk Festival 1963 1966, which I viewed twice featuring the folk side (after the Jazz on a Summers Day film which I had seen in 1960 on the day after the end of the prison experience.

Among those appearing with Bob Dylan where I had been listening recently to a two disc set, so it was good to see and well has hear versions of` Blowing in the Wind, The Times they are a changing, Its all over now Baby Blue, Like a Rolling Stone Maggie's Farm some in the later programme on his first England visit, also Joan Baez with Peter? Yarrow doing a comic number and then being herself Oh my trials lord soon be over and that tingling excitement came back as it always does for voice which could make the phone book sound revelatory truths and Peter Paul and Mary (If I had a hammer, sung for hours walking from Liverpool to Hull) and Blowing in the wind and the times they are changing, the Blue Ridge Mountain Dancers which reminded me of Irish Dancing, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, there is a time, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, ( I woke up this morning) encountered on a day long river boat trip down the Thames to Margaret Buffy St Marie, (I have four of her DVD's because she is amazing and unrecognised I suspect because of her American Indian origin.
Donovan with his banned from BBC song, Howling Wolf and thirty to forty others Spider John Koeg I liked, and Mississippi John Hurt with Candy Man, the Staple Singers. The Freedom Singers. and in London on the recovery of his TV Madhouse programme appearance in the mid sixties ice bound London with an except from Acker Bilk having returned from the US with Stranger of Shore success, followed by Pete Seager, (Green Corn Eugene McCall who married Peggy Seager. With Odetta in Rome who is also in the later Newport film with a deep voice

1190 Sports and Local Matters

The could become a day of national pride or humiliation as one English team attempts to take a further step in reaching the finals of the European football competition which is to be held next year and the English Rugby team fights another Waterloo, this time in Paris, in an attempt to reach the actual final of the Rugby World Cup for the second time in four years and where no team has won the trophy in succession. The first stage of the X factor finals has been postponed for a week as a consequence and the latest opinion poll shows that the Conservative party would have won a General Election had one be called and had a winning majority which shows Gordon with the sense not to have attempted the charge of the left brigade, but he should sack the advisers who suggested the idea to him.

In contrast to the fortunes of national teams my experience has recently been more of humiliation, not concentrating enough and plain stupid absent mindedness. Yesterday I had visited my mother's bank (where I also hold an account as did my late aunt) to make an appointment to commence the transfer of funds and account closure process. When I did this for my aunt four years ago the staff could not have been more helpful and arranged for me to see someone that day, (it may even have been immediately), but I was prepared that it might not be possible to see someone that day as since the bank was taken over by a French concern, (who also control the local water supply and the cinema chain where I used to have a see everything as frequently as you like pay one charge a month subscription) I mention the French connection not just because of the Rugby this evening but sometimes there is the impression that it is the US, the Russians and the Chinese who now own sufficient of our business and property to have more of major say in how our national affairs are conducted, were it not that we control most of the money through the City, which is why those in control of corporate finances, asset companies and the banking and insurance system are nearly paid as much as professional footballers. As I also noted recently it is the French and other European countries who still build ships, and not the UK, or the USA. Just wait for the Chinese!

Anyway back to my visit to the bank where the receptionist seemed puzzled by my request and I had to speak clearly and slowly because English was not her first language, European, perhaps new, perhaps old it was difficult to tell as her accent was better than her comprehension. Perhaps she was French! Anyway she was young and desirable so I immediately forgave her the fact that I could not have an appointment until Monday week. When I returned home I thought about this more, and thought hey wait a minute, I can get to see my doctor quicker than that. You had someone there instantly signing up customers for your new credit card on the spot, offering year long free credit and three months without charges as an incentive. So I spent an hour putting everything down on paper, making copies of the documents which I assumed would be required. It is a small estate and as last time probate or letters of administration were not necessary I hoped this would now also be the situation. However in the Will the estate was first left to the sister with whom she lived for most of her life, and who was the name other executor, so I assumed that I would need to provide evidence of the death of my aunt, and that the account of my aunt was still in being albeit with only a few pence. This was important to mention because previously the sisters had held separate savings accounts and current banking accounts which caused a problem because they both had the same initial and surname and had lived at the same address. This also caused a problem with medical records which is a subject for another day. Anyway last time it had taken some time before the situation had been understood by the bank and everything sorted out. So this time I was ready with all the paper work an accounts references which had been reduced to two. When you get to my age you quickly learn that sorting out the affairs when you least want to is a challenge. I think of all those service widows with children who have faced the problem as a consequence of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and just how many seriously wounded have had to try and start new lives with their usually young families or whose chances of having a prosperous and successful family of their own has been significantly affected. The do not need the glare of individual media publicity, but our politicians need to be certain hat every bereaved family and those who are severely wounded, mentally, emotionally and physically are given the highest priority and respect.

What was I saying about not concentrating enough on the task in hand. Ok back to the bank I also had an account from the days when the bank was a building society and provided the main mortgage for the house, and then looked after the profit when the mortgage was paid off by an insurance investment scheme and which effectively balance out all the interest charges and investment expenditure, so that the in monetary terms it was just the original loaned capital which was paid for on a property which had increased in monetary value ten fold at that time and seventeen fold when it came to be sold. More about past times when it was possible to move homes and buy better and more valuable property and make a side profit. The task of become part of he home owning democracy seemed hard enough forty years ago, but now I am horrified what any young couple from average background has to face before they are able to inherit their share from any family assets, if these have not been taken away by a combination of residential care costs and death duties.I have a suspicion that the North East, well those of us in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland would be better off being part of Scotland than we are by remaining in England, but then there is the cricket team, the football team and rugby, although our best two male tennis players are Canadian and Scottish. I must stop this digressing and own up.

This morning I decided to personally deliver the letter to the bank with all the relevant information and copy documentation because of the ongoing post workers strike which looks like being settled except for the two areas where workers went on unofficial wild cat strike and now the politically motivated leaders and other "trouble makers" realise that having failed to bring everyone else out with them they are now vulnerable to being sacked under the law and with the union prepared to look the other way, as there will be no love lost for those who deliberately attempted to usurp their authority. I could waffle on for hours about that too.

On Friday I parked the car at the Metro station close to my former home to avoid taking the car into the city and this morning I decided to go to the next station, the Stadium of Light, named after the Sunderland Football stadium and where there is a large car park. I had never used this station because it is not the nearest station to the stadium. The reason is simple because it was decided to name the closest station to the ground St Peter's which is within walking distance and hopefully will attract more visitors once it becomes a world heritage site, the football team do well in the Premiership and the new main line route between Sunderland and London is opened. It had occurred that if the car park was big enough and free I could use it to park on match days as I knew there were traffic lights at the entrance. I could then take the Metro train for the two stops into the city for any shopping or a meal, or both as there is a great Chinese buffet restaurant I wish to try when weight reduction has progressed, before walking back over the Bridge to the match. However this is where the experiment started to fail badly. In order to get to the platform into town, well it was a town for twenty years after I arrived before it became a city, to everyone's surprise as it did not and does not have a Cathedral, I had to climb a great staircase, walk over a bridge and then down another set of stairs, or what II did which is take the extraordinarily long, long, winding pathway for those in wheel chairs, pushing prams or lazy like me. Anyway while I was on my way down the train arrived and departed so I had the maximum waiting time possible until the next train. Worse was to come onh the return journey. At the bank there was no one at the reception desk although a jacket signalled that a person was on duty, so after waiting a few minutes I joined the queue waiting for a cashier and had waited for several minutes before turning round and see that the receptionist was back and was able to deliver the letter.

The main city station is a disgrace for most towns and is a double disgrace when compared to the magnificent station at Newcastle. I accept that Newcastle is a major stop on the main East Coast line between London and Scotland. As far as passengers are concerned Sunderland used to have four trains an hour in both directions, going to Newcastle and the Gateshead Metro shopping centre, and into Northumberland in one direction, and from Sunderland to Middlesbrough in the other. These were small two to four carriage trains and on match days or Saturdays, as well as going to work or home times it would quickly become standing room only. The opening of the Metro link between Sunderland, Newcastle and the Airport changed everything. Trains still go to the shopping centre and Middlesbrough but there are now only two trains an hour and between Sunderland and Newcastle they only stop once at Hewarth in addition to the four metro trains with their longer carriages. The below ground station remains drab and above there is a simple booking office and passage way to the taxi rank and pedestrianised but uncovered shopping area although since arriving in the North East the Bridges indoor area has been created and extended as the town begins to have the feel of being a city.

This is to change for the better because a new East Coast route is being created and should have commenced this year but keeps being put back. This will enable direct travel between Sunderland and London although how this work out in terms of the two city stations remains to be seen. The main station or at least it was regarded as the main station is underground with only one platform, but long enough to take inter city trains. The opening of the Metro created a second station with direct access to the a new bus and coach station and is similar to that at Gateshead which is also superior in terms of interchange to Newcastle from that perspective. There is little in terms of walking distance between the bus station metro and the undercover shopping centre and between the city metro and the undercover shopping centre. In Sunderland the bus terminal is a better station than that the City where it presumed the inter city trains will start and finish.

It was at the City station that the stupidity of the day occurred. I arrived to find a seven minute wait so I sat on the nearest available seat and decided that I was time to adjust the clock on my mobile phone to the correct hour. I was brought to attention by the movement of a train, my train out of the station. In my absent mindedness I was sitting at the end for the train to Hexham. There was nothing for it but to wait the 15 minutes for the next. The trip took the greater part of two hours when it could have taken about one.

On Thursday I thought the phones had stopped working, all three indicated a line fault but I was reassured that this was not so BT and despite my scepticism eventually followed the instructions and had to confess that the line was in order, however it was not one of the phones as after unplugging everything and attaching a phone to the test socket in the main connection to the house and reconnecting everything as before, everything worked but no one has an idea why.

I finished watching England's convincing first half win against a poor team, which country were they from, but went to sleep during the second half Boy John Motson, he who does the BBC commentaries has got a thing about those to pay a fortune for hospitality and then because the service is slow, delay going out into the cold instead of watching in smokeless comfort with big screens to avoid missing anything, swigging the rest of the champagne and canapés. If it had been me I was would have continued getting my money's worth until the prawn sandwiches and fresh cream cakes were ready for after match tea. If you pay several fold the cost of a match or event ticket for hospitality you should get your money's worse.

I then felt only in the mood to continue to beat the computer at chess promising that I would not continue at the first hint of tiredness, but failed to heed a leaden eye and instead of 100% wrecking draws I was defeated a couple of times in quick succession. Gave it up and slept a little. Later when I reached fifty games without a draw or defeat I should have stopped but no like every gambler on a winning streak I had to do one more and in a commanding position allowed a draw, So I have given up in failure to concentrate on other things.

Just learnt that the first underground system in mainland Europe was in Budapest courtesy of Michael Palin. Admitting incompetence, stupidity, absent mindedness is always difficult. Anyway it was at the point when I awoke late afternoon during the England football match, which we won 3.0, and where everyone attending had wasted their time and money, that the TV started to be difficult. Given that it is a new TV this is worrying. At first I thought it was the Sky system because a pushy young woman rang to say my box had become out of warranty and would I like to take out insurance against the cost of a replacement. No I would not if it happens I will cancel my subscription and then take out one of the offers for new subscribers which offers better terms than my present.

The back of my TV, Sat, Video and DVD set up is amazing. I do not understand how I managed to get all the connections to work as there are scarts and other connectors linking everything in such a way to enable TV via terrestrial aerial, digit freeview and Sky and the recording by video of all three if wished, plus the playing of all kinds of DVD's CD's including photo CD's. Suddenly the whole works stuttered and froze, flickered and appeared to die. Now unplugging everything would be a nightmare because I would not remember what I had done, reminding of those films where bomb disposal men record every decision so if they are blown up the next man would not make the same mistake. So I decided to first check that nothing was loose and then switched off the main socket, waited a couple of ticks and see what happened. There were continuing problems so I switched off and made myself a cuppa and then wunderba, or wonder bra whatever your inclination, it all worked and I am now playing the DVD of Tyne to Wear photos. Not tried a DVD, to see if it will automatically switch from one file to another as there are about twenty files each with an average of 100 photos, but so far so good.

The past couple of days have not been without any success as I am replacing the gas cooker with another similar, but slimmer, with a top level grill, but one large oven and it proved to be the least expensive cooker in the store item although the cost of disconnecting and taking away and connecting the new added just of 25%. This was not without it problems as first I could not find one sales executive and the store's man, unpacking new stock, had to get one of the two cash desk girls to give a call on the hailer. None of these three could sell me the cooker and when the sales assistant arrived he failed to three

This is happening to-morrow with an automated system for finding out the four hour delivery slot Ugh Ugh 8.15 ro 12.15 which means finding out how to set the phone alarm again. Will need to be up for 7 and take the car out of garage by 8am. Have sorted out everything in readiness bar putting away the washing up and giving the stone floor a scrub. It all worked, the automatic clock alarm. Sunday is a beautiful day with a cloudless blue sky again and I was typing away correcting last night's writing when hey ho the phone rang to announce that the gas fitter had told the company he no longer wished to work for them so the earliest the delivery can be made is next Thursday hopefully when they have arranged to employ another.

Last night the photo DVD worked moving on to new files in recorded sequence but for making and distributing copies to family and friends I will have to decide on the order of files to achieve the effect I want. That for another day.

The previous night I stayed up around midnight selecting photos of Rock stacks, caves and rocky bays between Trow Rocks and Whitburn beach South Tyneside for a competition in a regional newspaper with a digit camera as the prize More interested in any reaction. Might send another selection on Parks and open spaces.

I had intended to watch as programme about local lad Bryan Ferry who along with Kate Addie and the lad who formed the Eurythmics came from Wearside with Catherine Cookson, the best known from South Shields, but the ull screenpics are worth seeing so will continue until the rugby. In fact I was able to watch the Bryan ferry programme or at least half of it after the rugby, but more why it was only half later.

First my attempt to become a financial wizard. I have paid for the funeral and associated expenses plus the Cooker, plus car service, MOT and repair, plus AA cover but not the Car Insurance, all by Credit Card after testing out that although the numbers have changed and I cannot contact the company via Internet as my log on does not work and I cannot get through by phone. Fortunately I was able to change the pin number at a cash machine, to one I could remember and then draw some cash to test that the activation worked and then also drew some cash to be sure so I was able to use.

This credit card company advised that it is giving away double points which means that for every £1500 pounds of expenditure one gets four cinema tickets, so I should get around 12 tickets worth around £60-£80 for putting all the expenditure on the card. This I will get anyway whether I chose to pay off the balance immediately from interest earning cash or seek an interest free balance transfer to another card
The money to pay to pay the card is earning interest around 4% which is £120 on £3000. The 0% balance transfer offer is deceptive because there is usually an up front charge with one card offering 12 months % on balance but with an upfront charge of 2.5% that is £75. There is a net profit of £45. There is the hassle of moving the balance and ensuring that there is a cash flow from my bank savings to current which I can do automatically on line within a matter of seconds after logging on.

Barclaycard has a new variation if you keep a balance for 15 months you get a £150 cash back on £3000 but the catch is no upfront charges but 6.9% for the transfer where a balance has to be kept for 15 Months which means an interest payment of around £250, so you in pay £100 making a net profit £20.

And so we reached the match. But that will be left until tomorrow.