1903 Hamlet, MP's Expenses and Sport

I begin with the Opera Hamlet, and then the sporting events of Sunday and other TV viewing, then give an update on the opening of the County Cricket season with Durham playing a relatively unknown MCC side in Abu Dhabi where the use of a pink ball is being tested in this day night match, having also listened to the announcement of how expenses are to be controlled in the next Parliament.

For some reason I assumed that Hamlet is a modern opera similar to work such as Peter Grimes and Salome. It was quickly evident that this was music in the grand opera style and at the interval I learnt that the previous performance in New York had been a century ago. It was not until using the Internet did I discover that the work was created nearly 150 years ago by the French composer Ambroise Thomas, with a libretto by Michel Carre and Jules Barber based on a French adaptation of Shakespeare’s play by Alexandre Dumas.

The Opera is long, three hours, with five acts and one interval of half an hour between acts two and three. My first reaction was of excitement as about 100 chorus lined up as the court of Queen Gertrude of Denmark being crowned again as the new wife of Claudius, the new King following the death of his brother and with Hamlet noticeably absent. The King and Queen leave to prepare for the wedding banquet and Hamlet and Orphelie sings a love duet and then her brother Laerte entrusts the care of his sister to Hamlet while he is away in Norway. They go to the banquet but he declines. His friends Horatio and Marcellus tell soldiers they have seen the ghost of dead King and they look for Hamlet to recount their experience direct.

Hamlet is advised of the appearance of his father on the ramparts who then appears to Hamlet and tells his son he was poisoned by his brother. He seeks vengeance but asks that his widow be spared. Hamlet swears to carry out his father’s wishes.

My initial excitement that this was not a modern opera but one in grand style with the kind of powerful chorus expected from the Met and its full orchestra. However at the opera developed I was reminded of my reaction to Simon Boccanegra which had all the trappings of grand opera including some sumptuous sets but lacked the Wow factor. I have decided that for me there has to be power and moving solos and interactions which engage as in other forms of theatre and in through film. This is a powerful work and the introductions to each act merit at much attention as the singing. For me I have to admit there was something lacking.

The major difference between the Shakespeare play and the Opera is the role allocated to Orphelie. In the second Act she expresses concern at the sudden indifference of Hamlet towards her and his mother presses the young woman be patient and not leave the court. The mother believes she can help although she and her husband subsequently conclude that Hamlet has become disturbed and not himself. Hamlet engages some players to perform a creation of his devising in which the King in murdered by poisoning so the brother can gain the crown. The play has the desired effect with the King angry, especially when Hamlet takes the Crown from him Before the assembled court..

The Third Act commences with Hamlet musing, to be or not to be, and catches the King seeking death from remorse about what he has done, believing he will be condemned to hell. Hamlet is shocked to find that his father’s adviser, who is also Orphelie’s father, was in on the plot and this further affects Hamlet’s attitude towards his betrothed. He tells Orphelie to get herself to the nunnery and accuses his mother of the crime. As she cannot set the ghost she believes her son has become mad and he honouring what his father has said does not attempt to harm her.

The fourth act is devoted to Orphelie’s growing disturbance before she kills herself. In the last act, which commences with the two grave diggers Hamlet is confronted by the brother of Orphelie when unaware she has killed herself. When he realises what has happened he blames the King and the girl’s father rather than himself and kills the King, then dying from his wounds after fighting with Laerte.

Simon Keenlyside is a very intense and introspective actor appropriate for the part but lacks the ability to engage the audience and gain their sympathy for his predicament. He behaves outrageously towards Orphelie only he is responsible for her death and is just as bad a person, as the man who murdered his father. Marlis Petersen who plays Orphelie was only advised she was taking the role, and not as understudy a couple of days before the performance and she continued to complete her then current production until two days before opening, coached about the role at a distance and limited opportunity to get to know the other principles, to rehearse with them and to find her way around the Opera House. She was impressive as is James Morris as Claudius.

I was impressed but did not come away with a memorable experience alongside those of Butterfly, Carmen, Aida, Il Travatore and La Traviata, or the Met Productions of La Boheme and Pagliacci seen and heard on the Met Player. There was a club like atmosphere with the auditorium with people talking to each other. There was a discussion about Cineworld disappointment and the recent commencement of showings from Convent Garden and Glynebourne. I advised about the Odeon development and someone mentioned that the full list of showings for next season ahd been announced with 11 productions and these were mentioned during the interval. The Film Theatre has also confirmed taking a contract. The new season opens with Wagner’s Das Rheingold October 9th and I shall also look forward to Verdi’s Don Carlo in December Il Travatore in April with Delora Zikick a year in April and Wagner’s Die Walkure in May. I have an open mind about Placido Domingo in Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride which I will want to find out more and also Puccini’s La Fancuilla Del West. I must sort out what is happening at Cineworld and Odeon’s over the rest of this year.

Today the chairman and interim chief executive of the new independent unit for the payment of MP salaries and their expenses announced their decisions, laid before Parliament with immediate effect for the new Parliament. The only media criticism appeared to be the decision to allow one connected person, not just relatives, to be employed and paid for from public funds. The approach seemed to be reasonable and the individual and combined other changes likely to discourage some good people from seeking election as well as discouraging those who had previously exploited the system. The big change is that there is no payment of allowances, only payment of expenses following submission of receipts. Everything will then be published on line with immediate effect. The new body will nor authorise new leaving Parliament resettlement grants which will have be sorted along with pay and pensions and for which the new body is responsible for setting. There also remains the issue of a compliance office which at the moment the Commons appears to be against because it would remove the present role of their present committee to a significant extent.

The main sporting event on Saturday and Sunday was the second Formula 1 race in Australia and what I saw it proved a much better race than the first although the main issue was when to pit to change from the practice tyres.

It was the decision of Jenson Button, who had started 4th , to pit when he did, and change to dry weather slick tyres despite the threat of rain which made his car faster than competitors and when Vettel for the second race in succession had to retire from his pole and leading position this let Jenson into the lead which he then did not look likely to lose. His team mate and former World Champion did not do as well and appeared put out by the success of his newly appointed team mate. He had started only in 11th and moved through the field well but when challenging Alonso for fourth he was involved with a collision with Red Bull Mark Webber and finished 6th. He blamed the team tactics. After two races Button is third and Hamilton fourth in the diver’s championship. Their team are now second in the constructors championship with Ferrari already showing the way with their two cars occupying the first two places in the race.

I enjoyed Lark Rise to Candleford more this Sunday than last where Laura had become preoccupied with the competing intentions of her former beau who has returned to the area, and her educated reporter fiancée. This week the future of teh post office was under threat but the community rallied around and the post mistress used her knowledge and connection to thwart the threat.

I have decided that there are three good performers and one outstanding in America has got talent this year, the outstanding is Crystal Bowersox who reminds strongly of Janice Joplin. She is a single mother and has a twin brother via her father who has been seen on camera but not in the audience so there is something of a backstory yet to be disclosed.

The greater part of Monday was spent listening to BBC Radio Wear’s commentary from Abu Dhabi where they were meeting an MCC team in a four day championship style event with teh twist of a afternoon and evening game under floodlights using the new pink ball considered better to see and better wearing that the white. The pitch was described as flat and the heat intense so whoever won the toss would have the chance of batting long and wearing out the fielding team. Durham won this important toss and ended the day 329 for three wickets with the magnificent Di Venuto starting when he left off last season and making 131 before being stumped. Coetzer who knows he will have to fight to keep his place in championship games was cautious but ended the day not out 123. Blenkenstein had looked promising bowled when 41 and Ian Blackwell started well with 13 when the day ended.

There were several ways to tune into commentary via the BBC sports, the ESPN Cricket information site and the Durham Club who also have a live comment chat line in operation for the first time. There were also long and interesting chats during the day with the Chairman of MCC, the Chairman of Durham, Geoff Boycott and Durham bowlers Mathew Claydon and Steve Harmison. It was disclosed that Abe Morkel the South African is to return for the 20 20 and hopefully redeem his first involvement two years ago. New Zealand big hitting batsman is likely to be the second overseas player but this has not been confirmed.

Sunderland, as expected failed miserably at Anfield where they have not scored a goal in the Premiership and usually lose. The result was 3.0 to home side. The gap between Sunderland and the third relegation spot is only 8 points with Hull having a game in hand so two losses and two wins to Hull could see the positions reversed. Newcastle tonight appeared determined to move towards guaranteeing their Premiership status next season before the end of Easter. Notts Forest in third place battle hard but their poor away form continued although they remain in third position. Notts Forest have to win all their remaining six games to finish with 88 points. Two wins from Newcastle’s remaining seven games and Notts Forest cannot catch them. Cardiff would have to win all seven games and Newcastle lose all their to end the season with the same number of points, but given even if this happened Newcastle would have lose their goal difference advantage of 29 to be forced into the playoffs. In fact the next home game on Easter Monday could see Newcastle’s return to the premiership, although if they win away on Saturday and Notts Forest lose, also away, they would become certainties with 86 points achieved and Forest only a possible 85. Monday’s game is also being televised.

1895 A sporting weekend and the Pentagon Papers

The first big sporting weekend of the year proved to be disappointing, although I suspect my reaction is not justified by the events themselves. The unexpected event of the weekend was the film, the Pentagon Papers

Friday saw the start of the third Indian premier League competition in which eight teams play in each other in 20 20 games several times before large and noisy crowds, made up of domestic and International players who are not required for their country or who are retired from international competition. I have seen two matches, the opener and one on Saturday with games being shown on ITV 4 and live on the Internet every morning and afternoon for the greater part of a month. Among the stars on show are Ravi Bopara, the Essex Cricketer who did well for the Kings XI from the Punjab and with OA Shah who plays for Middlesex and for the Kolkata Knight Riders in this competition along with the Sri Lankan Angelo Matthews. Other well known players are Abe Morkel from South Africa, Matthew Haydon former Australian test cricket with Mike Hussey who all play with the Chennai Super Kings and with Andree Symonds dismissed from the Australia Nation team playing for the Deccan Charges. The Bangalore Royal Charges who play their first match on Sunday morning have Kumble, India’s best bowler and Rahul Dravid, the starring batsman along with South Africa Van der Merwe.

These games are in competition with England’s tour of Bangladesh where the first test is being shown from 3.30 in the morning although an early rising means one can catch the end of the afternoon session followed by the whole of the evening. Amazingly having won the toss on a good and high scoring wicket, Bangladesh asked England to bat first. England sized the opportunity and with some poor fielding decided to declare at 599 for the loss of six wickets in the afternoon of the second day. In his first game as Captain Alistair Cooke made 173 and Durham’s Paul Collingwood 145, Kevin Pietersen was one short of his century and Ian Bell 84.

After the first three Bangladesh wickets fell for 54 there was a partnership approaching 100 runs and another of over 100 runs for the 7th. The home side were all dismissed for 296 runs over 100 short of requiring England to bat again. However much to everyone’s surprise Cook decide not to enforce the follow on and by the end of day three, all five openers were back in the pavilion for 131 runs albeit over 400 runs ahead, a total which Bangladesh have no hope of achieving even if they dismiss the remaining wickets cheaply. One reason for the decision to bat again is the knowledge that on this wicket while a high first innings score is common there is a marked deterioration with the third and a further deterioration with the fourth. More likely the captain was under instructions to ensure that the visiting Brits on their expensive packages have their monies worth. The stadium appeared to be empty with only a small gathering of local supporters, in contrast with the full stadiums for the Indian premier league.

England started the fourth day intent on more batting practice and over 500 runs ahead they declared in mid over with the loss of Swann bringing to an end a partnership of 64 runs, suggesting they would have continued on had the wicket not fallen. After another poor start losing two wickets for 45 there was something of a rally as the total doubled before there was further calamity as the afternoon session drew to its close with the loss of three wickets within 11 runs and at 110 for 5 it looked as the game would be over before the close of stumps. However there was a resolute and defiant stand by Siddique who made 106 and Rahim 95, putting on 167 runs fort he sixth wicket and taking the match not just to the fifth morning but into the afternoon session. Eventually it was Swann, he first British spin bowler to take five wickets in each innings of a Test match on the sub continent who ended the innings with Bangladesh reaching a creditable second innings total of 331 runs. England therefore won the first Test by 181.

It is only a month before the start of the domestic championship with two back to back home games at the Riverside. On Saturday I decided to use an Amazon Christmas present voucher to order this year’s Wisden’s and Playfair cricket annuals. The Wisden is a luxury but justified because it will chronicle Durham’s overwhelming win in the championship. I look forward to the new season without expectation that it will mirror the last. I have arranged trips to watch Durham at Headingley, Nottingham and Lancashire and may also go to Chelmsford in September for the game against Essex. Durham’s game against newcomers Kent is to be shown on Sky as may the last gamer, which is against Somerset, if the championship is still an option. I plan to attend to all nine home games as well as the majority of the new one day 40 over competition. I am increasingly unlikely to take out the eight game 20 20 match subscription despite the considerable discount with one match on TV and a conflict of interest with another Carmen on relay at Bolden.

I also looked forward in anticipation to the new Formula one season which will continue every two weeks with a couple of breaks until November. The most interesting aspect was the decision of current world champion Jensen Button to join the previous Champion Lewis Hamilton as part of an all British team. Both will want to win the championship for a second a time or be the highest placed driver. How will this work in practice? The second issue is the return of the greatest driver of all time Michael Shumacher after an absence of three years. He never likes to loose and yet aged 41 how will be fare and cope if he does not regain his position at the top. The third is the position oft he Ferrari team usually front runners but who had a poor season by their standards in 2009. This time they had twice former champion Fernando Alonso with Filipe Massa recovered from his horrendous accident last year. The number of teams has increased this year with 24 driver representing the teams and including the son of Ayrton Senna, Bruno.

The race rules have been hanged with first the cars having to be fuelled for the whole race. The consequences of this is that speeds are slower than before in previous years and with cars increased in length to accommodate the great fuel there is additional strain which means that mechanical failure is the most likely cause of changes tot he initial race order. The car will have to make at least one return to pits for a change in tyre as both types of tyre have been used in dry weather and the possibility of a third stop if wet. The cars have to start the race with the tyres used for the practice sessions which govern the order on the starting grid.

There is also a change to scoring system with the first ten receiving points instead of seven and a change in number of points with the race winner getting 25 instead of 10 and, 18 for second instead of 7 and 15 for third instead of 4 and 4th place getting 12 and 5th 10. The circuit for the first had also been increased in length with a new extension within the original creating eight additional bends which slowed this part of the race to an extent which the drivers expressed misgivings.

So what happened? First in practice all their main drivers reached the top ten final practice session with Sebastian Vettel taking first position, a position which he held until the latter stages when a problem with his exhaust meant a loss of power and the inability to stop the two Ferrari drivers and Lewis Hamilton overtaking. Ferraries were first and second with Lewis third and Jensen seventh so Ferrai took a commanding lead in the constructors championship with 43 and McClaren Mercedes second 1with 18 closely followed by Mercedes GP and Red Bull.

Michael Schmacher gave an accurate assessment that the new rules result in a return to a procession after the first lap with overtaking only possible because of mechanical problems. The trace organisers argue that a cautious response was adopted by the teams who wanted to see how each other performed in the substantially new situation. The BBC provided a brilliant introductory programme this morning and I enjoyed the two hour programme incorporating the practice session more than the actual race. The winner of the first race has won the driver’s championship in each of the last four years!

On Saturday I caught the final moments of England’s good draw with Scotland at Murrayfield, the first for two decades. The game was surprising with Scotland the weakest of the six nations this season putting up a strong fight had dominating England for good parts of the game, going into the interval 9 points to 6 at the interval. Both teams had opportunity to win the game in the last moments and one suspects that the early injury of Johnny Wilkinson made the difference when it came to snatching a drop goal win and the match ended. France with 4 out of 4 wins now look as if they will take the title unless England can stop them in Paris next weekend. Ireland would then take the title as the likely winners against Scotland who never the less will be expected to want to try and avoid the wooden spoon.

I also looked forward to the televising of Sunderland’s home game with Man City. Two weeks ago I enjoyed the way Man City beat Chelsea at home and rejoiced that Sunderland had their first win for months last weekend. I anticipated that Sunderland would give Man City a good game as a consequence but Man City was the likely winner. When Sunderland scored early on from an excellent cross and leaping header from Kenwyn Jones it looked as if the critics including myself would be dumbfounded, especially as Man City failed to respond and Sunderland made up for their lack of world class skills with constant endeavour. The second half was very different with Sunderland continually overwhelmed as Man City demonstrated that they are serious top four spot contenders. However they could not score and as the match ended it looked as if once Sunderland would not lose two valuable points in the last seconds, something they have done four times previously this season. It took a former Sunderland, and Durham man. Andy Johnson, who Sunderland have tried hard to sign, to score a brilliant goal, looping over the heads of everyone into the top corner furthest away from the goalkeeper, who otherwise made four or five outstanding saves. Everyone agreed the result was fair and Sunderland had gained a valuable point keeping them out of the immediate relegation struggle, but they still need two wins from the remaining games to avoid a repeat of last seasons last game decider.

Earlier in the day Wayne Rooney continued to show that he is at present the best striker in the world with another two as Manchester United demolished a good Fulham performance and who had the opportunity to level the scores at one apiece at one moment. There us much talk, generated by the Manager that Rooney could eclipse the 42 goals scored by Renaldo last season now that he has reached 32 scoring at least one goal a game in the last 20. Wayne said he was snot interested, only playing the game he loved and playing his part for the tam. As has been said if after such a game Wayne spotted a kick about on his way home, he is likely to join in such is his enthusiasm and commitment. The only concern is that he keeps fits for the world cup. David Beckham’s Dreams came to an end with an injury in his latest game, although several commentators have been suggesting he might not make the cut of the final score of players to make the final squad.

The event of the weekend was not sport however, but a showing oft he film the Pentagon Papers which is an accurate biopic of Daniel Ellsberg, the man responsible for bringing into the public domain the truth story of USA involvement in Vietnam and the early assessment that it was a war that could not be won. The only reason why over 50000 American lives were lost an estimated two million Vietnamese casualties was the unacceptability of a withdrawal to the governing political parties.

Although I opposed the USA intervention I was also opposed to the violence which the opposition brought to the streets of London although knowing he way the USA and British intelligence and police can work at times, how far this was provoked by the demonstrators and how far by agents provocateurs, including those from the far left and anarchist groups is unlikely to be known. The Television series, Tour of Duty, which is having another run on the FX channel, chronicles the reality of the war from the perspective of a USA platoon, some of the worst features as well as the heroic and the impact of the return home.

Daniel Ellsberg commenced life not just as a conventional American citizen but a fundamental patriot, military and government servant of the highest calibre. Everything went well until his 15th year when his mother and sister died after his father went asleep at the wheel. It is said, according Wikipedia, that this created in him concern that people could make mistakes, not because they were bad but because they could be inattentive. I would put this differently. First there are people who are incapable from and because of their childhood of separate right from wrong in terms of the need for personal gratification and without any regard for the consequences of their action and behaviour on anyone else. Prison, punishment, psychiatry and social work will have no effect, only containment or someone living with the individual and ensuring that they make better choices. This point was brought home to me in my third year as a qualified child care officer, by the psychiatrist husband of the Children’s Officer who in his own time and expense one evening accompanied me on a home visit at the other end of Oxfordshire to where he lived to assess the domestic situation and prospects for a young man appearing at the assizes for an offence likely to get him sent to a young offender’s penal institution. The young man failed to keep the appointment and in apologizing to the psychiatrist he said he was impressed because the indication were the boy and the family knew I could not be manipulated. He still thought I should recommend the making of a care order as a means of putting off the young man’s entry into the prison system where he would quickly learn how to become a better criminal. I followed the advice as it was established departmental policy against my better instincts and was duly ridiculed by the judge for my conclusion which appeared at odds with the rest of the home circumstances report.

However for the majority of those who enter the prison system and become members of the underclass, usually for life, and for the majority who make a mess of their lives in other ways, the problem is not an inherent badness, or inattention but the nature of every day living whether in paid occupational work or relationships. Most adults find being an adult overwhelming, and young people today find the situation even more difficult because of media attention given to the lives of the minority with wealth, power and some from of media activity or interest. This is why when adult go out of their way to harm children and young people their crime is so great because of its devastating, and often lasting impact, whether they realise what they are doing or not. What is also inexcusable is when those who have the knowledge and the power and who can act differently put the lives and wealthy of others in immediate danger. This is the crime of those politicians and administrators who knew the truth of the Vietnam war and chose to do nothing. They were the traitors to their country, guilty of treason and genocide.

The immediate effect of the death of his mother and sister was that Daniel stopped playing the piano, something which his father believed could become his career. His drive for personal achievement took a different direction as he worked his way to Harvard and achieve a PhD working out a paradox in decision theory which still bears his name. The year was 1962 and I was in my second year at Ruskin about to switch from politics and economics to public and social administration which included psychology and criminology. Ellensburg then joined the Marines as an officer topping his class year of some 1100 lieutenants. After his national service he joined the RAND corporation.

The RAND Corporation is one oft he most important and powerful organisations in the World, with some 30 Noble Prize winners among its associates over the past sixty years. It recruits the best creative brains in the USA and from around the world, some 1600 individual at any one time located mainly in the USA but also Cambridge, England, Brussels, Belgium and the Qatar Institute at Doha. In 1964 Ellsberg was seconded by RAND to the Pentagon and briefed Senator of Defence, Robert McNamara the Gulf of Tonkin incident. He also advised General Lansdale for two years in Vietnam Although he returned to work directly for RAND in 1967 he was asked to participate in an in-depth review of all available classified documents regarding the conduct of the war, completed in 1968 and where he was one of the few individuals with access to the completed work, There a lack of published information on the extent of the documentation but the analysis according to the film was contained in 43 volume, some 4000 pages with 7000 to 10000 pages mentioned during the film as I presume the total of analysis and documentation. During the time that he worked on the papers in was in a relationship with someone who according to film believed the war was wrong while Daniel wanted to ensure that the war was won. According to the film he then married and had two children, but separated and was divorced following his decision to try and bring the papers tot he attention of the public, returning to a relationship with his former girlfriend who assisted him in what became a crusade. The study covered the period 1945 to 1967 and the leak with excerpts published in the New York Times in 1971. From his study of the classified documents and the combined work of those involved in study, Ellsberg is said to have reached three conclusions. The first is was that it was unlikely the USA could win the war despite its military power. The second was that the loss of life would be significantly more than was being revealed and thirdly and something which is said to have affected him greatly, there was cynical disregard for the loss of life and personal injury among high ranking officials. As I write this I am mindful of the work being undertaken by Sir John Chilcott and his team into the conduct of the Iraq War.

The first response to the study of the complete investigations was to try and get Senators to reveal the information. This included William Fulbright chair of the Foreign relations Committee and George McGovern. On the basis that they would not be prosecuted for what was said on the record on the Senate Floor. They declined. Ellsberg has stated that he was moved into taking action, and placing himself in the firing line after witnessing a young man announce that he had decided to refuse the draft, going to prison and all that would follow. In the and in writing Ellsberg admits that he was moved to tears by the courage and determination of the young man especially his appreciation of the effect his action was likely to have over the rest of his life.

I have spoken before of my own action and prison experience but this issue of the implications of such action needs to be underlined. In my instance I have been able to judge over time that the experience added rather than subtracted from the life I have led. However it could have and did have overall adverse consequences for many others, and it also left marks which I could have well done without. It made me insist that those with whom I subsequently had contact always understood something fit he implications of any action which I asked them to undertake, especial when I became a manager. However it is always impossible to communicate what an experience will be like until it is experienced, bringing to it that inherited background unique to each individual. According to the film Ellsberg had spent months photography copies the report held in security at RAND HQ. He then made it available to a journalist previously encountered on the New York Times. On June 13th 1971 the Times published nine excerpts and a commentary. He also released documents to the Washington Post and 17 other newspapers Nixon aides who were to become familiar after the Watergate scandal obtained an injunction preventing further publication which was considered by the Supreme Court and which on June 30th free the Tomes to continue publication. Ellsberg went into hiding anticipating that although the newspapers did not reveal their source it would be assumed he was responsible. On June 29th 1971 Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska entered 4100 pages of the report into the record of his Sub Committee made available via Ellsberg and the Editor of the Washington Post. These portions of the papers were subsequently published by the Beacon Press.

There is a Nixon Oval office Tape in which Haldeman explained to the President the damage to the office of Presidential authority which the release of the papers. It was also the infamous quartet of Krogh, Young, Gordon Liddy and Howard Hunt who initiated the break in steal the medical records of Ellesberg as well as those in Watergate. Ellsberg had been seeing a psychiatrist. The “plumber” special project one failed and Ehrlichman decided not to approve a burglary into the Ellsberg home, but the original break in was to prove one of the factors which ended the attempt by the administration to destroy Ellsberg. He had been charged with espionage, conspiracy and theft which had a total penalty of 115 years in jail. When the judge William Matthew Byrne Jr also became aware of an illegal telephone tapping he decided to the announce a mistrial. Her had to admit that he had two meetings with Ehrlichman who offered him a Directorship of the FBI to return a guilty verdict. It was these disclosures which led Ehrlichman, Haldeman, Kleindienst and John Dean out of office before their Watergate involvement also led to their prosecution. There was also a plot to use 12 Cubans to “incapacitate Ellsberg although whether this meant just hospitalization to assassination was not clear.

Perhaps just as great a contribution to our understanding of how government’s operate, even in democracies, was the statement by Ellsberg that having studied thousands of pages of classified documents and then comparing with what was said in public, the heads of state, their spokespeople and their officers lie everyday and that in reality top politicians rarely say the whole truth. This I think is inevitable given the nature of public opinion, however the difference must be between those who behave in this way because they genuinely believe it is in the national, the public best interest, and those who do so for political or personal reasons. It is also understandable that once caught up in the day to day realities of office and all its trappings that the difference between the two situations becomes blurred.

Mr Ellsberg had continued to be an important figure in the USA alerting to teh ways of government, pressing the Bush Administration to reveal the truth of the involvement in Iraq and also arguing that the there was a government momentum for an intervention in Iran.

This is where I part company with him. There can be no absolute position. As recently stated I agree with Gordon Brown’s evidence to the Iraq Inquiry that a new world order is required with the ability to intervene when states fail or threaten the stability and safety of everyone else, and government’s have an inherent duty to protect the interests of all their people. However it is also important that there are individuals such as Ellsberg prepared to question, challenge and at times cross the line, as long as they are also prepared to face the consequences of their actions.

As is often the case my understanding is that the film has given a misleading impression of his private life in that he remained married for long after the time suggested in the film although he subsequently remarried someone who he knew before he met his first wife. He has written several books on his experience and contributed to the work of others. In addition to the film, The Pentagon Papers there has been one important documentary-The Most Dangerous Man in America. This year at the Academy awards, the documentary won an Oscar for best documentary. He is certainly remains an important man of my time.

1408 Some English Cricket and politics

Wednesday evening demonstrated the true spirit of Englishness. Although the weather forecast was not promising a thousand or so good folk of Durham and Tyneside assembled at the riverside cricket ground at Chester Le Street between 4 and 6 pm in the hope of another exciting and enthralling cricket match in the 20 20 competition.

It has been a reasonable day, dry and warmer compared to Tuesday which hah been horrible. I had spent the day in writing for pleasure, for work research and in relation to the premature and preventable death of my aunt and care mother with the consequence that I did not set off until well after four arriving at the ground about a quarter to five. I was able to park in the first area of the end car park nearest the main roadway out of the Ground and the Riverside Parkland. There was still a number of car parking and change attendants with all the gates open at the ground although this time there were two police on duty checking bags for alcohol rather than the half dozen civilians. It was nevertheless a full scale operation intended for a crowd that never arrived.

I made my way immediately to Member's lounge when I needed a cold drink deciding on a J20 which at £1.80 was an expensive but enjoyable drink. I then made enquiries and established that the two rows of seating on the covered veranda were available on a first come first served basis, and selected a seat on the second row so that I could hop over without disturbing the others who were seated. I then watched the last part of the English innings against the New Zealand in the second one day at Edgbaston as we struggled to raise the scoring rate in what had become a rain effected and reduced over game. I had heard an interesting discussion about the politics and funding of the new 20 20 game which suggested an urgent need for the international bodies to reach quick agreement over what has happened and what impact the emergence of major prize and earning competitions will have on the game. For example Michael Vaughan the English Test captain does not play in the one day or 20 20 competition with Paul Collingwood of Durham captain of the latter. Paul has the opportunity of wining half a million in a game in the West Indies which is bound to attract world TV interest hence the ability to pay the prize money although it will only take one dropped catch or run out rather like a missed penalty for the team to lose out, What does Mr Vaughan makes of this and other Test Players not likely to make the 20 20 game.

My impression is that the English and other authorities have acted in a panic in order to try and keep our players from going off and making money for themselves and for the match promoters so our lot have come up with competitions which will make money for both players and our official organisation which in turn they will use to improve the County Game as well as promoting cricket in schools and village and town clubs. Later a Durham member suggested to me that test players had a guaranteed income of around £200000 which is so puts a different perspective and adds to gulf between such players and ticket prices and the rest of cricket. It is my understanding that the Test and County cricket board gives just £1million a year to the 18 first class counties.

Unfortunately the spits of rain on the journey down changed to a drizzle so that first the hard covers were brought over the wicket, then the bowlers runs ups, then the side areas to the hard cover and eventually the giant sheets which cover the entire area of the grounds used for wickets. Those experienced on such occasions noted that the decision was taken not to hold the toss as who was to bat first, a good indication that play was unlikely and then the addition of covers rather than their removal. The public address system remained optimistic reminding that if a pint of smooth bitter was bought would could have a draw ticket so that if a player hit's a ball directly in the three large containers around the boundary there would be a draw for £10000. The international 20.20 to be held in August at the ground was advertised with the last tickets available for £35. It will be interesting to see what the actual turn out is on the day is.

Another indicator of what was to come is that although it was raining the Durham All star dancing girls, eight this time, came out wearing their short shorts but all weather tops to do a full dance waving to crowd as they came on and then departed, I waved back noting that it was only children and young men who responded. It was then time for a plate of chips after drinking the hot soup I had brought with me. I did watch part of New Zealand's well played march to victory only to be robbed by the weather when with less than one over to go the rain brought the match to an end, and the game was declared no result. One of Durham's senior players came to talk to relatives who were sitting next to me and then I had a long chat with a long member who had been a teacher. There was continued hope that we might get some play in that it was still possible for sufficient overs to be played for a result to be achieved if the game could start before 27 minutes past eight o'clock and around quarter to eight the large motorised mopping up rollers started to clear water from the top of the covers. However at eight the decision to abandon play was announced and information given on how the tickets could be reused or reimbursed.

At one level given my advancing years and uncertain future spending over four hours watching the grass grow was not a good use of time although given the earlier activities I did not regard the experience as wasteful. It was all very English.

There was a similar restrained and serious atmosphere in the Commons because on top of the four deaths last week in Afghanistan a further four troops had been killed in a road bomb the previous day with another seriously ill. They were not named but later on the news I heard that one was the first female combatant soldier to be killed in what appears to have been a secret mission. The thoughtful reflection on the British role was shared by all three main leaders of the political parties before the Opposition challenged the Prime Minister to admit that the Irish no vote against the new European Treaty meant that along with the Constitution it was dead. The Prime Minister explained why it was necessary to proceed with the British Ratification process, side steeping the Opposition demand that there would not be no attempt to persuade Ireland to hold another vote or get round the effective veto in someway. The government is in a difficult position having previously promised a referendum on the new Constitution and then abandoned the idea when the Treaty was cooked up in order to have a means of operation to cover the expansion of the community. There is no doubt that whatever the benefits of the enlarged community if there is a referendum on anything to do with the European community the British public will vote no and there is no evidence that this will change in the foreseeable future. It is an issue which the government, any government needs to address with profound implications for our future.

1401 20 20 Cricket in the rain

After a week of great weather, the clouds and my mood grew darker as the day progressed. I nearly decided to remain at home dealing with matters that had developed in an unsatisfactory way during the day than attend my first 20 20 cricket match. I had no idea of what the crowd would like on a mid week early, without knowledge of advance ticket sales and the weather so I arrived early and was amazed that at each gate there were two sets of tables so that six individuals could check bags to ensure that no alcohol was brought into the ground. This was nothing to do with tying to limit alcohol consumption as throughout the period before the game commenced everyone was being encouraged to buy pints of the official beer sponsorship of the competition on the basis that tokens were being given for every pint purchased matching numbers placed in three maybe four large containers around the boundary so that if a batsman hit a six directly into one of the containers, I guess about 1 million to one chance, probably 100 million to one, then if there were a thousand tokens or two in the particular cup, and one was yours, you would win £10000.Who is kidding who?

There were also people with change at the entrance of the car parks to ensure everyone was able to buy tickets at the machines which do not give change, more were taking the tickets and there were even police. The crowds did not turn up on the night perhaps because of the weather, perhaps they were not expected and this was a rehearsal for the international match which takes place next week. There was not as much razzmatazz before the game as I had expected. I had chosen to sit behind the wicket as usual but most of the crowd assembled by the pavilion. I was later to find out why. The seats were numbered but it became evident as the evening progressed that you could change areas with the notable exception of the members veranda seats in the pavilion which were almost all take up, not surprising as they were under cover.

The other notable difference was the number of people in the usually vacant sponsors boxes. They had come straight from the office or business so I guess they had food as well as drink provided. Then the game was due to start at ten past six and the razzmatazz commenced. Seven attractive young women in brief tops and briefer shorts, on what was an increasingly cold evening, came out and did a provocative dance to music. These are the Durham All Stars. More on them later. There was then burst of ground level fireworks as the Durham Men in Black took to the field with the visitors deciding to bat first. This was not match between the great exponents of this form of cricket. Durham has the worst record in the competition of all eighteen participating clubs winning just over one in four games and Derbyshire, the visitors, failed to win one of the games played last year.

It was a miserable night for any form of cricket, or any outdoor activity with rain constantly in the air and sufficiently dark for all other form of the game except this one to have been abandoned, There was in fact an interruption for rain during the Derbyshire innings and where although there was one good knock with fours hit here and there, the highlight was the bowling of the new arrival to the club, the South African Shaun Pollock, a world class player who obtained one wicket for 11 runs but his impressive start was eclipsed by Durham and England's Paul Collingwood who took five wickets for 14 runs, which equals the fourth best performance of all time and which would have boosted his moral no end of good.

Then the rains came and for the second time I hurried off into the Member's Pavilion. I had eaten a hot meal at midday and brought with me a flask of coffee which was quickly consumed as was the single sandwich. It was arriving at the Member's lounge that I realised that having changed my trousers from grey to black, I had not transferred my cash and that having bought the programme I had sufficient money for a cup of coffee or a plate of chips, I settled for a plate of chips during the long interruption for rain before Durham could take to the field and respond to the effort of derby which was a poor one of less than 110 runs. The average score of teams in he competition has been 160 and totals of 200 had been reached in the 20 overs- 120 balls bowled.

Eventually after a good value plate of chips for £1.50 with unlimited sauce Durham took to the ground and the function of the Durham All Star lasses was realised and appreciated. During the Derby Performance every time a wicket fell, a few bars of Another man bites the dust, or you have to look on the bright side, were played and every time there was a four, and no doubt if there had been a six some music favoured by the batsman was played as well as a few bars during the intervals between overs. Everything was done at great speed. I found the constant musical interruptions irritating. There were Durham University students before me when sitting behind the wicket who waved cards showing four every time the Derby team scored so I guessed they originated from the County. However every time Durham scored a four and between overs the girls got up and did a dance although with the cold they had covered the short shorts with leggings. However this did not dampen their enthusiasm and provocativeness. They deserve a medal for keeping going as the darkness descended and it got colder. In fact as the night progressed and they performed immediately in front of Members Lounge and seating at the boundary edge it was the only thing I was able to see.

You knew where the scoreboard was on the other side of the ground because lights came on to signal the batsman, fielder and bowler. Nor was it possible to see the ball or what was happening. As the ball is white and the players are opposite black sight screens, I guess the darkness is no disadvantage to the batsman although if the ball was hit hard or high I doubt if the fielders could see it. Durham were in a hurry to get the revised score which became 48 because of the reduction in overs to be bowled and the loss of wickets. I suspect they also knew that more rain was on its way.

A few second after Durham managed the winning hit and the rest of us rushed to our cars it rained hard and continued to do so all way on the drive home.

I immediate got myself a whisky on return and then a hot drink which looks as if did the trick because the expectant cough and chill has not yet happened, Durham earned two points and can look ahead to two away games next week with confidence. I then read on the text that a businessman is putting up ten million pounds for a winner takes all competition in the West Indies where the players in the winning team will each get half a million pounds, the winning officials will also share in the prize money and several million will be divided between the national body of the winning team and the West Indies The two best teams in the English 20 20 will also compete in a world series event in India this year. Money and then big time has arrived but is it Cricket?

1882 Amy Williams Day, Eastenders 25th and Lost

Saturday February 20th, 2010 will be remembered for the rest of their lives by the Williams family of Bath, because the daughter of the Bath University Professor became only the second British woman to win a gold Medal in the Winter Olympics. There were only 9 previous winners. The first was the Men’s Curling Team in 1924 followed 12 years later by the Men’s Hockey Team. Jeanette Altwegg became the first woman to win a gold medal as a figure skater in 1952 that is 58 years ago and Robin Dixon Lord Glentoran and Tony Nash won the two man bobsleigh event in 1964.

It was then the turn of the skaters again with John Curry in 1976, Robin Cousins in 1980 and then the most memorable of all Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean in 1984. It was another 18 years before the 9th medal when the Women’s Curling team won in 2002.

If the reactions so far this morning are an indication of the what is to happen from now on the name of Amy Williams will become the most famous of all because of 24 hour media and the British need for success in sport. In this instance there is the added dimension of the courage required to hurtle yourself approaching 90 miles an hour head first on a small flat sleigh, especially as a fellow competitor in the bob sleigh was killed going off the course while in practice. The other dimension is that she is evidently an unassuming young women who has spent the past eight years in hard work, living out of a suitcase travelling to international competitions on her own, away from family and friends.

She has a brother and a twin sister whose excitement and proudness is also evident as they were interviewed at her home of Bath where there someone somewhere had the foresight to create a 160 metre concrete track so that those interested in the sport can practice the running starts. In this respect that she was in her youth a county running champion in the 400 metres is a factor. She is also an artist who hopes one day to run her own gallery, and I imagine now she can chose how and where she wants to spend the rest of her life. It will take Andy Murray to win Wimbledon to prevent her becoming British Sports Woman of 2010 and the Queen will be expected to give her some honour in the Birthday honours if not before. It was a great start to the day.

I cannot let the event pass without commenting on the unsportsmanship of the Canadian hosts who did everything possible to ensure their competitor, the current world champion had the advantage by allowing her unlimited training using the circuit while limiting the opportunities of other competitors including Amy. They were rewarded with only fourth place after their champion messed up on her fourth run and in second place, given the two German skaters the sliver and bronze. The Canadian followed with a protest about eh helmet which Amy was using, a helmet for which she had obtained approval in advance for all her equipment and clothing from the managing body. Shame on you Canada.

Friday afternoon and evening were fully occupied except for an hour around six pm when I planned to visit the supermarket for a weekend shop and then as was my expectation found that the battery was flat and the visit had to be postponed. This was my fault twice unless of course the property has a poltergeist or someone decided to get onto the garage roof down a drain pipe and into the garage to explore what was in the car, or use it to escape from the cold. The more likely explanation is that on my last visit to the supermarket I forgot to close the rear door having removed one of the new two handled bags for life, so that the battery slowly drained as a consequence of the inside light remaining on. Having realised this had happened the following morning, I had settled for Oh no do I have a flat battery, but not in the mood to open the garage door in order to test the battery and then attach the battery charger it was not until Friday evening it was flat as the pancake I did not have on Shrove Tuesday earlier in the week.

I charged the battery for several hours before going to bed but decide against doing so over night. In the morning I double checked that I had the correct charger and the leads had been correctly connected, I know I should have done this the night before and will leave for several more hours before checking around Lunch time again in the evening and if necessary leave over night and then if the red light does not change to green I will have to consider plan B.

I drove the car along the sea front and coast to Seaburn and the roundabout which I was able to view from my home of thirty years previously and then returned via Whitburn Village and Cleadon before undertaking the shop. I was struck by the number of people out an about, enjoying the fun of the fair in Shields and walking the sands at Seaburn. There were some sitting outside over a cup of tea, later afternoon fish and chips or for a smoke. It remained bitter cold with snow on the higher ground and some roofs. Hardy folk in these parts.

I was in a good mood by 5.30 yesterday as England had an unexpected win against the World 20 20 Champions, Pakistan at the magnificent stadium in sports city Dubai. Admittedly Pakistan were with out their best player Shahid Alfridi and who will return for the second match this afternoon and they had shaky start to their innings, but overall the win was comfortable. The English bowlers had an early success when Pakistan opened the batting taking wickets when the score was 9, 20, 26 and 39 with only the fifth wicket partnership adding more than 20 runs, 47 in total, and will Malik getting the top score of 33. Swan 2 for 18 was the best of the bowlers with Broad 2 for 23. The disaster struck as facing a low 130 runs to win total, Denly and Trott were out for 10 and Collingwood, a fast runner between wickets misjudged a return for a second run so we were 18 for 3. Pieterson, who has no been in good form, got his down and was still there on 43 with the magnificent Eoin Morgan who showed he required mixture of caution with flair strokes who was undefeated on 67, having struck 4.4,6 off the first three balls of the penultimate over to secure the win. It is becoming a great weekend of sport. By one of those coincidences of fate I had been thinking about the summer of cricket to come while reflecting on the cricket summer of 2008, transferring Myspace Blogs written in June of that year to Google.

The other major event of the weekend was the 25th anniversary live edition and finale to Who killed Archie Mitchell last Christmas. There have been 10 story lines covering possible murderers. There was one of his daughters(1) who in the live episode last night confessed that he had raped her when an adolescent. There was Peggy Mitchell(2)l his wife who he had bullied, and driven out of the Queen Vic and her son Phil (3)who had persuaded his girlfriend to give him an alibi and to get rid of a blood stained shirt. There was Archie’s most recent conquest Janine Butcher(4) and has a history a nasty, vindicate young woman, capable of murder and lying. When Archie throws her out after gaining control of the Old Vic with her help. She is one of the obvious suspects. Her boyfriend is another(5). Ian Beale(6), the longest cast member being in the first programme, and approaching 3000 performances. He slept with Janine and was blackmailed by Archie and as with Phil entered the pub on the fatal night to steal a lap top. The third person to be in the pub, who came to blows was Bradley Branning(7) the lover of bipolar Stacey Slater(8) who Archie had also raped and who she believed was the father of the baby she is carrying. The couple chose to have a quiet wedding on the same day as the wedding of Rickie Butcher and Bianca Jackson for the second time in their young lives Bradley‘s, father(9), and his uncle, a police detective(10), and Stacey herself are all other suspects.

There was a small circle of programme makers who had kept the secret for more than a year and even the cast did not know until the closing minutes of the live show, when Stacey was asked to reveal the truth in the closing moments after her husband has fallen to his death from the roof tops when chased by the police, calling out her name.

This is not the occasion to review the past 25 years of the programme and which I have watched almost continuously for years at a time, but not over recent years. The Who killed Archie series was over drawn out and over the top, although the umbrella description of soap opera is appropriate given the implausibility of most opera stories. I was pleased to learn that Alfie Moon, played by former pop star Shane Ritchie and his wife Kat played by Jessica Wallace. There was also a performance of Dennis Watts the original publican with his wife Angie.

I am expecting much from the last series of Lost based on what the programme makers have promised and what they have achieved so far. I had not anticipated the two dimensional opening of the double first programme of the new and last series which opened last week. I am impressed with how the approach was continued in the second week, third episode of the last series this week. I forgot that there is a new episode night of Friday at 9 am and had a preferred programme on Saturday night so watched on Sky Player around midnight

In the first dimension the plane does not crash and Jack’s belief that detonation of the thermo nuclear device when he and Kate, Hurley and Sayid and Sun returned to the Island with Ben and Locke in his coffin, would achieved this, is proved correct. My informed guess is that all the main characters would interact after their return to the USA, was also proved right so far. In the second episode the primary focus commenced with Kate.

Last week Kate returned on the plane with her minder, who in the original crash is killed. In the continuing plane journey without the Island Kate manages to escape while going to the toilet and with one handcuff around a wrist she manages to get out of the airport with his handgun and jumps into a taxi in which 36 week pregnant Clare is going off to see the couple who were adopting her baby and who had arranged to meet her at the airport. The cab driver bails out at the first opportunity and Kate drives on to a point where she leaves Clare at a bus stop taking her money and possessions with her. Kate uses the available cash to bribe a back street auto repair yard to free her from the tell tale handcuffs, after which then examines Clare’s possessions, realises that she is pregnant and that bag contains preparations for the birth. Guiltily she returns to where she dumped Clare and finds her still there and agrees to take her to the house of the couple adopting the baby and agrees to go with her into the house only to find that the husband has left and his wife is no longer wanting to go ahead with the deal.

Clare goes into premature labour at 36 weeks and Kate takes her to hospital where Clare decides that the doctors should attempt to slow down and stop a birth taking place although it would be possible for labour to proceed given the length of the pregnancy to date. While Kate is in an adjacent office, the police arrive to question Clare having tracked down that wanted Kate was with her, but go off accepting the story given by Clare without much ado, which was the only dubious aspect of this episode. Kate and Clare have become bonded and it is evident that the relationship is to continue.

In the alternative or parallel dimension Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, and Jin have been captured by the Temple dwellers with the dying Sayid after he has been shot. The effect of the thermo nuclear devices, has been to time shift their presence of the island to the present day. Although Judith initially survived the bomb blast she dies from the wounds received when she fell down the drilling shaft, and Sawyer’s rivalry with Jack turns to hatred. When the opportunity occurs for Sawyer to escape from the stronghold of the Temple dwellers he is soon followed by Kate and Jin. Jin goes off in search of Sun while Kate follows Sawyer to the DHARMA Initiative accommodation compound and to the bungalow where he lived with Judith. She then follows him to the landing stage where Sawyer admits he blames himself for Judith’s death because he persuaded her not to leave the Island on the submarine when she had the opportunity.

Back at the Temple the leader of the dwellers insists on seeing Sayid on his own and appears to be torturing him with electrodes and then placing a hot poker on the heals wound of the gunshot. An assistant says he has passed the test and then admits afterwards that he has not. The Temple leader then gives Jack a capsule to give to Sayid. Sayid is willing to take this if Jack asks him to and then Jack presses for information about the capsule and the leader explains that it was a poison in an attempt to cleanse Sayid because he had become infected, like Clare

Jin, who went off to find Sun and decides to return to Temple but runs into two of the guards one of whom does not believe his story and decides to kill him when he gets caught in an animal trap trying to escape a second time. However the two guards are then shot by someone unknown who transpire to be Clare.

Thus we have progress in the stories Kate and Clare but the two are not the subject of the third episode, views this Friday and where the focus is on Locke, in his three dimensions, having returned home, dead in the coffin, back on the island, and as the Smoke Monster, having shaped shifted into his body form.

Off the plane, the electrics fail on his wheel chair as he exits his specialist vehicle when he reaches home where he lives with the woman he met at the therapy sessions, and he is shortly marry and has been planning the event. Locke took official leave to attend an important business conference in Australia, but instead attempted to go on a ‘I can do it’ outback adventure which he was refused participation because of being committed to a wheel chair.

His deception is found out on returning to the office and his refusal to explain his actions leads to him being fired, added to which he cannot get onto his vehicle because someone had badly parked. This turns out to be Hugo, a confident Hugo no longer believing he is the Jinx lottery winner and who owns the company and tells him to contact someone who will get him a job within the Hurley expanding business empire. The contact appears to be a human resource agency who helps Locke to accept that he is not going to be able to return to being the site foreman on a construction site. He is then seen as an agency supply teacher at a High school, taking basketball training and a class on reproduction biology. The idea that one can switch into such a post seems ludicrous, although it might be possible in the USA. He takes the position after admitting his reception over the conference to his wife to be, and his realization of having to adjust. The supervisor at the human resources unit is none other than Rose Henderson, one of the supporting travellers on the original flight with six months to live and has gone on the holiday visit with her husband, a dentist and who were seen in passing returning home on the continuing flight.

Back on the Island the island the story continues from the point where the Smoke monster in the form of Locke had killed Jacob, and then puts Jacob’s former sidekick Richard, over his shoulder with him, leaving a bemused Ben behind. The leadership of the remaining group who crashed on the adjacent Island include Sun Kwon and the pilot who was to have originally flown the plane from Australia, is taken by Llana, someone who only appeared later in the series but where this episode is to reveal that she is to have a major role in the rest of the series.

Llana is a bounty hunter employed by the family of an employee of Charles Widmore who has been killed by Sayid. It is Llana who captures Sayid an puts him on the second flight to the Island and it is she who raises questions about Locke and now insists that they journey to the Temple, where she confidently tells Sun she will learn about Jin. They bury Locke before departing, and in the makeshift service Ben admits that he killed Locke. Was Llana who has knocked out Richard for failing to answer her questions.

As they journey across the Island, it is not clear why the Monster in the form of Locke is carrying Richard away from the encampment of the survivors of the second plane crash. When he stops and Richard recovers, Richard takes the opportunity to leave despite Locke explaining that eh is taking him to where he will be able to find out what the Island is all about, something which he admits was never discovered by Jacob. He advised, more a warning that he will soon see him again. Locke then reaches the former DHARMA accommodation compound where he persuades Sawyer to accompany him to learn the answers to his questions. He agrees, drowning his sorrows in whisky. On the way he see a young boy who warns Locke not to kill Sawyer and thus we learn that there are other powerful forces on the island. Locke is impressed that Sawyer can see the boy. They reach the top of a tall and steep Cliffside over which there is a vertical makeshift ladder in three sections down to a cave. Sawyer nearly falls as one section of the ladder collapses. In the cave the Locke monster shows sawyer the ceiling on which there are the names of passengers of the original flight and presumably others who have featured in the series. Locke, now described as the man in Black crosses out the name of Locke. Each name has been allocated a number and we are shown five names which have not been crossed out: Hugo Hurley Reyes, James Sawyer Ford, Sayid Farrah, Dr Jack Shepherd and Kworn covering Sun and Jin. It is significant that these five names together with Locke have the numbers of 4,8,15,16, 23 and 42, the same numbers of Hurley’s lottery win and the number on the entrance to first DHARMA underground centre which was discovered during the first season. Of particular note there is no reference to Kate.

1399 Cricket at the Riverside Chester Le Street

It nearly was the greatest and most important county game that Durham has ever played. The sun was out shining brightly first thing as I drafted the Blog for the previous day and decided that I would go to the fourth day of the county match with Hampshire although with six wickets down and over 100 runs to win it could be all over within half an hour. I decided that would take my camera to photo within the ground and then along the riverside parks and through the railings to the adjacent sports ground and then perhaps to the town of Chester Le Street. See 101 photos Cricket at Riverside

Because of this I decided to park at the Riverside parks car park and walk under the dual carriage way roadway through the tunnel which leads go the official ground car parks. These are some of the most pleasant looking car parks anywhere divided by shrubbery, hedgerows and trees.

It used to be possible to enter the ground as one crossed over the road way from the car parks or the entrance which allows cars with passes for use of facilities on match days, media, visiting team, officials of the clubs, guests of sponsors and the like, but now we are all required to continue walk along a pleasant parkway with seats and more shrubs and trees to the modest main entrance where Members hand over their voucher for the day or pay to enter. To the immediate left is the magnificent health centre building which I have not seen inside and then the extended Don Robson Pavilion where the first entrance leads to the first floor Riverside Member's Lounge, food servery, bar, balcony seating, trophy cabinets and official notice area.

Outside there is the entrance to Austin's a public access bar and restaurant open through the year and day whether there is a match playing or not. The stand continues overhead although you can access Member's restricted seating and then in the second part of the Pavilion there is there is the club shop, the box office and the main entrance and reception area. There is also the physiotherapy centre and entrance for players club and playing officials and official visitors. Nearby there is the car park for visitors and playing officials and then my entrance to the South Stand seating below the media centre.

In the rush I had left my rucksack, lunch, and hat and therefore sat towards the back of the seating which provided an excellent overview of the wicket. I did not anticipate what then happened. The key was an innings of 50 by Blenkenstein who was then caught in what he and we thought was a dodgy catch, that is that the edge the ball with his bat and it was caught by a fielder but did hit the ground just before? Although another wicket fell before lunch there was a growing sense that the impossible could still happen.

At the luncheon interval I returned to my car for the sandwich and coffee and then reorganised so that I left my jacket and took the haversack back to my seat. Then when the ninth wicket fell we all thought it was all over but then the miracle and the dream began to appear a reality as a ten wicket partnership developed between the last batsmen, England's Steve Harmison and "Bob" Davies slowly edge towards victory and then appears able to hit the ball hard and to the boundary and the small crowd was becoming hysterical in its disbelief. Alas with only four runs required Davies edge a ball and was caught and the dream was over.

I packed up and went off with my camera walking the long way round the ground trying to capture the atmosphere of the silent sports area, the nets, and the picnic banking in front of which cars with eligible disabled parking certificates were able to come into ground for free. Leaving the ground I headed the short walk to the riverside bank trying to indicated something of the long walking available as the Wear headed from Durham City towards Sunderland and the North Sea. It is possible to walk under the new road bridge to where there was once a river crossing and then along the embankment with the open parkland to the left. There are warning notice along the river bank warning that four young people have died entering the river in high summer over recent decades. There is a large safe play area well used by families throughout the summer and where a couple of years back there was a great tragedy when an artist brought a major inflatable into the park which was taken by the wind and people died. There is no indication now of that tragedy but and on this beautiful Monday families and couples had come from near and far to enjoy this well known riverside parkland. I continued along the embankment to a small weir and then a popular area with swans and ducks where the river widens. There are seats along here sheltered by a grass bank where fortunately there is a pathway leading to area of formal gardens which including bowling greens. There is also a Park Centre where refreshment can be purchased and eaten at picnic tables. There is a quite a walk across open parkland back to the car. I had completed the part of the planned task for the day. I took the car the short distance to the Chester Le Street cricket ground. It was here that Durham played one county match at year over the first four or five seasons while the new ground was made ready. The major memory is when Durham played the West Indies on this ground and looking around I wondered how we all fitted in. There is now a new clubhouse.

I then found a place to park adjacent to the main shopping road which is where I travelled by bus from South Shields last week. I was lucky as someone left as I arrived and other vehicle following me had to wait until some else also vacated a space. Chester Le Street is an ancient hilly town of some twenty four thousand people 13 miles West of Sunderland, a Roman Fort town and where for 113 years the body of St Cuthbert rested before being moved to Durham Cathedral. In Chester le Street the Bible was first translated into English.

The High street is a mixture of Inns and shop, estate agents and banks including the Cooperative and a Woolworths and where I returned after viewing the new market place artworks. At this point I ran into problems with the camera which I will need to check out tomorrow having concentrated on uploading 101 photographs of the visit and writing up Blogs, other work, including emails and getting my evening meal. At Woolworths I remembered that I needed a larger sieve than my existing one to drain the noodles for the stir fry's. For about three years I have used one of the steel flasks with stopper from which it is possible to pour liquid without unscrewing. I then acquired a second flask as a gift from a Staples Order and recently when cleaning I dismantled without being able to reassemble accurately so today I consigned this flask to nearest and purchased a new one from Woolworths. It is possible to keep hot drinks warm 8 hours and cold for 24 in these flasks. Unfortunately when I returned home I discovered that the top unit was missing and the assistant at the cash desk had not appreciated this was so. I am going to Chester Le Street on Wednesday for the first 20 20 game in the evening at 6.15 and I could go to return the flask or obtain the stopper unit then. However if the weather continues to be fine I may go on a bus trip to Durham via Sunderland and Chester Le Street and will decide first thing in the morning.

I also called in at a Green Grocers in town for a lettuce, some grapes, some tout mange and three bananas, returned to the car to the car and arrived back home at 5pm. I uploaded and added descriptions to 101 photos.

1398 Cricket on a Summer's Day

To day has been the best weather day of the year with warm sunshine from soon after dawn until dusk and with intense heat penetrating clothing midday. Not Mediterranean high summer heat but better than can be remembered from last year but not as hot as the previous summer although I cannot recall such prolonged sunshine.

On such days the cricket does not usually matter although on this occasion it did. Real cricket comprises this form of the game with each side playing two innings over four days, In England the weather condition play an important role not just because the game cannot start or continue when it rains but the kind and level of cloud cover affects the flight of the ball in the air. Frequently it is evident that the game will be drawn at an early stage, or it is going to be one sided and over quickly. Occasionally there are two sides who are well matched and result is in doubt until the last moments on the last day thus replicating what often happens in the shorter games, originally of sixty single over innings and then reduced to fifty which is the format of the Friends Provident Trophy and in recent times two additional competitions the 40 over one day games and even more recent the English invented the short time money spinner of 20.20 which last less than four hours and is often held early evening and sometimes under floodlights, to maximise crowd and revenue and which In India this year became a tournament where cricketers could earn over a couple of weeks more than they earned for the rest of the year. The risk is that this kind of cricket takes over the rest of the game where already the number of four day games each year has been reduced by the creation of two small leagues of first class counties where there used to be one, to accommodated increase in the shorter games although in fairness the County game as it is called was increased from three to four days in order to ensure there were more games ending in result.

However because of the tendency for games still to be drawn bonus points have been introduced which are increased when all the wickets are taken to a maximum of 3 making total of 6 possible and then for batting on a similar sliding scale from 200 runs to over five. This ensures that a side which makes a large first innings total gets good overall batting points if it then bowls out the opposition quickly, twice. In the instance of this game because of the exceptional quality of several players on both sides there has been a titanic struggle to gain supremacy with the initiative swinging from side to the other but always with Durham chasing a game set by Hampshire which was proving the better side because of one player performing better on the day. He appeared to take the initiative away from Durham early on in the morning by smashing 74 runs all around the ground and he then bowled well taking some key wickets. He is called Mascarenhas and so out of touch have I become that I cannot say what his country of original and residence is what his previous level of performance has been. True cricket fans can recount the backgrounds and he performance records do this for every players in the county championship although the movement between clubs has increased significantly every year.

In some respects we are returning to the original position of Gentlemen and Players when the Gentlemen cricketers were those with family incomes or other occupations which enabled them to play cricket during the summer and return to the management of their estates, businesses and professions for the rest of the year for the one to two decades after leaving their public schools and sometimes University.

There were Winter tours abroad in which everyone played the game full time, to Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and the West Indies, former British Colonial territories where the game had been taken by the occupying forces and colonial civil servants and then adopted locally and the local commenced play better than those from the mother country. It was a tradition that the our side and visitors when they came here for the summer Tests also played the counties, Oxford and Cambridge and the Combined university team

The Gentlemen did not receive payment for playing and I cannot remember if they received their travelling and accommodation expenses. The Players who were considered to be inferior beings because they had to play the game full time for payment, although they too took up other occupations when the retired in their thirties, sometimes earlier and occasionally later.. As now it was mainly elders and mainly older men who the time to watch county cricket although in summer there was encouragement for families to attend with Yorkshire playing a week of cricket at Scarborough for example. There was no cricket on Sundays until the one day matches were held so most counties relied upon the revenue earned for Test matches relayed through the national association, especially after television, and in particular Sky TV took over the showing of cricket. There were key games during the season Surrey versus Middlesex and Yorkshire against Lancashire called the battle of the roses and these games were closely followed throughout the country.. There were five Test matches played of five days beginning at Lords, the home of the MCC, the Marylebone Cricket Club, who ran the game nationally and picked the national side and who controlled the ground, which was also the County Ground for Middlesex. Ladies were not allowed into the main Pavilion and its seating area of with the famous Long Room where you could watch play sitting at high stools at the window. Other Test grounds were the Oval where Surrey played, Test Bridge Nottingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham the Warwickshire County ground, Headingly Leeds, that of Yorkshire with its Rugby League main stand forming one side of the main public stand or the players had their own dressing room and watching balcony elsewhere, and Old Trafford, neat the Manchester United Ground, the home of Lancashire.

The international games as with the domestic games has changed beyond recognition so that touring only play a couple of warm up games with other teams, if that, and there are at least two touring sides playing a smaller number of Test games each year but then several one day games and now the 20 20 matches. There are world competitions and special tournaments for the one day game and also now for the 20.20. There are also a dozen more countries playing the one day game but the last world one day competition in the West Indies put paid to that because it went on too long before the teams were narrowed to the last eight knock out and the crowds were poor for early stages with people not prepared to visit from other countries and local interest in the game had reduced with more attention to football and basketball where the money could be made, This year a new champions league competition is to be tried involving the leading and original playing countries, although in fact some of the junior nations are better than some of the older including England, although it is really England and Wales because Glamorgan, the Welsh County plays in the primarily British League, but in Scotland there is a separate national side which plays in the English competitions but is not accepted as first class county, the position of Durham until 1992.

If the weather is fine tomorrow I may go for finish and then do the riverside photography as part of the Rivera project.