The 2010 2011 Ashes series in Australia

For almost all my life Britain has been in awe of Australian sports men and women. As a school boy the Australians had stars with Tennis players Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall. In Rugby Union while the Australians were regarded as second to the New Zealand All Blacks, they both dominated Internationally along with South Africa. In the associated game of Rugby League with 10 wins against the UK 3, all prior tom 1975. In swimming there was Dawn Frazer, Ian Thorpe and Shane Gould. This dominance in international sports, especially in contests involving the UK has been no better expressed than in Cricket where the Ashes commenced 100 years ago and where out of the first dozen series of contest commencing in 1882, Australian won once, at home, in 1892 and did not win in England until 1899.

Over the past 25 years The English cricket team lost 8 successive series and then after winning narrowly by 2 games to 1 out of a 5 match series in England in 2005 there were immediately thrashed 5.0 the following Winter. Thus although they won by another 2.1 with 2 games drawn margin this Summer, everyone waited to see what happened this time in Australia before over enthusiastic celebrations.

As with much in life our view of things changes in retrospect from how the experience is viewed at the time. Before the series of five matches commenced the general view among cricket commentators was that the series would be closely fought but with England having the edge because of their preparation and mixture of experienced and inexperience players whereas the Australians are yet to adjust to the retirement of some of their world class players such as Shane Warne and Glen McGragh.

England won the first toss at the Gabba and decided to bat, potentially a mistake which was not repeated. A feature of the series was the way the playing surface was prepared to nullify the likely impact of the English spin bowler Graham Swan by leaving a little grass on the surface and making the first morning of play challenging for the batsmen. England were all out for 260 with Peter Siddle taking 6 wickets for 54 including hat trick, Australia appeared to have similar problems with the score reaching only 143/5 when Michael Hussey was joined by Brad Haddin and they added 307 runs before the next wicket making an innings total of 481. England was therefore required to get over 200 runs before making Australia bat again. Captain Andrew Straus made 110 and Alistair Cook 235 breaking Don Bradman’s highest score at this ground and the first time in his career he scored a double century. The opening partnership if 188 was also the best at this ground for England. Then Jonathan Trott also scored a century and participating in a 329 run partnership before the team declared at 517/1. This offered Australia the opportunity to get the required 297 from 41 overs, unlikely, and at 107/1 the game was drawn with the Australian Captain making 51. A feature of this game was the size of the British support attending as well as the noise made from those crammed into one area known affectionately as the Barmy Army for their singing and shouting as well as consumption of alcohol. Steven Finn, the England bowler took 6 wickets for 125.

The opening day of the second Test proved one of the wondrous of what was to come as Australia electing to bat lost three wickets for 2 runs. Captain Ricky Ponting was out first ball without scoring. Only 93 from Michael Hussey prevented an embarrassing low score as the home side were all out in one day for 265. James Anderson took four wickets for 65 runs.

England then went on to score over 500 runs for the second innings succession and to declare at 620/5. Kevin Petersen who had not had a great summer applied himself to the team cause making another double century with 235 runs and Mr Cook continued as he had in the previous innings with 148 runs before getting out. Over his first two innings he was at the wicket for 1022 minutes making 371. His official average at that point. Australia needed a massive 375 to bat again. Australia looked as if they were capable of defending their position but when Michael Clark was dismissed for 80 from the bowling of Kevin Petersen on the last ball of the fourth day there was a sense that England was heading for victory. They were all out for 301 runs before the end of the morning’s play on the fifth day. Graham Swann achieved 5 wickets for the first time in a Test against Australia.

With England ascendant there was great expectation for the Third Test at Perth in Western Australia which involved 2.30 am starts here in the UK time but also meant the game was still being played until 10 am the following mornings. England won the toss and put Australia into bat and Chris Tremlett who is 6ft 8ins in height replaced the injured Nott’s player Chris Broad who returned home. He immediately justified his inclusion by taking 3 early wickets as Australia’s openers again collapsed to 69 for 5. Once again there was a late rally with this time a partnership between Michael Hussey who scored his second century while wicket keeper Bard Haddin and bowler Mitchell Johnson making half centuries. Mitchell had been rested for the first second test after his disappointing first Test performance in which he appeared unable to direct the ball close to the wicket, provoking the Barmy Army to coin a song about his tendency to spray the ball either side. Australia concluded their innings at a respectable 268 runs after their unpromising start.

Could England continue with another large score and with over 75 runs on the board without a loss? It appeared this would be so. There was then a collapse as Mitchell Johnson found his form and only a half century from Strauss and the Bell prevented a worse total for England all out at 187. It was game on for Australia who made 309 runs in their second innings with Hussey 11 and Chris Tremlett five wickets for 87. England needed 391 for victory and had all the time in the world with over two days to get them. By the end of the third day England were 81 for 5 and all out the following morning for 123. Mitchell having taken 6 for 38 in the first innings could not repeat his performance in second. His colleague Ryan Harris did with 6 for 47.

The series was squared with one win each side and the Australian Pres commenced to crow that the visitors would lose the next two tests and Australia regain the Ashes as they had done the previous cycle of away and home Tests. The Australian media which is now turned on its team saying the worst ever should be made to recite their previous words decrying England and praising their men.

Captain Strauss won the toss and unlike the decision in the first Test asked Australia to bat. This proved to be the great decision of the series because Australia collapsed, all out for only 98 runs before tea. All ten wickets were taken from catches behind the stumps with the wicket keeper taking 6. England were showing that after years of criticism about their fielding with dropped catches and failed run outs, the hours of practice and fitness preparation was paying dividends. Anderson and Tremlett took four wickets each with Yorkshire‘s Tim Bresnan brought in for the rest Finn.

Strauss and Cook then demonstrated that it had been effective bowling and poor batting rather than the wicket which caused Australia’s humiliation as they achieved 157 runs before close of play without loss. The prospect of an England win was therefore good. The following morning Australia took advantage of the green tinge to the wicket and both openers were dismissed early on and then came the controversy which showed what bad losers Australians had become.

Ricky Ponting who had injured a finger in the previous Test but declared himself fit for play disgraced his fine record as a batsman and as a Captain by losing his temper when the fourth umpire overturned the decision to dismiss Kevin Petersen caught behind. The ability to challenge the umpire’s decision has been introduced into Test Cricket by the International Cricket Board with a fourth umpire able to use some of the latest technology. This will show what is described as a hot spot, a white spot appears on the bat or glove where the ball has hit. This alone is not the only consideration although there is no use of a sound wave device. In this instance although there was a white spot it was at different height and side to where the ball had travelled between bat and pad.

A captain has the right to seek explanation from the on field umpires about such a reversal of a decision made, but Ponting went onto argue and argue, then approached Petersen and then spoke to the other umpire. Had he not been the Captain with such a fine record I suspect he would have been fined more than 40% of his match fee and perhaps barred from the rest of the game. I doubt if he will ever captain a Test side again. He did not play in the fifth Test with official reason that he needed an operation on his damaged finger. This proved a good way to end his Test Captaincy although Australia now has a problem to find a replacement. Petersen was out for 51.

The England batsman who helped his side to again score over 500 runs in an innings was Jonathan Trott with 168. Peter Siddle had another 6 wicket haul and brought in fast bowler Ryan Harris fractured his ankle and took no further part in the match. Australia needed 415 runs to avoid an innings defeats therefore ensure that England would retain the Ashes because even if they won the final Test in the series, a drawn series 2.2 meant the Ashes remained with the previous winning Team. England.

During the England innings Matt Prior the wicket keeper was caught behind the wicket but the umpire did not immediately give him out asking the fourth umpire to check if the bowler had over stepped the batting crease and therefore the ball was invalid, a no ball. The rule is that one part of the front foot has to be on or behind the batting crease line. The video replay clearly showed that this was not so and therefore the batsman was not out. It is interesting that the umpire called for the review in this instance and while no link with the Ponting protest will be admitted, I believe the umpires would continue to demonstrate that challenging their rulings as Ponting did will not be tolerated.

It was a hopeless cause for Australia and amidst growing abuse from the home media they were only able to make 258 and for the first time Australia lost two games in a home Test series by an innings.

The Melbourne Cricket ground is the largest in the world able to accommodate over 90000 spectators and on the first day just under 85000 were present with those supporting England between a third and half according to what I was able to assess from the TV pictures, but making great noise. Even on the second and third days 67000 and 68000 people attended but on the fourth Australians stayed away, even those with tickets and just under 20000, overwhelmingly England supports were present. This demonstrates a weakness in the nation character of Australians, a lack of genuine sportsmanship something which I accept can become a substitute for genuine competitive drive and ambition.

The Fifth Test was therefore approached with the England camp knowing the Ashes had been secured and that with a draw would give them the series 2.1, and a win 3.1.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat, a questionable decision. The Sydney Cricket ground was close to capacity with the crows divided between home and away supporting. The Australian first innings total of 260 was respectable but 100 runs short of what could have been anticipated on a flat wicket after coping with the early innings conditions. None of the opening Australian batsmen was able to get over 50 runs including the first Pakistani to play for Australia, It was left to unpredictable bowler Mitchell Johnson to get 53 and bowler Ben Hilfenhouse 34 for Australia to pass 200 runs. England then commenced an innings which was to reach 644 their highest total ever in Australia.

Alistair Cook again commenced well with Captain Strauss, who made 60 from 58 balls received before getting out while Cook scores another 150 and was approaching his second double century when he was out for 189. Cook broke a number of records including the second highest number of runs in a series in Australia, second to Wally Hammond. When Cook was 99 he appeared to have been caught however Cook stayed his ground appealing the exit. TV replays immediately revealed that the ball had cleared bounced before the player before going into his hands. The player and the wicket keep, Vice Captain Haddin must have realised what happen and should have immediately alerted their captain and other players as well as the umpire of the position or at least referred what happened to the 4th umpire for a determination. In the commentary box Ian Botham was quite clear and described the incident as cheating, a charge apparently denied by the deputising Australian Captain.

Ian Bell had also continued his excellent form to reach another century although there was a situation when he was 67 and appeared to be caught behind the wicket that he successfully appealed although the ball appeared to deviate and the sound device not part of the appeal process indicated a touch. In normal circumstances when doubt remains, the original on field umpire’s decision remains and this should have happened with Bell given out. That he was not confirms my belief that Australian paid a price for Ponting’s shameful behaviour in the previous game and the dishonest and equally shameful attempt to get Cook out. For Australia worse was to come with wicket keeper Prior also reaching 100 runs in 109 and his first against Australia, Apart from Paul Collingwood all six other batsmen scored centuries during the series.

The game was effectively over because there was no way Australia could score the run required in the time available to bowl England out for a win. All they could do was to bat well over the remaining days and end the series with creditable draw. They did their best but this fell a long way short of what was necessary. Given the easy nature of the wicket the opening pair scored quickly and then one batsman ran out the other in an amusing act of self destruction, something he has been guilty several times in his career which one suspects as a Test batsman will be limited until a replacement can be found

It looked as if the game was going into the final day with five wickets left when Tremlett produced am amazing and series clinching over. His third ball was a bouncers and because of his natural height the ball zipped up higher than the batsman anticipated and was well caught from skier. Mitchell Johnston was next in was bowled first ball thus giving Tremlett the opportunity for a hat trick. His third ball was just as perfect, an in swinging Yorker which the new batsman somehow managed to keep out. Understandably England claimed the extra half hour but good defensive play saw the day end with Australia doomed on 213 for 7. With rain forecast for the fifth and final day all was not certain however.

With entrance free spectators commenced to queue long before gates were to open and over 19000 took the opportunity to celebrate what almost everyone anticipated would be a victory. Steve Smith a newcomer in the series made a respectable quick fire 51 not out before Tremlett bowled the last man and the innings closed at 281, one more run than their first innings. The three times innings defeat because of the huge scores by the visitors compounded the Australian humiliation. We all remember Kevin Keegan’s ill fated outburst that he would love to stuff Manchester United when Newcastle held a 12 point lead at the top of the Premiership. He failed. On Friday January 7th after decades of failure and hurt England stuffed the Australians good and proper and most of the UK were thrilled and delighted as the subsequent media attention during the rest of the day demonstrated.

Alistair Cook, perhaps once day Captain Cook, hee hee was made the Man if the Match, Man of series and winner of the Miller Compton medal. The official series ceremony was another example of the Australians inability to take defeat. They forgot to make one award, provided no champagne and appeared poor sports. Ian Botham summed it up by suggesting we ought to consider all playing three match series with the Australia in the immediate future, a comment made by Australian media on the last tour. However it will be important to get back to serious preparation after a day of celebrations. We need to try and win both 20 20 games the most difficult to preplan although as World Champion Collingwood will be able to reinforce his end of tour popularity by continuing the good feeling.

He had a poor tour with the bat and limited success with the bowl although he was not required to perform frequently. He fielding remained consistently brilliant and he is one of those characters who help glue a team together. He was right to announce his retirement from the Test side, the oldest player which enables someone younger to reinforce the strength of the remaining team, He him himself no harm by his demeanour in interviews and rightly was given the honour of leading out the team on the final morning. It is also short period between the last of the 7 one day series and the world one day competition, again something which the team would like to win as they seek to progress to become the best side in the cricket world presently held by India and with South Africa following. Australia now are fifth below Sri Lanka. England will play Sri Lanka and India later this year in England and then next Christmas and New Year.

Alistair Cook scored 766 in his 7 innings at an average of 127.66 which included 1 double century and two singles. Trott’s average is 89 with 445 runs and 2 centuries. Bell’s average is 65.8 Pietersen 60 with Prior 50.4 and Captain Strauss 43.85 with everyone scoring at one century.

Mike Hussey was the only Australian to average over 50 at 63.33 with two centuries. Shane Watson averaged 48 and Haddin 45 and was the only other Australian to score a century.

In bowing while Anderson achieved 24 wickets his average of 26.04 was inferior to Tremlett’s’ 23.35 for his 17 wickets with Bresnen’s 11 at 19.54. Finn was more expensive with his 14 costing an average of 33.14 and Swann’s 15 at 39,8. Only Australian’s Harris before his injury had respectable 11 wickets for 25,54 while Siddle’s 14 cost over 34 runs each and Johnson’s 36,95, These figures explain the areas of Australian inadequacy and that Team England will need to improve if that number one spot is to be obtained.

Newcastle lose another Manager, Sunderland win and English cricket team on verge of glory

As forecast there has been a break in the weather this morning with the sun shining and a warmer feel when I went outside at the back, briefly. However On Monday morning when I moved the car to enable the Sky HD installers to gain access to the rear of the property the back lane was frozen ice, as were the street pavements. Fortunately the roadways down the hill had been gritted and remained clear. There had been not further snow but moisture could have made the roads treacherous.

The bathroom wash basin can be used again. The waste pipe goes outside the house and around to the side with a gentle camber before reaching the down pipe and I assume will freeze and block if the water remains in the upper section when temperatures are exceptionally below freezing. This is the likely explanation after having to bring down stuff to use at the kitchen sink with a small mirror hanging on a hook strategically placed suggesting it had been used for the same purpose before. There is relief that there has been no damage and the inconvenience only lasted a couple of days.

I still have not been out and about since Thursday morning because of the start of the second Test in the evening and staying up to watch the morning’s play of the first three days and taking the radio with me on going to bed so I could catch up on the score when waking. The consequence is that I have been zombie like for the day although this morning I slept long some six hours from around 4 m until just before the Archers weekly catch up at 10.15.

I had quiet hopes that the English cricket team would do well against Australia this time around. Four years they were thrashed 5.0 after winning the Ashes at home in 2006. The first game was potentially a disaster until the remarkable second innings ending when Cook 235 not out Trott took the total to 517 for the loss of only Strauss110 and thus saved the match and gained the ascendancy. They had scored more than the Australians first innings of 481 and their record breaking partnership between Hussey and Haddin of 307 by 22 runs. A number of other records had been broken.

Could England repeat their success in the second game? They had been all out of for only 260 in their first innings at Brisbane on a batting wicket and the pitch at Adelaide was reputed to be as good, except on the first morning and then on the final day when its dryness could lead to break up from the bowler’s footmarks and turn greatly for the spinners. Australia won the too and decided to bad, a decision they were to rue, although given the situation any Captain winning the toss would have done likewise.

What happened has already become cricket legend. Katich was run out on the second ball of the first over without facing a ball. Then Australian Captain Ricky Pointing was out first ball as Anderson was able to find some ball swing and worse was to follow when out of salts Clarke went for 2, also caught Swann of the bowling of Anderson. Any late comers did not believe a scoreboard which showed 2 runs and three wickets. There was nearly a 4th wicket before Watson and Hussey settled down, and the total was in the 90.s before the next wicket. However Australia could only reach 245 as their tail struggled with the last four managing only 9 between them. What would England in reply, given that the first three had each achieved over 100 runs?

Another legend was to be created after Strauss went for his second 0 in three innings Cook with already 67 and 195 not out in his first innings continued making a total of 148 before dismissal a total of 420 runs and an average of 210. Trott supported him well for 78 but it was previously out of form Kevin Peterson who demonstrated that his career has not ended in failure after the removal of the captaincy. He made a magnificent double century, the highest score of his career. There has been great optimism in the British camp and in the media generally about the possible win. I am more cautious because what the English team achieved in the last match the Australians are also capable. I did not stay up long on Sunday night having been notified of the arrival of the Sky installers, but did take the radio with me to the bedroom as well as an alarm clock. It was not a great night, restless with several wakings but I slept more than I appreciated at the time, Australia had progressed to within 150 of the total required to make England bat again for the lost of four wickets. Hussey is again on form with 44 not out and is yet to be joined by Haddin. Breaking this partnership and getting both these wickets early on will be essential as the weather forecast for the day is not a good one.

Sunday had been a day of mixed fortunes for the Tyne Wear football clubs who unusually followed each other on Sky TV. Newcastle were first away to Wolves who had followed them from the Championship into the Premiership lasts season. Wolves have not had a victory over Newcastle in recent years and given the recent roller coaster of performances I suspected they would find this game difficult. In the event they put up a poor performance missing Nolan and Barton in the middle and lost 3.1. Today the manager was sacked something which has been on the card for sometime prevented by the 5.1 Derby defeat of Sunderland. It is evident the shameful management have a successor in mind.

Sunderland on the other hand dared to play their three forwards for the home tie with struggling West Ham, although the Hammers have had major success in the last week beating Manchester United in the League Cup Quarter final. Both teams played well but overall Sunderland were worth their 1.0 victory and go to 7th in the table. They have lost at least half a dozen points in the closing minutes of games and this could have been a similar situation. Without these losses they could have been contesting a top place. They have the making of a very good side.

Although there has been no overnight snow it was very cold this morning and has remained so during the day as evening approaches. The Sky installers had considerable problems and the two young men were here for a good 90 minutes moving the three section ladder around the block three times and using a full kettle of hot water to unfreeze the existing cable which had been slung over the roof from the west facing dish to the east facing rear. There was a momentary hesitation working out which was the sky cable and which the terrestrial aerial as the right one only had to be cut in order to remove and replace by the new. In much publicised previous installations the existing dish and cable was used with the new Sky box to cut costs with the consequence there was little change to the picture. Even with the proper work the difference is not striking, given recent improvements in the general picture transmission. However it was to me in terms of the detailed background and an overall sharpness and clarity. Immediately on installation the Wizard of Oz was being reshow the difference was significant. As there was also a showing of White Christmas I turned to that and only missed the opening section concluding the film is better than the musical and a better film that previously remembered. I am not a Danny Kaye fan but this was one of his better performances.

I also had a good shop at the supermarket having planned what was needed in advance with washing stuff , tablets, stain remover, softeners, with other household items such as washing up sponges, kitchen rolls, storage bags for us in the freezer and toilet rolls. I had made notes for such items as apple sauce, custard powder, curry sauce(balti) and sugar which I was out of stock. I managed to get some puff pastry mince pies for the first time and could not resist a bread and butter pudding which had been reduced in price by 20%. For Christmas New Year storage there were little sausages wrapped in bacon which I adore and one can of Pringle crisps, plus speciality cheeses and a carton of dates. There was salad (lettuce, coleslaw, tomatoes but not sweet peppers) and meats (pressed pork slices and bits) but no salami together with a pieces of quiche which I enjoyed at lunchtime after a cuppa soup and followed by the bread and butter pudding. I enjoyed three lamp chops yesterday and a mixture of scampi and Indian starters with beans and peas Saturday, I will use up some existing pork and lamb chops this week getting in chickens and lamb shank next week with the annual chunk of gammon, hopefully for New Year rather than Christmas. I need a trip to Asda for salami, liquorice, chocolate, paper and perhaps long socks leaving just before six to avoid the hassle of the £1 coin fee. I forgot the lemon and the ice cream to go with the pancakes. I will await until I go to Morrison Seaburn Weds

Football world Cup, Cricket, Moror Racing, Tennis in June and July

This is the second catch up writing for the past two months. The main subject is sport. It has been a disappointing summer of sport so far with one exciting development, although this did not include British team or individual representing the UK.

It is fine outside to day Friday July 23rd there is no inclination to watch Durham lose their championship cricket game at the Emirates Riverside. In the event they managed to avoid the follow on and the game ended in a draw which ends Durham’s already dim prospect of a third championship win in succession. It has been a depressing season so far in every respect with humiliation after humiliation in the 20 20 competition with the lowest number of wins, 4, although they also had the highest number of no results because of the weather, also 4. In the Championship Notts strengthened their claim with an impressive win while Yorkshire still second could only draw. Durham have Yorkshire and Notts to play at home as well as Essex and Lancs away and I shall be at all four games. There are at least three other games to play plus the Pro 40 in which Durham has also struggled. There is a 40 40 game on Sunday which clashes with the Sunderland Air Show. The 20 20 finals day is at Durham in 2011, next year so they will have to get their act together next season if this is not to prove the humiliation of all humiliations, especially if we fail to qualify and supporters fail to make the long journey north to support their teams.

I enjoyed watching Australia play Pakistan, especially the second game in which Pakistan removed Australia in their first innings for 88 and then made 2580 and had Australia struggling in their second innings. There was then fine performances with the bat and then ball for Australia who reached 349 runs setting their opponents over 170 runs to win. At one point the Aussi’s were 55 for 2 and then 216 for 6. Pakistan made a great start after losing one wicket early on, with second at 137. The third 137, 146 for 4, 150 for 5, 161 for 6, 179 for 7 with scores tied and the run required following. Pakistan’s first win against Australia for a decade and half having failed to achieve a similar small total to win, although this was in Australia.

England won the first 3 one day series against Australia to clinched the series but lost the next two and against expectation failed to win all three one day games against Bangladesh who had not won any of their international games for yonks and yonks. They had not won against England in any competition since playing commenced in 2000 at the full international level.

I did go out in sunshine to Seaburn, Sunderland where the Airshow is being held tomorrow, having missed the show last year. At the Seaburn Marriott hotel I noted that a summer special trial membership offer of £39 for six weeks and no joining fee if membership is then taken at £55 a month standing order or £47 non peak and an extra month if the whole fee is paid in advance. Which includes a free month. I will give consideration over the weekend and decide one way or the other on Monday.

The event of the summer so far has been a game in which England were not represented, the World Football Cup Final in 3 D. I saw the first England game at the Odeon Metro centre as previously reported and then the first half of the second during a 20 20 game at Emirates Riverside Chester Le Street. The third and successful game was watched at home followed by the disastrous and humiliating quarter final tie with Germany back at the Odeon Metro Centre. I immediately lost interest in the competition and as a consequence failed to note that some Odeon Cinemas and some Cineworld theatres were relaying the semi finals and the final in 3D. I went to purchase a ticket at the Bolden Cineworld when going for the Eclipse, only to find they were not one of the selected theatres, nor was the Odeon Metrocentre. However the Odeon Silverlink was listed.

When I first tested my red Suzuki Wagon purchased from one of the several car sales firms just off the Silverlink roundabout, (the second up from the Tyne Tunnel exit at the junction with the A1058 road from Newcastle City Centre passed the People’s Theatre and the former Wills tobacco factory, now flats, Walsend, and then from the Silverlink junction which continues the A19 to join the A1 from Newcastle onto Morpeth, Alnwick, and on to Edinburgh, and to North Tynemouth (also North Shields)), I had taken the car into the Silverlink store complex at the top end of which is the Odeon plus and the Frankie and Bennies, and a Pizza Hut.

I arrived at 10 to 7 on the Sunday evening, unaware that this was the weekend of the Whitby Jazz Festival held at a hotel close by and also the weekend of the Mouth of the Tyne Festival. I was to the first to arrive followed by three Asian Young men. There were a few more by 7 but with no relay commencing I made inquiries with a pleasant young man who was surprised and was further surprised when it had not commenced by 7.10.

I overheard a conversation between a senior assistant and the projectionist that he hoped to have the relay ready before the 7.30 kick off thus missing all the preliminary chats. In fact I later learned that these relays were organised by FIFA direct, and there was only pictures and stadium sounds without commentaries and also only one commentator during the match rather than the usual pre match build up, half time and after match analysis and replays. There was a good reason for this as I discovered when the broadcast did commence having lost my rag a bit because if the show was not going to commence then there was decreasing opportunity to find somewhere else to watch. However this upset was quickly forgotten.

The 3D showing is better than being present at the live game because first one has the best seat in the house being able to view the action from the Director’s box, or the Manager or the referee, with replays. It has the depth of reality without the usual front of screen extensions with which the 3D feature films are usually packed. The only front of scene activity occurred with the team sheets and the clock and goal tally, if there are any, and with the presentation ceremony at the end. I cannot wait to experience cricket with a one day match broadcast to pubs and clubs during the period. Then there the tennis and motor racing and of course the Olympics in 2012. As for the match itself I enjoyed it and was pleased that Spain one although just as pleased had it been Holland. The TV sets are on the market between £1200 and £3000 just as the wide screen and HD sets, and then when purchases become common the price significantly reduces. In my lifetime we shall see!

The motor racing with the British Grand Prix was a disappointment after the recent success of the two British world champions. Button failed to make the top ten but managed to get himself 4th and Lewis H came second after being 4th on the grid. Although they failed to give the British 1.2 which the home crowd longed for they remain at the top of the driver’s championship but the gap narrows with Lewis on 145 points, Button 133 and Mark Webber 128, resulting in conflict within the Red Bull team as Vettel claimed it was his colleague’s fault that he had to drop back and is on 121 points. Alonso on 98, is not out of the running, nor are Rosberg or Kubica with only 83. As with 25 points for a win on offer although the pure Renault have not shown the speed so far to take on the Red Bulls Renault clearly now ahead of McLaren- Mercedes, and Ferrari improving.

I did not pay much attention to the British Open Golf club after South African Oosthuizen took command and never looked liked yielding his growing lead, finishing on 272. Paul Casey who looked the most likely English challenger was overtaken into third place by a stroke to Paul Westwood who finished on 279.

Do I mention Wimbledon and the Andy Murray performance against Nadal after he had a brilliant start in the competition, despite injury and loss of form. He has now dropped to 4th in the rankings after coming close to being first. Federer’s defeat could mark a change in the natural order’s of things. It is of interest that the next highest ranked Brit is 176 out of 300.

The implication of Yorkshire's 20 20 behaviours

The media last night was interestingly cool on Durham's move to placate its Members and supporters over the fiasco of the 20.20 match a week ago. The game, now against Glamorgan will take place next Tuesday and Durham announced on its website that it has decided to donate all proceeds to Charity and to charge adults £5 and for children to go free. Everyone who purchased tickets for the original night is to be reimbursed automatically the full amount or on submission of their ticket if they made a cash purchase. This is an excellent move both in accepting that the situation was badly handled on the day, however much it was the fault of Yorkshire and the English and Welsh Cricket Board and that without such a move it was unlikely the game would attract a good crowd. Although scheduled for 5pm because there are floodlights the game could be played until 10.45 if there is a weather governed difficulty in reaching a result. Neither regional TV evening news programme mentioned these developments although they may decided to leave publicity until the weekend and on Monday.

Meanwhile Yorkshire lost their second division 40 over televised match. Gough appeared in good spirits despite a couple of knocks but the rest of his team were clearly demoralised after being thrashed by Essex again. Essex are already playing Kent in the 50 over final at Lords but either the fall of the toss or the manipulation by the ECB has resulted in the two teams playing each other in the first semi final the following Saturday. This means that Middlesex will play either Durham or Glamorgan at 3pm giving these times more time to travel down, although the with the final not commencing until 7 it will be along days night return homeward, although little different from those who travel away to football games held in the evenings.

1906 Easter 2010 TV and work Ashes to Ashes and Dr Who.

For the past weeks, when not on trips, I have woken full of enthusiasm for writing, resenting the basics of getting up, washing up and washing me, ignoring a house requiring use of the vacuum cleaner and kitchen and day room floors needing a good wash, ignoring emails and snail mail. The consequence has been some satisfying time researching and writing.

While I have also worked steadily on the ongoing project, progress has been average, reaching the minimum 100 completed new sets target only during the first couple of days of this month and allowing the number of volumes to be photographed to accumulate. Over the past few days the inclination has been the other way round, with two writings about Babylon 5 waiting and one for Lost, the continuation of the EastEnders story among the items outstanding. As a consequence I have upped the output to four new sets a day after discovering that I had not printed out the Google Blogs since mid April. I need to spend two or three days this month copying published summer 2008 MySpace Blogs, then reviewing, correcting an updating for publication on Google with the intention of completing the backlog before the new year.

This weekend is also one of TV watching, sport, some I player catch ups and some current programmes. First the sport. Towards the end of the week I enjoyed watching an Indian Premier League 20 20 cricket game, learning that Kevin Petersen was in the team and where he made a creditable half century. On Saturday morning I watched Abe Morkel participate in the second highest IPL partnership of 150 runs as their team made the highest total ever with a scorching blitz of sixes and fours in the intense heat of the city. Morkel made an excellent 50 with his partner an amazing 100 for the Chennai Super Kings. I hope Morkel is able to reproduce his current batting form for Durham’s 20 20 season and with the New Zealand Taylor I might revise my intention not to take a season ticket, given, being away, a TV showing and the likely indifferent weather conditions.

I was so engaged with work and other things that I forgot to listen to either the Sunderland or Newcastle games on the radio and where both teams had important wins. The Newcastle result had the greater significance when they won at Plymouth 3.2 and reached 86 points, Notts Forest with their draw can not also only reach 86 if they win all their remaining matches and Newcastle fail to take any points from theirs. Notts Forest play again on Monday early evening and anything less than a win means Newcastle are promoted back to the Premiership at their first attempt. Whatever they do all changes again if Newcastle then draw or win in their televised game in the evening. It will be a special party at St James Park and it will be interesting to see if the owner signals his intention to try and sell the club again or hopes the success will enable him to remain in control of the club. As Sunderland found winning the championship is hard but enjoyable, staying in the Premiership or having an impact is a different matter without a fortune, good management and luck.

Sunderland made themselves safe from relegation by an amazing home win against Spurs in a match which I then saw in its entirety in the evening on Sky. They won 3.1 but the amazing aspect in that they were awarded three penalties of which Marcus Bent was only able to score once with the other two stopped. This means he has taken four penalties this season against his former Club and only converted once. He scored one of the two other goals two goals in the opening 60 seconds and Zenden scored a brilliant volley to ensure the three points just when it looked that Spurs were making a comeback. There were two other good penalty claims turned down in a match which meant as much to Spurs as it did to Sunderland. Man City displacing them in the fourth European Championship place after a powerful 6.1 win away at Blackburn. Chelsea beat a poor Man United without Wayne Rooney, injured on crutches, to take the lead in the championship with Arsenal also in the hunt with a last second win against Wolves. The championship title is the most open for several years. Chelsea must be the favourites with so many Arsenal key players injured, Rooney is out for three weeks and his contribution to the team this season has been outstanding in terms of goals scored and general play. Fortunately he should recover to be available for England in the World Cup.

I also watched the boat race between Oxford and Cambridge on Saturday for the first time in several years, including the major the 90 minutes build up in which the sporting and academic lives of the rowers and coxes were examined together with a detailed look at the Thames riverside over its four and a half miles in length course to Mortlake. Cambridge won against the odds and for the first time in three years but as always the build up and interviews is more interesting than the actual race which tends to only have one defining moment in its 17 to 18 minutes endurance journey. The boats tends to be half filled with North Americans on post graduate sporting scholarships to Oxbridge.

I watched the practice sessions in the Malaysian Grand Prix as heavy rain resulted in the Ferrari’s and McClaren teams making major mistakes which saw their cars failing in the first session and ending up at the back of the starting grid. This led to some amazing driving on Sunday morning, especially from Lewis Hamilton who charged from the back to finish 6th with Jensen in eighth both securing points in the championships for drivers and constructors. They were helped by Alonso Ferrari blowing up in the last stages, but for the first time this season the two Red Bull Renaults did not, and Vettel claiming the race and his team mate Mark Webber second. Michael Schmacher also retired because of a wheel nut after 9 laps. The race was the most interesting of the three to-date and would have been even more so had it rained at some point. I mean torrential down power of course. As a result only nine points separate the first seven drivers in the championship and four points the first four. McLaren’s are now only ten points behind the Ferrari and Red Bull five points behind them.

The great surprise of the weekend was an email from someone on behalf of someone else who turns out to be a distant cousin. Between 1999 and 2006 I undertook a detailed family history search of the background of my birth and care mothers, since being alerted that her family originally came from the town of Calne in Wiltshire. I was then provided with significant information about the Smarts of Calne through a combination of private family history researches who were able to trace their and my maternal ancestors in the town back to the 1600’s.

In preparation for the 100th birthday of my birth mother, I undertook a more thorough study of the family discovering that her grandfather, and my great grandfathers had been the fourth of five sons born in succession after their mother had produced seven daughters in succession. Large families were common in Victorian timers as were the number of deaths in childhood. In the instance of Thomas and Sarah Smart of Calne only one of their twelve children died in childhood. All five sons married although one died soon afterwards and although I was able to find out something about the seven daughters I was only able to trace what happened to one who married into a family of Blacksmiths from a nearby village and where a member of this family was the only present day relative of all the 11 other brothers and sisters I was able to find. This was frustrating because of my maternal Great Grandfathers brothers and sisters and first cousins, I was able to find descendents in Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Scotland and South Africa. One branch had emigrated to Australia on the first iron clad steamer while another had travelled in a convict vessel. One who went to South Africa became the Mayor of Cape Town. As part of my studies I had visited the towns of villages where the family and spread through marriage, and checked the baptismal records as well as obtaining copies of birth, marriage and death certificates and tracing the origins of the Smarts of Calne back to the 15th century.

There were several highlights. Seeing the original army records of my maternal Great Grandfather, including his medical history, at the National Record’s centre at Kew and then seeing the giant register in which he was awarded a Royal Hospital Chelsea out pension. The other highlight was to look at the Calne Tithe Map before census records commenced in 1841. This map of every property in the town, more a village, was shown with a separate list of every owner and more importantly every family who lived in the properties at that time. From this I was able to find not just the house where my maternal Great Grandfather lived with his parents, but the properties of two uncles, and that of his grandfather and grandfather’s brother.

However there was also the most spooky of experiences. I had walked into the recently created Calne Heritage centre one morning to get out of the rain and was asked to sign the visitor book by volunteer who had left talking to a couple older than myself who had been showing then a large framed photograph. Her mouth opened wide when she saw my surname and introduced me to a Mr and Mrs Smart who had lived in Curzon Street for a number of years, same street where my maternal great grandfather had been raised. While I was not able to trace a connection between these Smarts and my own branch of the family the photograph was of another Mr and Mrs Smart from who had run a coffee house the town in Victorian days on Market Hill. A descendent of their branch had passed the photograph to the Town Council who in turn has passed it on to the Heritage centre. I was able to establish that the photograph was an ancestor for a branch of the family where another descendent had provided me with most of the original research in 1999 all the way from Canada.

In the four year since completing the research I was contacted three by those following up their branches of the same family with major links in the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the contact was the only descendent of the 11 brothers and sister of my maternal great grand father that has been identified and they were from the side of a family into which the youngest daughter had married.

It was therefore exciting on Saturday to received an email providing same information about the brothers and sisters and their parents from a relative of someone who was a descendent of a marriage between one of two daughters of the elder brother of my maternal great grandfather who had married two brothers. In 2006 I had been able to mention that in the 1901 census the daughter was living at home and working as a maid. I knew that one of elder sisters had married and I speculated that of the three possibility one I favoured was a signwriter living in Fulham. I was right in my hunch as his brother married the younger sister in 1902.

I have previously explained that apart from my birth certificate I have been able to find to record of existence during the first 10 years of my life as it is appears I had no medical record, nor has my birth mother with her record only commencing when the family doctor retired. I also failed to secure a copy of the medical record of her sister, my care mother where I suspect any medical attention may have been listed. Although my Catholic preparatory remains in existence it moved premises with changes in control and they have no record from before the move. I have also explained why my existence was kept secret from the authorities which adds to the limited record keeping and I will not live until the 1941 national census, assuming there was one taken in the midst of World War two, is published. Therefore I suspect what I have been able to find out about direct ancestors has greater meaning than for most people. It is also a joy to be able provide others with important information about their heritage although as I also stress it is better to make discoveries directly, viewing the original records first hand.

Saturday evening saw the first in the new series of Dr Who with the first production of the new Doctor the 11th played by Matt Smith. He is not as impressive and the previous two men, both exceptional young actors. However where I predict Matt will gain is in his appeal to the young people, for whom the programme is primarily intended Matt is also an established actor with appearances for the National Youth Theatre and the National Theatre. He also was contracted to appear in the film In Bruges, my favourite Black comedy, but his scenes only appear as out takes on the DVD. I immediately fell in love with Karen Gillan who plays his first new assistant. She is not only stunning to look at but played the character as someone with an erotically wicked personality. I have learnt she combines acting with the catwalk and I predict she could become as successful as another past heartthrob of mine and also predicted star when I first saw her in the Darling Buds of May, viz Ms Zeta Jones. Both have the X acting factor.

I also rated the first episode of the new series 9 out of 10 because it combined many of the usual features of self contained episodes with a momentum which left me saying WOW at the end and looking forward to the next episode. The new Doctor crashes his Tardis into the garden of young Amelia Pond who is alone in the house because the aunt who cares for her is away. The girl immediately engages our attention and sympathies and was also played exceptionally well by Caitlin Richmond, another who I predict will become a frontline actor if she chooses. She mentions a crack in her bedroom wall and the Dr investigates and discovers that it is a crack in time behind which a prisoner is being kept. He seals the room but has to leave to fix the Tardis promising to return in a few minutes. Ten years pass and he finds Amelia who likes to be called Amy dressed as a policewoman as part of her career as a Kissogram performer. Unfortunately she lets out the prisoner from the room behind the crack, much to horror of the Atraxi who warn that if the prisoner is not recaptured they will obliterate the human residence which the Dr comes to understand as the earth planet thus reminding of the Hitchhikers Guide and Babylon 5. The prisoner can also shape shift into more than one being, a man and a dog, a woman and two girls, the Dr and the Young girl. The Dr has to use all his ingenuity to save everyone. There is a horde if in jokes and references. He then has to depart to sort out the Tardis once more again for a few minutes, but two years then pass before he returns, and in fact it is the night before Amy is due to marry. Given his inability to accurately time travel so far that is appears unwise for her to agree to accompany him on his next trip after promising to get her back to the same moment. It has already been made evident that her life has been dominated by her first encounter with the Doctor, Amy appears to have two adult boyfriends, one works as nurse in the psychiatric hospital and the other appears to be the son of a neighbour played by the great Annette Crosby. All three have known Amy since childhood and her stories of the Doctor and what happened on that night when she was twelve. The significance of dressing up as a police woman and the Tardis Police box was duly noted.

Less successful, in my view, was the return of Ashes to Ashes. for its third and final series. A young police woman has been shot and lies in a coma and she regains consciousness nearly thirty years before as a Detective Inspector. In the first series she is concerned with what happened to her parents at the time of Lord Justice Scarman’s criticism of the way the metropolitan police were behaving. She is haunted by the Clown from the David Bowie Video from his successful song Ashes to Ashes,

The second series of eight episodes had as its background the Falklands War and dealt with a corrupt police force in which the death of a young police officer is covered up.

In this third series having been brought back to the present, the DI finds adjusting more difficult than she should, commenting that her alleged dream state seemed to her more real than the present. She cannot continue her former life with her husband and daughter until she has sorted out the urge to return to the past. The first case involves a fabricated kidnap of a young girl by the step mother partner having been asked for financial help from her criminal former lover who has faked being in a coma in hospital by switching bodies and getting the girl‘s mother to wrongly identify him. The continuing aspects of the series involves the DI being haunted by the ghost of a young policeman. The series also features Philip Glenister, as the latest in a long line of hard nosed, ignore the rules, think with their manhood Detective Inspectors, Regan and Rebus come first to mind. The twist is that he is under investigation having unintentionally shot the starring DI.

I also commenced to watch the series Tropic of Cancer with an intrepid investigator explorer called Simon Reeves who in a previous series which I failed to see travelled the Tropic of Capricorn. The series is so interesting that I will watch all the episodes to date and dedicated a future Blog to the programme which travels to parts of the world the media only covers briefly during major incidents, meanwhile the leaders and their politicians exploit the rest of the people who live in abject poverty and in fear of the them, the military, other people and will the international corporations waiting to pounce if they can find a way and ensure a stable trading position.

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.

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.