1424 Fallout at Cricket

It has been a glorious warm and sunny day. Pity about the cricket. On Friday night as yet again relatives and friends of a murdered teenager took to the streets of London there was an excellent feature film called Fallout, not the fall out from atomic and nuclear weapons, the falling out between black friends attending a school in a deprived part of London. The plot was a brilliant examination of what happens when young people are overwhelmed by their undeveloped emotions in an uneducated straight jacket of a culture, and where parents are ill equipped to respond when their children commence to go off the rail, often because they were never on the rails themselves.

The victim of the film had created problems for himself when he refused to participate with the rest of the class in ignoring a newly appointed teacher. I am not for a moment suggesting he contributed in anyway to his own murder, but it is the way it is if you stand out from the norm whatever that norm is.
In my first year of school, because I had been held back at my previous school, and then failed the eleven plus examination I was placed in first year at the John Fisher school in the lowest stream of my chronological year which was full of aggressive misfits and bullies and where if you a became a witness to any misbehaviour in class you would speak out at your peril. I was fortunate in that I was able to move into a higher stream early on in the term and then into the A stream when C was amalgamated with B and by the time I was back in B I had physically developed through cycling and was part of a small group at school which meant I was not picked on. This contrasts with the situation where the school environment reflects that of the home and there is little opportunity, if any, to come under the influence of anyone who can tune in and offer you not just different experiences but the opportunity to make use of that that experience.

In the film this victim appears to have been asked to sit next to the girl friend of the most volatile member of the gang and when she makes a pass at him when doing evening work at the local café and he rejects her advances she alleges to her boyfriend that the victim has made a pass at her. She therefore provokes a situation out of revenge for being rejected and is as culpable of the murder as the young man who did the stabbing. She represented many a young woman in today's society who believe that all they have to offer is their bodies and their behaviour towards everyone is governed by this presumption which in many instances becomes the reality. They have had no responsible training for parenthood, being a partner in a long term relationship, or making any contribution to their wider society. The murderer has the emotions of a baby who is given a real knife to play with. The victim is not only stabbed but left to die by another gang member who wishes she looked and was desired in the same way as the girl friend of the murderer. She will do anything for her friend including stealing clothes for her and towards the end of the film expresses a willingness to tell the police what she has seen, not out of any sudden remorse and desire to bring justice to the family of the victim but because a substantial reward has been offered and this is the immediate way out of the situation enabling them to go on an extended holiday acting out the lives as footballer's wives. The It girls and there are countless magazines and TV programmes promoting the concept that young girls should want to be It girls. The girls who fall for this dangerous nonsense are not the scum of society, nor indeed those who work on the programmes and magazines just as those who work in the cigarette factories or make armaments, (someone has to make all those cluster bombs) are not social scum. The scum are those who know the harm their products do but continue with the production because of the profit. However we are all culpable when we know the connections and do nothing. Some are more culpable that others. Politicians, religious leaders, and media controllers being the leading ones.

The twist in the film is that a black detective, poster boy, is attached to the investigation team because in theory he should be more able to connect with the community, a community which he hates because it was where he originated. The film does not turn him into the hero, who in fact is the white sceptical partner who resents the tokenism and promotion irrespective of ability and then intervenes when poster boy starts to go off the rails in the way he behaves towards suspects. OK he has the talk jive and knows all the moves but he fails to unravel what actually happened, and why, because is over emotionally involved. We learn the truth, only because the girl works out she will remain imprisoned until she can exorcise the demon of what happened, and she does this by calling on the mother of the murdered victim and through this act both she and the parent achieve a resolution they can live with. The film is brilliant because it shows that the whole process of the justice system, the police, the prosecution process, the courts and custodial and punishments systems while essential to society are superfluous in terms of prevention and treatment and, in some aspects are counter productive. Those who draw the conclusion that this means there should be wholesale dismantling or changing of the justice system are as mistaken as those who went ahead in the seventies and created a revolution in the education, health and social services system. The systems needed to change but the idea that you improve quality by changing systems remains as ludicrous as the idea that handing out large dollops of cash produces desired change without identifying the effective change makers and giving them the authority and the power as well as ensuring they are controllable.

Admittedly I did not think about any of this as I sat in the sun at the Riverside for the greater part of yesterday. I and not expected the extent of the sunshine as the clouds were rain bearing when I set off around 10, deciding to do some major shopping, two chickens, two joints of pork and two packs of peppered steak along with some more bread, tins of tomato soup and baked beans, a large jar of large unstoned olives, a cucumber and some tomatoes and patched red pears together wither some frozen rugged roast potatoes and frozen vegetables.I forgot the onions and the decaffeinated coffee. Originally I was only going for weekend essentials but decided to do the shop and return home to place in fridge and freezer. This led to setting off for the ground with some dark rain looking clouds overhead until just before reaching the ground around 11am and parking close to the river wear.

The red sports umbrella looked as if it would necessary as I made my way to on an aisle seat by the bowler's arm, but at the wrong end of the ground to view the sky super screen scoreboard. It has been the situation than whenever Sky appeared as a North East sports events the regional team lost or played badly or both. The kiss of death this morning was to listen to early Sky commentary which drew attention that Durham had not lost a one day game at home for more than a year.

However the loss was mostly of our own making although not to take away from a magnificent performance by Kent who have made great strides wining the 20 20 last year and now look unstoppable. It also has to be said that some Durham bowlers performed exceptionally well especially my hero Liam Plunkett whose ten over cost less than forty runs as Kent smashed their way to over 300 for the loss of four wickets and with a partnership which led to two centuries and a score of 190 for one wicket at one point. The Durham failure mainly rests with rested with Mr Morkel who is a flash in the pan hitter who can turn matches but in this instance did so with a 7 over for 75 runs closing performance and then striking out for only nine runs. Durham had a horrendous start losing two wickets for two runs but then Captain Beckenstein and Will Smith commenced to score at he required rate with both reaching their 50's. What turned the game was a very tight spin bowler and a controlled medium paced bowler at the other end who quickly established a line and a length which made scoring strokes difficult without taking risks. Yesterday the risk had to be taken but did not come off.

However this match may have turned on one bad decision by the umpire who gave Di Venuto out LBW when the replays showed that the ball had got from bat to pad. It was not to be Durham's day. Pity because having missed going to Lord's last year to celebrate the Durham win, it began to look as a visit this year was likely. It still could be if Yorkshire win away into day's match as along with Surrey, they are teams with past associations which I can support. We shall see later to day and again on Monday when Durham face their next test.

1420 Tennis The reign of Andy Murray begins

Monday became a wonderful day. One of those day days when you hope an event will combine brilliant play with excitement and a nail biting finale which goes your way. They only happen occasionally in a lifetime when everything looks as if it is going in the opposite direction. I have mentioned recently that I have experienced watching Tim Henman in a last sixteen match on the number 1 court at Wimbledon. What struck me most was that because the tennis court is comparatively small compared to a football or cricket field or athletics track, you quickly become much more involved with the emotions of the players and vice versa. During the decade when Tim Henman interacted with the emotions of the crowd there were occasions when it appeared to become a single entity and there memorable occasions when he came back from a hopeless position to win and then with mounting hopes and expectations in which the whole nation focussed on his quarter final and semi final appearances, there was the great anti climax and let down. There is a different feel about yesterday a day when Andy Murray did what Gordon Brown hoped to do when he followed on from Tony Blair, however forgetting hat for most of us Tony Blair had already achieved the impossible and won three General Elections even when his personal popularity was at the lowest. If only he had put the welfare of the Labour Party before his personal ambition hr could have still be there as Chancellor seeing us through the present crisis with a new young leader preferable female, seeing the party gain a fourth and perhaps fifth and sixth term becoming he elder statesman within government and revered rather than ridiculed.
This evening Andy Murray ranked 11th in the tennis world, having reach 8th during the course of last year commenced his 4th round tie with a Frenchman who was known for being exceptionally skilful. Because of his hard work improving physical fitness, stamina as well as tennis skill and becoming more professional in Murray had already shown greater self discipline and emotional control when on court and he had won his first the matches only losing one set with crowd warming to him but lacking the emotions shown to Tim Henman despite all the disappointment he had caused us. This I suspect was the reason for holding back when you have given yourself fully to someone and it had not been reciprocated you are cautious about giving yourself to someone again especially so quickly. There was no expectation anyway that Murray would progress further given his world ranking and recent performances, although he said he was looking forward to reaching the final, if all went according to his plan.

This looked unlikely for the first two and half hours of what became a four hour game ending in darkness. He appeared not to be playing at his best with a less than standard first service success for this level of competition. There was one part of the first set where Murray showed all his determination and courage as well as skill to break back. You get the feel of a titanic struggle in the offing but somehow the Frenchman not only held his nerve but began to outwit Murray and take the set with brave and forceful play.

After giving his all and getting the crowd fully behind him, Murray seems deflated as did the crowd and the second set went to the Frenchman and with the hopes and dreams of everyone quickly vanishing. Having broken Murray's serve the Frenchman had only to win his service game to win the match but he double faulted to allow Murray to square the set 5.5. From there we move to tie break and Murray plays an extraordinary diving defensive shot in the far corner of the court almost into the crowd to make the winner to take the set. The crowd become hysterical and it is now the Frenchman who begins to weaken. Soon he looks blitzed. Murray breaks serve early on and two Australians fans for the earlier match of their hero Hewitt are now jumping up in salute for the Scotsman Britisher. Every play is now being cheered as Murray breaks service again to win the fourth set with some unbelievable tennis shots which has everyone mesmerised. Surely the impossible had not become possible? Too often in such situations after such a fight back there is a reaction in the fifth and final set.

The fifth did not go entirely Murray's way especially as the Frenchman gathered his thoughts and feelings during a toilet break and returns with great resolve, although appealing that the light had become impossible. In another match in different circumstances I am sure the officials would have listened to his plea but he had no alterative but to accept his fate with courage and dignity. He also showed his outstanding ability which will give him a special place in the affections of the crowd when he returns next year.

When Murray broke serve you felt it was going to be his day but you still felt anything could still happen. Murray nearly broke again but all he had to do was to old serve to take the match. The Frenchman would not give in and Murray needed to serve well to triumph. Whatever has happened before, giving the impression of being anti English pro Scots, was erased and he had become the new great hope for individual sporting success of the British people, especially after Lewis Hamilton has tarnished his crown by become domiciled abroad for tax purposes, attacking the media and failing to immediately deliver.

Murray demonstrated his determination and ambition early when he discovered that the Spanish player Nadal then 16 to his 15 years was training with the Spanish no 1 whereas he only had his younger brother to train with on a daily basis. His brother has now become our number 1 doubles player. Murray persuaded his parents to let him leave school and go to train in Spain, His quarter final opponent on Wednesday is Mr Nadal, who is just recovering from the celebrations of his national side winning the European Cup. It will be impossible for Murray to create another such match in a couple of days let alone in my lifetime, or can he become the super hero the nation has waited so long for?

I worked hard during the day on sorting the photographs and have nearly got to where I reached before in terms of scanning but have a clearer idea of what will happen to the completed work. I am tempted to put in a similar day of work tomorrow but I need to attend to attend to the in tray and also do some shopping.

While I worked I was able to listen and occasionally watch Glastonbury videos from the BBC site online.
Reverend and Makers were shown with what the BBC regarded as the highlights which included a guest rapper. I enjoyed He said he loved me repeated from last year. Yesterday I mentioned that I had been impressed by Newton Faulkner having watched his the place I go and then the Bohemian Rhapsody.. I was disappointed with the earlier part of his set available on line. I was also delighted to find the full James Blunt full set which included Goodbye my Lover, You are beautiful and ended with 1973. This was an outstanding performance and a great highlight. Similarly I can understand why The Gossip video was shown on all three nights . Ms Ditto has got that X factor wow I decided to also listen rather than watch the antics of Amy Winehouse. Her voice was distinctly slurred from alcohol/medication. It is sad.

Finally Listened to the Neil Diamond full set and the way he built up audience support and participation was truly professional, concluding with I'm a believer, America and Sweet Adelide
Durham also did exceptional well against Yorkshire at Headingley after dismissing the home side for 182 and losing wickets at regular intervals Phil Mustard and Liam Plunket the fast bowler had a partnership of over 125 runs with Mustard 92 and Liam not out in the end for 89 giving Durham a lead of 169 runs on the first innings. By the close of play Yorkshire had reduced the deficit by half for the loss of two wickets. However they will need to score a good 300 runs more runs to have a fighting chance.
I enjoyed my lunch of Chicken stir fry with two coffees and one slice of toast earlier. I then enjoyed the rest of he smoked salmon on three slices of toast around 5 and them eightish with a cup of tea and another coffee. Two juicy plums for lunch and a banana with custard for the evening meal with one and half glasses of red wine.

I must also mention 208 out of 900 games of Hearts won which is 23% reached a week ago and then slipped back to 22%. I decided to write a long e mail about the bridges of Newcastle and the transport infra structure and then crashed AOL so decided to make the writing into a Blog for tomorrow and stayed up until 3 am doing so.

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.

1415 Summer sports

It is that time of the year when there is a surfeit of sporting splendour. There has been Royal Ascot which is not so much an important event in the calendar of the racing of thoroughbred horses but the occasion when ladies wear the most bizarre and expensive of outfits to catch the eye of an camera, It is an absurd English event.


There is the continuation of Formula One motor racing every two weeks with the British Grand Prix over the first weekend of July at Silverstone. I have been twice. The first occasion when I was living at Oxford around 1967 and then at the early end of the last decade. I am presently too lazy and engrossed with tennis at Wimbledon to work out when. The location was on the far side of the course away from finishing line and the Pits but it was nevertheless interesting watching a procession of cars flash past. It occurred to me that it was much better watching on TV unless you were able to overlooking the start and finish and have the full hospitality package which could be purchased for around £2000. The drive there was not as bad as the drive back where you have to allow hours.

The immediate highlight is Wimbledon. Two weeks of day and evening viewing which commenced with listening games on the radio and then watching on the TV. Fortunately there have been a number of good British players to command patriotic support Christine Truman, Angela Mortimer, Anne Hayden Jones , Virginia Wade. For men the whole hope never making it at Wimbledon has been Tim Henman who I have seen play in a quarter final match on Court One after queue up in the early dawn, one advantage of the former home of mothers being on a railway line that ended at Wimbledon station via Sutton and where is also now a tram to Croydon.

I have also obtained tickets twice through the postal ballot, once on a final's day for Court one, where alas there were only other competitions going on but nevertheless it was a special occasion where one could nip out from time to time and watch what was happening on the centre court on the Big Screen. Today is rather a special day or British Tennis as in addition to Mr Murray appearing on the centre court in round two, a British born young woman to Asian parents who settled here, is now playing against Venus Williams and where after losing the first to games of the first set she has broken back, and is 4 games all at this point of writing. She has the surname of Keothavong so I will refer to her by Christian name of Anne. There is also a new British kid on the block who has caused a stir by the manner of his first round win and who is to appear later in the day. Anne, the British number one gave a could account of herself in the first set and could have caused an upset against the current women's champion Venus Williams but fell away on the second unable to cope with the power play. Chris Eaton entered Wimbledon through the preliminary competition, ranked over 600 in the world he made the front pages by winning his first game in a confident manner but meeting someone ranked just below the top 100 was going to be beyond his present abilities at the age of 20. His local club and community had raised £30000 to enable him to go on a international circuit playing in minor competitions where his records was not exceptional winning six matches against 13 loses. He out up a reasonable performance in the first set although he was always struggling prevent his opponent breaking his serve. He lost in three sets although he and the crowd appeared to enjoy themselves.

This should have also been a time for wall to wall watching of football with the European Championship taking place in Austria and Switzerland but England or the other countries making Britain failed to qualify which is a national disgrace and rightly led to the sacking of the hopeless at Manager, Steve MaClaren. I have watched bits and pieces of matches from time to time and celebrated Spain getting tot eh semi final. I have not been a fan Turkish Football given the aggressive nature of their home crowds. However they did not deserve to lose against Germany last night

And then of course there is cricket luvely cricket. This year one days and 20.20 games have proved of greater interest that Test Matches and the County Game. Ever since the glory days of Surrey of Peter May, the Bedser twins and Locke and Laker I have longer to watch a good team play and win. For a decade and a half Yorkshire as the nearest county was my adopted team although visits were occasional. Then I enjoyed becoming a member of the new Durham County and at one point nearly took out Life Membership. Now they have the makings of a great team on an attractive ground where the Members have been voted the best of all 18 first class counties by the Bible of Cricket Wisden's. This is because of their sporting good behaviour.

On Tuesday evening after a pleasant cay the clouds gathered and it looked like rain. Droplets commenced to fall as I set off towards Chester Le Street and continued until about the Washington Motorway Service area and my spirits were raised as the sky ahead looked brighter and less overcast. I had set off later than planned and arrived at the Member's veranda not expecting to find an unbooked seat, I was successful with one at the end of the front row nearest the management and player's veranda. I had brought with me soup and coffee and one sandwich. An announcement explained that Sky TV I assumed in association with Newsnight were making a film and supporters were asked to collect in one area near the players area so that a crowd seen could be filmed. Mainly children responded to the call and the film crew did their best to capture this faked moment. I understand this is because there are rules about taking photos for commercial purposes without prior permission of individuals. The Durham all stars were filmed doing their full routine and during the interval there was a display of martial arts by a display group who appeared on Britain's Got Talent. There were also the fireworks as the Durham opening batsmen took to the field of play but they were not in evidence after the interval as the clouds gathered again, and rain commenced to fall continuously. Given the forecast and the darkening skies as the game progressed it was something of a surprise that Yorkshire chose to bowl first. The Durham innings progressed satisfactorily with Mustard making 49 but Morkel disappointed and the final score of 162.8 was respectable and similar to that at Headingley, but not outstanding. There was drizzle very quickly after the start of the Yorkshire innings which Durham dominated with fine bowling and the scores were 9 for 2 then 29 for 4 and 39 for 5. The situation was such that Yorkshire had to continue playing because to have accepted the option of stopping for rain or bad light was likely to mean the end of the match. This is what happened at ten over although the game was not called as ended at that point although most of crowd in the open stadium went home. Those under shelter retreated tot eh lounge where an amazing event was taking place as Essex all rounder Graham Napier hit an amazing 152 off 68 balls with a record of 16 sixes and 10 fours.. This was the second highest such innings anywhere and the highest in England. The win was duly declared and made my way home to watch the end of the Essex game and the accolades flow for Mr Napier.

Lancashire won their game against Notts last night to close the game while the Durham game which started late was held up because of the late sun shinning in the eyes of players. However Durham who batted second and who had a shaky start with the openers both out for no score quickly took control especially after Morkel came tot eh wicket with Captain Blenkenstein and an 100 partnership saw the opponents total achieved with overs to spare in a reduced over match to 18 as sixes and four clattered around the ground from both players. This meant that Durham are the first qualifiers from the Northern Group and will continue to head the table even if they lose to Lancashire tomorrow. This should entitle them to a home draw and be one game away from the finals in Hampshire in July, I have never been to Hampshire's ground, the Rosebowl, near Southampton. Now there's a thought. The number of mini trips this summer commence to mount up

1413 Sunday lunch in Headingley with County CrickeH

I had a good night at Travel Lodge located at the former junction between the A1 and the M62. I say former junction because the A1 now continues directly to the M62 or A1 without needing to get off at the roundabout and to reach service station it is necessary to join the M62 towards Hull and then take a slip road to the service station and Travel Lodge. Travelling towards Leeds it was more straightforward. Booking in at the Travel Lodges is also much easier these day as having paid in advance it is only necessary to provide name and address and then the vehicle number and where it is parked without having to fill in or sign any forms. I had had to pay more for this night as there were no £9's available in the area for the Saturday. The price £19.

I did some writing up and attempted to log on to the Wifi internet but without success and creating problems logging on my return. I also had a good night as I do not remember having to get up during the night until the early morning after which I went back to bed and slept for another couple of hours. I felt good after a cup of coffee and did some writing until ten am before giving myself a good all over wash, shave and hair tidy. I then set off towards Leeds discovering winds gusting at over 50 miles an hour. It was a very uncomfortable drive and I was glad there had not been need to drive from Hull. I left the motorway at the first opportunity which was the Rothwell Wakefield junction. I lived in Rothwell 1970 1971 when working the year for the West Riding of Yorkshire Children's before the first of the great reorganisations. (According to the rules I have set myself, writing about why the stay was so short will be limited as well as commenting in public what I found when I commenced the appointment. It helps that the local authority has been abolished and key individuals are no longer alive but there are necessary restraints on what can and should be disclosed in public although I found a way of drawing to the attention of officialdom certain things at the time). I have visited the outside of the house where I lived. It was a detached house and surrounded on all sides by a rhubarb field. The double garage had a inspection pit! When I visited a few years ago, it had a modern make over and looked fabulous and I guess cost significantly more than the £5000 paid, £350000 and not a penny less I wager.

The drive therefore between Rothwell and Leeds was familiar although my weekday journey had been in the opposite direction towards Wakefield. The departure to Cheshire might not have taken placed had I not signed a contract with them on the day of my interview for my next position as within days of doing so I was short listed for the position of Director of Social Services at Dewsbury which I was told I was to have been appointed because the new Committee Chairman had got to know and like me through my role in child care although I did not know any of this until later. I was also short listed at South Shields. While I did think about these things on my journey into Leeds, it was fleetingly as the wind was still strong and I needed to join the cross city motorway. I came off too early and ended going close to the city station before going westwards along a road unknown to me where there were some interesting new buildings. Some offices had been created in stone designs which fitted into the Victorian character of the old Leeds city centre. There was also some very contemporary structures including a major tower building which I was only able to view in the distance. In the area of the direction of travel was the Leeds international standard swimming pool, yet another sprouting up in the north in an attempt to develop one of our Olympic strength sports still further.

I then saw a sign towards Headingley but became hopelessly lost in the area for a while as it is full of Victorian leafy middle class villas in large grounds although the properties close to the Kirkstall Lane End are very different. However I am getting ahead of myself. Coming off the motorway I had been hungry and regretted that I did not make a flask of coffee using the coffee, milk and sugar provided in the Travel Lodge rooms. I pulled into a parking areas and eat the prawn sandwich bought for such a situation, but left a banana, the last Eccles cake and opening a carton of dried figures until later. Arriving in Headingley I headed for where I parked the vehicle in the past when approached from the A1M into North Leeds and then across the northern part of the city using the ring road to the junction with Harrogate and then take a road passing through Meanwood and stopping just before the Leeds Skipton Road and the Headingley suburban shopping centre which as a local community village atmosphere. Here there are large properties in substantial grounds leaving plenty of room to park if one is early enough.

It is then a short walk to the main road and along past the Arndale Shopping precinct. This is just a long row of shops with a car park above and a major business House several stories in Height which is unusual for the neighbourhood and everywhere else is the normal two storey shops and businesses. The shops continue at a junction towards the cricket ground complex with the Rugby ground not just adjacent but the main Cricket Stand is back to back with a Rugby stand. In the immediate neighbourhood of the cricket ground and shopping area are back to back tenements three and four storey buildings which have become multioccupational units used by students at the two universities and by young professionals and officer workers. This is reflected in the mixture of inexpensive cafes and trendy bars intermingled with shopping facilities for the rest of the population. It was sometime before the ground opened at 12.30 with the game starting at 2.30, so I went to find somewhere for an early Sunday lunch and quickly found the ideal facility. A pub restaurant proudly offering a choice of main courses for £2.99. There was a small public access car park available during the day time but on the wrong side of the road for a quick get away but there were a few car parking spaces available on the main road opposite. I therefore decided to return to my vehicle and bring it to this location.

In order to park in the right direction I tool the first right turn and only after doing so realised it was one way so had to continue on, taking the first left and then the first right and bingo I was in a street with the cricket ground entrance immediately ahead and there were parking spaces available. Fortune favours the explorer. Taking a notebook and two pens but leaving everything else I set off for lunch. The establishment whose name I forgot to note appears to cater for students and their parents when visiting as was the instance in the tables around me. There were large video screens playing music and also silent Sky sports channel TV's. Although ordering at the bar, the tables were unnumbered so one had to indicate where one was sitting and handed eating utensils and a small bucket full of sauces and condiments. The menu was extensive and reasonably price with a roast Sunday lunch and an unspecified drink for less than £5. I fancied three sausages on a mound of mash potato and onion gravy for £2.99 and some orange juice where the standard offering was a reasonable 99p but a full pint with ice and a chunk of fresh orange just £1.50, making the whole meal also under £5.

In such a situation one cannot but help overhear surrounding conversations and a girl was telling a parent the virtues of a Travel Lodge where rooms were only £50. I resisted the temptation to mention about my £9 a night rooms! Given this self restraint I should have been rewarded by the pens working, but although one did, it stopped within a half a page of note making. I decided to change plans and after enjoying the food and drink set off back to the car but beforehand found a we are never closed have everything store, where I bought four pens in a pack for 99 pence. The weather at this time was unpromising, with rain bearing clouds constantly overhead but because of the wind they were being driven incessantly away revealing occasional bursts of sunshine.

I decided I needed the toilet and a coffee so made my way to the entrance where there are traditional turnstile entry points mainly for Members but one headed adults and the other concessions , which raised the question of which was used if buying a family ticket! I paid £10 and was delighted that unlike at Durham the ticket was open for the whole ground except for Members areas, although as a Durham member I could also use and Member facilities in general, although not appropriate for partisan one day games. I selected a seat midway between wickets on the side nearest to the wicket and half way up or down the stand so that there was some protection from continuing fierce wind. I was also able to get an end of aisle seat and parking my shoulder bag went off to the gents and then for a good cup of coffee at £1.50 the price I pay for a packet of Coffee at the supermarket!

The Headingley ground has changed considerably over the years. For Test Matches I would book tickets at the Winter shed top tier, a stand over looking the wicket. There was lower level seating and then some hospitality boxes and then the main area of stand under which there was an under cover refreshment area also useful if the weather was poor. At some point in the eighties corporate business took to cricket and the stand appeared to fill up with business parties with guests provided picnic hampers and what appeared to been continuous and unlimited wine and beer. The atmosphere became very lively as the day progressed and predominantly masculine and competitive. The visits to watch Durham play at the Yorkshire County Ground in the 1990's were much more enjoyable as there was room to spread and visitors to the ground were welcomed by the local members where we could chat about respective misfortunes. Yorkshire failed to get back to its former glory days when it competed for the top honours with Middlesex and Surrey, and rival Lancashire for the annual battles of the red and white roses. The reason for this was the commendable policy of only allowing players who were born in Yorkshire to play for the County.

There was then a great improvement with new banked stand the side length of one side of the ground and then an all singing and dancing electronic and now digital scoreboard. From this stand one could look over to the players' pavilion, a free standing two storey building opposite and then in the corner there was building outside ground with seats on a veranda with good views into the playing area. Sometimes on the other side of the scoreboard a tall temporary four storey structure would be created to provide hospitality boxes for the Test Match. Now the player's pavilion had made way for a new stand which obscures the view from outside the ground and there is a permanent structure of similar dimensions for hospitality. At one point there had been a plan to create a new ground on the outskirts of the city as there was for Leeds football with sites selected and planning permission obtained. In relation to the cricket the Membership were opposed so the plan was dropped and a new sponsor found hence the renaming as Headingley Carnegie.

There has not been great rivalry between Durham and Yorkshire Members until thee last couple of years when Martyn Moxon the Director of Cricket at Durham was able to return to Yorkshire as their Director mid season. There was no animosity as it was recognised he had been responsible for the great turn around in the performances of the team. Geoff Cook who had has been with Durham for sometime and was number two took over and immediately capitalised on the work undertaken by Martyn resulting in the first piece of major silverware, closely followed by the second. I was therefore surprised by the partisanship shown by the Yorkshire supporters during the afternoon and which was very one sided as there were only a handful of Durham supporters who decided discretion was the best approach, although one young lad close to me could not contain his enthusiasm much to the horror of his parents.

The game was an extraordinary one in that it was a closely fought contest between two well matched teams. Yorkshire has the English Captain Michael Vaughan, destined for a knighthood when he retires, the Yorkshire and cricket fanatic Darren Gough and fast bowler Matthew Hoggard while Durham had Shaun Pollock who was a major figure of interest for the crowd… he has 300 test wickets told one dad to his son and Steve Harmison received a mixed reaction because of erratic performances for England in the past. This was an important match because either team winning would head the table in a division where four of six teams were competing hard for the two definite places and the one of three likely place in the last eight knock out competition. Durham bowled well enough but there were too many extras and silly fielding mistakes. Steve got four wickets although his final figures were misleading because three of the wickets were in the last over and players went for big hits to increase the final tall which was a respectable 169 for 7.

This seemed inadequate as Durham raced to 50 for no wicket at 10 runs an over and then they fell apart to a mixture of excellent bowling especially from Malcolm Pryrah whose 4 for 20 was exceptional and some poor shot choices especially from Morkel, Blenkenstein and Pollock. The game swung decidedly in favour of Yorkshire with 14 runs required to win in the final over. A four and a two raised hopes but a single in the penultimate ball dashed spirits as a six was needed to tie the game. Breese whose six had won the quarter final in the Friends Provident did it again as his hit clattered the boundary board for six It was one point each and Durham remained at the top.

During the game I was distracted by a battle which developed between the crowd safety stewards, children autograph seekers and the players on both sides. The players wanted to cooperate and in fairness they told the children to stay below the safety boards during play and indicated they had time to sign one autograph if they were not involved in play such as when a four was hits in other parts of the ground or between overs, However the children realising that there were more of them than signing opportunity were anxious not to miss out and ignored the requests of Stewards and players and were told to move away roughly every two overs only to return, sometimes in greater number. I blame the club for not making clear the position over the public address system and the parents who could see what was happening and did nothing to discourage the children or assist them.

I left the ground and was in my car and away in twinkling and having decided to return home and not take up the booked place in the city centre. I made my way to the ring road but decided against the Harrogate route and continued to join the A1 at Wetherby which has been extended to three lanes. I decided to try for a sandwich and a drink at Scots Corner and came off the motor way but missed the turning went round again and took the wrong turning and ended back on the A1M again without making the stop. I therefore continued to Durham City Motorway services which is to one side of the road way enabling traffic in both directions to use and which now boasts free Wifi but a penalty if you stay for more than two hours. It was here I came face to face with the full cost of the rise in fuel and food. A pot of coffee was £2.25, a sandwich £3 and over. A fast food selection was similar at £5 for a burger, chips and drink. I held my breath and continued home. It had been a good day and mini break.

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.