You see...it's all your fault

Seven of us headed to the big screen to watch Bridge of Spies.  Big screen it was due to a booking cock up that saw us sitting as near to the front as possible.  The Cat's Mother and Muffin parents decided to sit elsewhere and face the possible embarrassment of being moved by people who had booked the seats they chose to sit in.  They moved twice; the rest of us took our places and ended the evening with neck strain!  Anyway, as to the film, we were divided 5-2...in favour of it being a fabulous film.  A terrific piece of story telling, fabulously filmed with terrific performances from  Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance and the rest of the cast too.  For a Spielberg film there wasn't too much schmaltz...some but not over bearing.  The tension built throughout, and the film is well paced.  Some scenes are outstanding...when the Berlin Wall is being built for example.  So highly recommended.  My one complaint?  Call me a car-geek, but the East German lawyer drives a Volvo P1800.  The year is 1961, the year it was launched.  So possible, but unlikely...especially at the price they sold for.

I knew it would happen, and it did.  I forgot something really quite important.  Well not important, but memorable.

I had a last minute chance to go to Abbey Road Studios and listen to the great Alan Parsons.  Abbey Road well known, of course for its zebra crossing.  Slightly lesser known as the recording studio for Dark Side of the Moon.  Alan Parsons was the recording engineer for that album, and many others too (he helped out on Let it be...and the list of other albums he worked on there is enormous, including one or two by the fabulous Mrs Mills - if you remember her, you're doing well).  So a couple of hundred of us sat in Studio 2 in the full knowledge that this was where The Beatles performed, as did Pink Floyd.  We were surrounded by history.  In an interview format with David Hepworth he talked us through his career, and then showed us with the help of the original 48 track recordings of Dark Side of the Moon how much control he had as the recording engineer.  There was even one bit when he said, "Oh I don't remember that".  He came on to his own work, The Alan Parsons Project which is where I know him from having been introduced to his music at school.  We sat next to his wife, who could just about have been my daughter if you see what I mean.  I'd submitted a question, but evidently it was judged serious enough..."How do you feel about Mike Myers?"  Anyway, perhaps you had to be there...I was absolutely blown away.

Only the good

I remember in younger days and tougher times struggling to pay my various mortgages (yes, for the last thirty or so years there has been more than one), and how just when I thought I'd caught up, the mortgage company would let me know I still had a long way to go.  It's a bit like writing a blog that's supposed to remind me of the things I've been doing...

..anyway, whilst I never condone death and destruction, I am faintly amused by the Turks having the temerity to shoot down one of Putin's aeroplanes.  We would never have done that. So a bit like the bully in the playground who likes to tease and torment until someone bites back.  It will have come as a shock.  Putin has suffered a bloody nose (and sympathies to the family of the pilot, but I suspect that he knew what he was up to, just didn't know he had gone too far), not long after the Russian passenger aircraft was downed shortly after taking off.  If you add that together with a bloody stalemate in Crimea, and harsh economic sanctions, I bet there are a few whispers that may be Putin is not the man for Russia.  Of course, like all men of his type, he will aim to snuff those out pretty quickly,, but he can't avoid no longer being seen as invincible.

It has come as quite a shock to me that I have become a card-carrying member of the Labour Party.  This, the person who for a while was the treasurer of the Western Region of Conservative students.  I like Mr Corbyn, I like quite a lot of what he's got to say, and most of all idea I like the idea of a society that is based around the concept of fairness and equality and not one that is based around elitism and greed that puts money in the pockets of those who need it least.

We're off on Friday to see Bridge of Spies, spurred on by it being written by our 'friend' Matt Charman.  He joined us at a gala dinner a few months back and was charm personified...he even said he'd like to join us for Christmas as it sounded such fun.  He's probably forgotten us, but we haven't forgotten him.

Over the last month we've been to a 60th birthday, The Cat's Mother spent a few days in Dubai (leaving me in charge of an empty house...doesn't she realise how foolish that is), I cycled 73 miles round the Essex countryside for fun, we saw four Shakepeare plays in one night (shortened versions in a schools competition...yes it was mostly hell), went to see the musical Kinky Boots (great fun, won't stretch your brain cells), and saw at the cinema the Broadway version of 'Of Mice and Men' which made us appreciate just how great theatre is, even when seen in a cinema.  We must also have seen Spectre, although it's not in my diary, though it is burned on my memory for ever.  16 people in the cinema, twelve of them slurping, crunching and munching their way through it, which was an achievement as they didn't stop talking either...even when they got up (several times) to go to the loo or get yet another hot dog.  Dreadful experience.

The Boy and The Cat are back briefly this weekend.  It won't be fun.  They are here to bury a friend from school.  He was a lovely lad who had severe health problems all his life...he had a heart transplant many years ago...but he never let it get on top of him.  Indeed he did well at school and went on to University.  He died just after his 21st. I feel for his family, and for his school friends for whom this will mostly be their first real brush with death.  It's a harsh thing for the young.

A little word

September was a dreadful month.  I can remember only one worse.  This time, some was of my own making, some not.  But ultimately, I hope and believe that things will turn out well...they do seem to be heading on the right path. It made me realise that some things that I would like to write about are not for public consumption.

I'm reading a lot about self-driving cars being developed at the moment.  It seems to me at least that this is another area where the technologists are taking us when we don't particularly want to go.  I understand the desire for safer cars...every road-death is a wasted life.  But I really, really enjoy driving...one of life's pleasures so would feel a loss if it was my car taking me from A to B without my intervention.  I know for some driving is not a pleasure, but let's not end up in a situation where to drive your own car you have to take it to a track...it makes me thing of people who now head to the gym because they've got so many labour-saving devices that they do no daily exercise such as walking to the shops...

Anyway we've just spent a few good days in Venice with friends.  The crowds were fewer than you get in the heat of summer, yet we still managed to have sunshine and warmth throughout.  As usual we had a guide with us throughout, so we managed to see a lot in a short period of time, our knowledge already bolstered by having watched on DVD he decade-old series about Venice by Francesco Da Mosto.  Venice is, of course, just picture-postcard...everything is lovely...and I have described it as like listening to a greatest hits record.  No real favourite bits...although thanks to the endeavours of our guide we were able to do things that many others wouldn't get the opportunity to...up the clock tower in St Marks, up the secret stairs in the Doges Palace, lunch with a Countessa at the hotel where George Clooney ceased to a batchelor, etc.  Aren't we lucky?  In four days I managed over a thousand photos, so if you fancy seeing them, do pop round.  In the meantime, I was amused by the Venetian habit of hanging washing out to dry...it made me realise that as ridiculously beautiful as it is, living in Venice is not easy...so that was a theme for my picture taking

Cat on a hot tin roof

It no doubt says something that my loyal band of followers has grown since I stopped writing so much....

...I watched a fascinating programme of the Beeb last week.  It was about graffiti, and traced its origins back to the days when we lived in caves and painted on the wall.  So far so so-so, but it ploughed on, bringing us pretty much up to date, without anything but the briefest mention of Banksy.  In fact it spent most of its time in Rome (fans of gladiators drawing on walls), Paris (Viva La revolution!) and New York...advertising board painters getting their own back.  Evidently, it's all because we want to remembered...graffiti as our epitaph.  It makes sense.  But in the narcissist world we now live in, and our addiction to selfies (not me guv), it made me wonder whether the current obsession with tattoos is a sign that we no longer need to mark our territory, but we need to mark ourselves to regain ownership and remind us that 'This is me'.

Anyway, after our trip to Lisbon, The Cat's Mother headed off with her family to France, and specifically to Orange, home of the ancestors of William of Orange, hence an influx of Dutch tourists.  Their return journey was some what marred by the Eurostar equivalent of leaves on the line - they had migrants on the line.  Now don't get me started on that one...I have a lot to say, but the world won't listen.  I had planned for a few days on my own, down in Brighton, but it was not to be.  Grandma in Cyprus lost her last dog...Bobby...who had just reached a point where it was so much kinder to have him put down.  Not surprisingly, it was immensely upsetting, especially as she and Grandad in Cyrus had decided that there would be no more dogs.  It wouldn't be fair.  So I decided to pop over there for a few days.  It was nice to see them both and offer what little comfort I could...I guess just being there was enough.  I hope so.  Grandma had been complaining how uncomfortable the heat had become - I couldn't quite understand until I arrived - it was a stifling heat that made it hard to breath.  No wonder they are planning to spend some time in the UK next summer - we are looking forward to that.  Of course, they are not alone.  They have acquired a lovely kitten - a feral - that had damaged its leg, and now hope around with just three functioning limbs.  He is remarkably friendly, and affectionate, and an absolute joy - I think he is just what they need, in addition to the black and white female that seems to prefer life outside, but always turns up for food.

Daylight robbery

Throwing my hat into the ring, I'd like to cast my vote for Jeremy Corbyn.  I've met the man, and he's as straightforward as you'll ever find a politician can be.  In truth I think some of his policies are daft, and some if implemented would hurt me.  So why would I vote for the 'loony left'?  For me it's very simple:  for the last two decades our democracy has been substantially undermined by having three parties that essentially occupy the same ground...they're policies are essentially the same...shades of the same grey.  I believe that for everyone's benefit we need to have at least two, and preferably three parties each one with a different vision of the future of the country.  With Corbyn heading up the Labour party there is a different vision that we can all review, assess and either buy into or vote for something different.  Should he win, the media will have a field day, but I hope that the desire for change will be sufficient to create a momentum which will see Britain return to being a country that truly believes that in fairness for all - rich and poor.

As a cyclist, I see my life flash before my eyes all too often.  I would describe myself as assertive rather than aggressive...but sometimes I can be pushed beyond my limits.  The other day whilst going round a roundabout, a driving school car pulled out in front of me, causing me to brake and swerve.  I screamed loudly, and then took off after him, as he was also driving the same direction.  I had assumed it was the instructor that had told the learner to go, so my wrath was directed at him.  It being the rush hour, it was long before I had caught up, and then he had to stop at traffic lights.  As I let rip at the open window on the passenger side, I suddenly saw that the instructor was holding a tick-box form with notes on.  He was indeed not an instructor, but an examiner.  Calmly he asked me to cycle on, explaining he was merely an 'observer'.  I assume the learner failed...he should have done as his manouvre was dangerous...but there was a twang of guilt.

The Cat's Mother and I had a short break to Lisbon last week...neither of us had been there before, and we managed to get a great deal at The Four Seasons Hotel.  It was lovely, and we had a brilliant few days, even if it was a little tainted by TCM having her purse taken.  Highlight of the trip was a four hour trip round the city on a vintage motorcycle - TCM was very comfortable in the side car.  Here's some pics