It's My Life (apparently)

OK, I'm now a bit worried - this is becoming a habit - almost an addiction. It's June and last night once again I've somehow ended up at a Bon Jovi concert...

It's really strange. This concert is at Twickenham - 2 stops from me on the train. My friend and I have a pint at a pub on the river and head over to the stadium - the weather is windy but looks like it will hold. Once again I'm amazed at the demographic of a Bon Jovi concert - it's young (most are in their 20s) and it's probably over half female. Guess it proves sex appeal sells.

We have good seats - high up in the gods but front and centre. The support act - Biffy Cyclo - is dreadful. All the other UK dates have The Feeling as support, but tonight they are playing Glastonbury. It's also the same evening as the Mandela concert so I guess getting a decent support act was always going to difficult.

In front of us are a group of people who, as the evening unwinds, act out an episode of a soap opera. One bloke can't handle his drink and goes through the 5 stage of drinking so brilliantly observed by the excellent Larry Miller. At a couple of points his wife/girlfriend is in tears and the security guard keeps a close eye, having a quiet word on one occasion. It's never threatening or hostile, just distracting - he's just a complete pillock who can't handle his beer, makes an idiot of himself and you do wonder if he has 'special needs' and has been let out with his social workers for the evening.

The concert is what you'd expect from a best selling group who have been around for over 20 years. They are a tight unit, completely at ease with each other and the crowd and it comes across. Bon Jovi will never be at the cutting edge nor have artistic credibility - but they do a great concert and give the fans exactly what they want - and really, you can't ask for more. For me the weirdest thing is simply walking all the way home from such a big gig - gradually the crowds ease but they are still several from the concert walking alongside us all the way back to TW11.

Overall, a good evening at the local concert venue.

Priceless (Hors de Prix)

In this lovely French film Audrey Tautou plays a gold digger out to snare herself a rich older husband on the French Riviera. One evening she mistakes the bartender for a rich hotel guest and they spend the night together. He is smitten but she leaves, not knowing who he really is. A year later she returns and eventually the truth dawns.

The bartender - a lovely performance full of warmth and charm from Gad Elmaleh - still pursues her, but knowing who he really is, i.e. not wealthy, means she isn't interested. Through a bizarre set of circumstance the bartender ends up being a gigolo to an older woman. However, he still loves the younger gold digger - will he eventually win her over??

Give that the film has a slightly unpleasant premise - both characters after all are providing companionship and sexual services to older, richer partners - the film could have been tacky. However, what you actually get is a lovely, light romantic comedy - a basic boy-meets-girl and loses her plot, but one well done. Both leads are excellent, playing the parts with charm and humour, and both look stunning - especially Audrey Tautou who looks incredibly glamorous and miles apart from her kooky Amelie character.

If you get a chance, see it. It will only be remade in Hollywood in a couple of years with Ashton Kutcher and Lindsay Lohan in the lead roles. You have been warned!

Website of the week

To find more graphical representations of songs and films, go to the excellent graphjam.com.

And they say accountants can't have fun...

Lights, camera, action?

Spent yesterday evening 'workshopping' with a small group of actors and writers - absolutely fascinating seeing words you've written come to life in front of your eyes.

It's also scary - as the scene you've written unfolds there is a slightly strange apprehension in your stomach as you wonder whether it's any good or complete drivel. Does it make sense? Does it sound natural?

What did I find out? The dialogue is OK but the actors found my lack of written directions a little strange. Yes they want freedom to add to the words - but they need something to start them off! I also discovered that changing a single word in a small exchange can really help/hinder its flow.

Nice to do something - no matter amateur - completely different to the day job.

My Secret Addiction

Having a minor sort out/tidy up. Stack all of my unread books in to a pile - it's rather large.

Currently I have 22 unread books - of which 11 have been started before I got distracted by something newer and more shiny. Breakdown of the 22 books is;

• 2 novels
• 3 political
• 5 theological
• 3 biography/history
• 3 sports related
• 6 film/journalism related

Not sure what it says about me - my inability to walk past or into a bookshop (new or used) seems to be a possible addiction. Do I need an 'intervention' or to phone my 'sponsor'?

The Garden City

Always good to catch up with people and spend time with friends and yesterday was doing just that in the delightful Letchworth Garden City - one of whose claims to fame is that it had the first roundabout in the UK.

Is a little strange going there as I've connections with the area - I spent a few years growing up in Hitchin, the next door market town, where my grandparents lived for around 40 years, and an uncle and aunt were married in Letchworth.

It's a fascinating space - a development of the early 20th century it remains a charming town with a sense of its own identity and community. It has some wonderful architecture and wide grassy boulevards - there really is a sense of space. All this just 30 odd miles and a 30 minute train ride from Kings Cross.

Driving back I reflected on whether such a development could possibly happen today - I suppose the nearest is Poundbury. As I drove past Stevenage and Hatfield - two lovely Hertfordshire old towns ruined by town planning - I realised that such developments definitely weren't possible in the 1950s and 1960s.

Still a partial plant

Spent the day on an 'awayday' with a group of people. Was a interesting day getting to know people a little better. and part of the time was finding out our preferred 'team roles' using those devised by Dr Meredith Belbin.

I'd done this a few years ago so knew a little of what to expect. Would my preferred 'team roles' have changed much (or at all) over the past 6 years?

Results were in - I'm still a Monitor/Evaluator and a Plant. Does this signify a lack in progress of my personal development? Or I'm comfortable with who I am and play to my strengths?

HIGNFY

The joys of spare ticket syndrome have stuck again as I've just spent a very pleasant evening watching a recording of Have I Got News For You.

Alongside Ian Hislop was BBC newsreader Kate Silverton, and with Paul Merton was poet, broadcaster and 'professional northerner from Barnsley', Ian McMillan. Hosting the evening - Jeremy Clarkson.

A good evening started with Jo Caulfield doing some stand up to warm up the audience and then into the show. The actual recording started at 7.50pm and ran for 2 hours - with a few retakes it meant it finally finished at 10.10pm.

OK, it wasn't a completely riotous 2 hours of non-stop humour - inevitably there were a few misses - but much was good quick witted stuff. Kate Silverton was told she looked like a particular C4 style/clothes show presenter, Ian McMillan told a great joke about a Yorkshire tombstone amongt other slightly surreal observations, Ian Hislop had his usual pithy observations, and Paul Merton had a couple of great one liners and flights of fancy - one answer he gave in the "missing words" round was superb and had Jeremy Clarkson in tears.

Clarkson held the whole thing together well but a particular highlight was Paul Merton telling some old gags - probably dating back to his early stand up act 20 years ago - while we all waited for the retakes to be set up. Simply excellent.

Tomorrow night, BBC1, 9pm.

The Magic Rectangle

Just over halfway through a busy week. Lots of stuff going on - work, evening meetings, discussions and catching up with people.

Decide to unwind with a brief bit of telly. Unlike most of the nation I couldn't a monkey's about The Apprentice, but thankfully there is the return of Location, Location, Location which I'm able to catch on C4+1.

Now, I actually can't stand the rash of property porn shows there are on our screens - most seem evil and generally they all merge into a ghastly 'Grand Design in the Attic in the Sun with a Property Doctor Show' - but I do have a soft spot for Location, Location, Location.

Well... for Phil and Kirstie.

Well... mainly for Kirstie.

If having a thing for Kirstie Allsop is wrong, I don't want to be right.

I've said too much...

Website of the week

Remember the 80s? Flock of Seagulls haircuts, shoulder pads, and mobile phones the sizes of briefcases proudly boasting a talk time of up to 45 min!

Then, of course, there were the 'delights' of the 'mixtape'.

I don't think 'enjoy' is the right word...