Apologies for the poor service - wrong kind of snow...

Afraid I've been as bad as ever of late with the updating - apologies.

Thought I'd be a bit better, especially last week - but unfortunately it's been very busy.

It'll be like buses - nothing for ages and then loads of posts at one.

Website of the week

Forget the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Don't worry about the 2012 Olympics in London.

What you want is The Redneck Games. Details about time and place available here.

Sherlock Holmes

Until I saw Sherlock Holmes I'd never seen a Guy Ritchie film. If this is his 'return to form' then I don't feel I've missed much.

The movie has Robert Downey Jr as Holmes and Jude Law as Dr Watson. Both are charismatic actors and have a good presence on the screen. One sub plot of the film is Watson has got engaged and about to move from Baker Street and Holmes is not happy. So, is this really a 'bromance' movie laced with homoerotic undertones? Well, not really, and that might have made a better film as there would have at least been a plot.

The movie is 'okay'. It's mildly diverting but I can't remember the story - if there was one. Downey and Law make a good odd couple double act, and Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong hold their own as the supporting cast. However, the best you can say about the overall enterprise is 'workmanlike'.

Something is missing. It's not really about Holmes and Watson and could have been any other characters set in this period. This is almost a pantomine paraody - all it lacks is Biggins as a dame. Now, that would be a movie worth watching.

New Year Resolutions - Day 2

So, day 2 - how are the New Year Resolutions going? So far, so good??


A couple of weeks ago I registered with an new GP so had a minor check up. On the whole things were fine, "when did you last see your GP?" "1996", was my reply. My blood pressure was a little high - the nurse took it 3 times just to make sure - but when I told them where I work, "well, I guess that explains that." Then came the time to measure my weight. It wasn't too bad - but let's just say that I'm *ahem* slightly 'bigger boned' that I thought. Upshot is I need to take more exercise.

Weather today was lovely and crisp, and one of the joys of where I live is that in 40 minutes I can be amongst the countryside. So today I headed to the North Downs and the River Wey just outside Guildford for a 7-8 mile walk.

OK, so much of the good work... most of the good work... probably all of the good work... was undone by the pie and chips I had for tea... Still, day 2 and the 'more exercise' resolution is intact. Small steps...

You know you're middle aged when...

Hope that you've had a lovely Christmas as we are now in the 'phoney' period between Christmas and New Year. Christmas is sort of over, many are off work until the New Year, whilst others are already back to normal.

Anyway, I've got various things I could be doing but yesterday I headed to some shops. I didn't need anything specific - but there were some items that if I came across in a sale I'd buy.

Before long I found myself in John Lewis looking at some nice towels in the sale. This is it, middle age is finally here as not only did I find myself buying said towels - but was actually quite pleased with the purchase...

Peace & Quiet at Christmas

A very happy Christmas to one and all.

It's a wonderful crisp morning and for the first time in many years I'm in Birmingham when Santa delivers his presents. A few years ago on Christmas Day I headed in to central London, on my way somewhere, to see how busy it was, and, if quiet, to take some photos of quiet London streets. It was busier than I thought and to have a re-read of that post see here.

This morning, with lovely clear skies, I do the same in the centre of Birmingham. It's lot quieter than central London, but there are still more people milling around than I expect, including some tourist taking the odd photo.

The old and the new - St Martins Church and Selfridges

A quiet Bull Ring - will be very different in 24 hours!

The now iconic addition to Birmingham's skyline

Birmingham Cathedral - spot the Bishop competition

More of the changing Brummie skyline.

The Christmas Bells

Back in Birmingham for a few days over Christmas and head to one of the more unusual Christmas traditions in south Birmingham - the Bournville Village Green Carol Service.

Bournville - the 'village' created by the Cadbury's in the late 19th century - has a primary school, indeed it's the one I attended. For reasons never entirely clear, the school has a bell tower complete with a carillon of bells. This means that rather than merely play chimes on the hour, there is a sort of keyboard and full tunes can be played on the large clock bells. Each Christmas Eve a couple of thousand gather to sing carols on Bournville Green as the tunes are played on the bells in the school bell tower. There are also traditional Christmas readings.

It does become semi amusing as the laws of physics kick in. The Green is one side of the main road through Bournville, the school the other. The Green is fairly large. Sound travels at 330m per second. Result - rarely are the bells and the singing in time - indeed this year during the first carol the singing managed to be both ahead and behind the music!

Still, its a decent, and well timed, service lasting 45 minutes. The prayers by the local vicar are good as they contain relevant and local prayers for both the future of Cadbury's - a massive local employer current under rumours of takeover by Kraft - and for the injured servicemen and women who end up being treated at the local Selly Oak Hospital.

Overall it's one of those wonderfully strange quirks that you occasionally come across in Britain - and not a bad way to start Christmas.

Website of the week

Just to prove anything can be improved with Muppets...

Website of the week

Some times you want to go a bit further afield than zone 6 on London Underground - or even beyond Europe.

For those looking to travel even further then the Milky Wat Transit Authority Map will be a helpful tool.

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life (Le premier jour du reste de ta vie) is a French film that tells the story of family over a period of around 15 years. There is the grandfather, the parents, their three children and the ups and downs of their lives - their matches, hatches and dispatches - in middle class suburban France.

Not a lot happens - there are no helicopter crashs, no car chases, no shootouts. What you have is a simple story, beautifully told and acted by a wonderful ensemble cast. Issues of aging, of father and son relationships, and matters of sex and love are all tackled. It mixes humour, there is a lovely funny scene around a driving test, with moments of real poignacy and it is not afraid to tackle death. Some have described the film as sentimental and overstylised - that I can see. Nonetheless, the film is a good example of French cinema and you leave the screening wondering why the UK can't make films like this.

Nominated for 9 Cesar awards (French equivalent of the Oscars and BAFTAs) it won three - all deserved. It has a very limited UK release - even in London it's only showing at 2 cinemas - but if you can find a screenings it's worth a look. The ending - with a delightful look to camera - is lovely.

Hand of God - part 2

Peter Cook best summed it up when in his 'football manager' character, "Football can be a cruel mistress."

Ireland's defeat last night to France is both tragic and, frankly, funny.

Tragic because it was harsh and cruel. England still moan about the 'hand of God goal', and that happened over 20 years ago. Hopefully the same thing - pointlessly pining for what might have been - won't happen to the Irish fans.

But it was funny as it highlighted the bizarre thought process - or lack of one - that footballers have. How often does a referee change such a big decision in a high level match - never; so why crowd round him and the assistant? Secondly, the French goal didn't actually change the Irish position, other than rule out a penalty shoot-out. At the start of extra time Ireland needed a goal to win. France scored. Ireland still needed a single goal win. It might be harsh - but they were virtually no worse off after the goal, and still had the full second period of extra time.

Football is a beautiful game - the beautiful game. Any game that produce a goal like this in a World Cup Final has to be.

There are no doubt some conspiracy theorists who reckon that as France are sponsored by Adidas - a FIFA partner - this was the result FIFA wanted. Farfetched - but football has an ugly side. Think not? Then read the excellent David Conn, Foul by Andrew Jennings, or the related Transparency in Sport website, and you'll see football's darker side.

Ireland should, and indeed have, been asking why the play offs were seeded rather than a straight draw? Linked to the fact that Portugal, France, Russia and Germany were all struggling to qualify for the World Cup Finals when the seeding idea was suddenly announced?

If you love football then ignore the glamour of the Premier and Champions Leagues - support a lower or non-league team. Ignore the big nations in the World Cup and get behind a minnow. Embrace New Zealand - OK their nickname of the All Whites may be a bit unfortunate given the host nation is South Africa, but they are a nation happy to have qualified and will have a blast.

They'll also probably hold England to a nil nil draw in the final group stage match when England need a win to get to the next stage!

Website of the week

A couple of websites to offer - similar in style to the excellent Postsecret.

First up there is Photochaining.

And there is also i got an envelope.

Enjoy - and may be participate - in web based art projects.

And this is what I blog on?

Things still a bit busy and I've not got back to blogging as much as I'd like. Was unwinding over the weekend and catching up on various stuff I'd recorded off the telly. Armstrong and Miller can be a bit hit and miss - but it has more hits than misses and the WW2 RAF pilots who talk in 21st century teen is still very funny.

Sat there watching one sketch I suddenly thought, 'hold on, I recognise that station. That's where I get on the train ever morning I go to work.'

Still can't work out if spotting this was being incredibly observant or whether it's geeky beyond redemption...

All Hallows Eve

On the whole I'm fairly relaxed about Halloween. If people want to dress up as witches, skeletons or zombies then OK - I don't think it's going to lead down some slippery slope to worshipping Satan.

Similarly I don't think Harry Potter will lead to devil worship. I've never understood the inconsistency that Lord of Rings was 'OK' yet Harry Potter was 'evil' - this largely seemed to rely on the fact that Tolkien was a Catholic and ignored that sorcery and spells run deep through book series of books. However, 'Trick or Treat' really annoys me.

Two reasons - firstly, it's a dreadful import from the USA. Had any of us ever come across it until we watched ET? Let's stand against this cultural imperialism.

Secondly, it sends really confusing messages to children. On one extreme this week we have had the bizarre playground story in Watford - on the other, for one night a year we dress children up and send them off to ask strangers for sweets.

For either reason let's not encourage 'Trick or Treat'.

And the grumpy old man rant ends...

Lets play ball

Sunday I headed off to Wembley to the NFL game. Can't say it was as close as the two previous regular season games played in London - New England Patriots did a workmanlike job of defeating Tampa 35 -7. It's not that Tampa's defence were that bad - but their offense was very poor. They have yet to win this season, and if they carry on playing like they did on Sunday it'll be a long and win less regular season.

I've now been to Wembley 3 times to see football - once association and twice American - over the past few years. It really does disappoint as venue.

Sight lines and seats are great - I've sat in very different places and each has been fine. The problem is not really the arena, it's the whole experience. It's simply in the wrong place. Getting there is not simple and getting back is worse - despite improvements the transport links are still poor for such a venue. The location is wrong - there is nothing else to there apart from go to the stadium, unless you want to shop at nearby IKEA. The lack of bars, restaurants and just general space around the stadium adds to the chaos on leaving events; as there is no reason to stay there everyone heads to the tube.

Once inside it's not much better - you queue for everything for far too long. Food is expensive, poor and takes far too long to serve, and queuing for a programme takes too long - even when they are priced at £10 so the seller rarely has to make change. Wembley likes to boast it has loads of toilets - it may well do but you still have to queue too long. This Sunday it was the longest I've ever queued at an event for the loo - which suggests whilst they have a lot of loos, the loos to people ratio is inadequate.

Wembley cost a ridiculous amount of money and hosts numerous events each year - by now any teething troubles should have been sorted. I just expect better from our 'national stadium'.

Cardiff and the Millennium Stadium is just so much better - I fear for the 2012 Olympics.

Website of the week

Been a busy week so far and it's only Tuesday.

Still - this website might make you feel better...

Blogging will be back

To say that blogging in 2009 has been 'irregular' is an understatement. 'Twas never intended to be thus.

The past five or so months have been pretty 'full on' and various things have had to be put on hold - the blog was one.

Readers may not miss it - but I do!

Hopefully it'll be back soon.

Greenbelt - Day 2

Was circulating at an event earlier and started chatting to someone. Found out they came from Michigan, USA - which seemed a long way to come to Cheltenham for a festival.

Me, "So what brings you here?

Him, "I'm with him." He nods towards someone chatting away at the next table.

I look across and don't recognise anyone.

Me, "Whose he?

Him, "Rob Bell."

Oh dear, he's only one our main speakers... I look again.

Me, "Sorry, didn't recognise him. He looks different from his photo."

Him, "Yes, he's had a major haircut."

Me (relieved), "That explains it..."

Greenbelt 2009

Have arrived at Greenbelt.

The site is up.

People are arriving.

Let the gathering commence.

My career as a burglar...

Spent a fair chunk of the afternoon trying to break in to my garage.

Weather was nice so thought I'd go for a bike ride. Go down to my garage and I simply can't get the padlock to open... and of course any tools that would be helpful are in the garage... and why did I get a lock with 'extra security'??

So, after a bit of hitting it, and the odd naughty word, I trundle off to Wickes.

Have to say that I was a little nervous walking to the checkout wanting to pay solely for some boltcutters and a padlock. Felt if I was asked, there could be some awkward explaining to do...

Still, no awkward questions - either at the store or later whilst I wrestle the padlock with the boltcutters - and the garage was freed!

Don't feel a discreet life of crime is ahead of me.