Stuff Halloween where the sun don't shine

Without a doubt I f***ing hate Halloween and stuff your trick or treat and keep away from my door. I never liked it when I was a kid but didn’t mind dodging a bit of flour and eggs with my mates in the street that was about the extent of enjoyment.

From my memory as a kid which was a long time ago Halloween was a one day thing on the 31 October and then in the evening when it was dark. Now it seems the whole ruddy thing lasts for weeks.

It’s now become totally Americanised with kids hunting in packs with a parent or two in tow looking for handouts of sweets and any other goods like a new IPod or something. Even when you plan not to partake of the unwanted excuse of a celebration, you are not safe. I was once trick or treated in my local shop has I was in the queue. What can you do? I was standing next to the penny sweets so I had nowhere to hide so I stumped up like a good sucker.

What I find funny is kids looking for handouts will knock on your door but they won’t do a bit of penny for the guy these days. With the right spot you can bring in big cash doing some penny for the guy back in my day.

Once the whole Halloween thing instead of my normal take the kids out for the night. That year I soon became the patsy as word got around sweets were available. At the end of the night, I had two teenage girls knocking on my door “trick or treat mister can we have some sweeties” talking in away that could get you on the ruddy sex register.

The wife and I will be running silent and in the dark tonight, hoping it will be enough to keep them off our door.

I am and always have been a Bonfire Night person.

Seven weeks into my Diet

Wide Load on Board

I am still chugging along at my own speed and although I said previously I would stay, away from the scales I was surprised when I jumped on for a sneaky look. I decided on the outset of my diet that I wouldn’t become a scales whore. Jumping on and off every 10 minutes or so and become paranoid.

I shifted more than I thought. A result for me and I am yet to kick-off my plan walking exercise regime due to my iffy knee. Once I can, my weight hopefully will drop off even faster fingers crossed. I have noted some drop age of the trousers and a notch or two movement of the belt all good.

Christmas can be a worrying time for the dieter but I have plans to side step the worst of it by setting a limit. From downsizing Christmas dinner to cutting out sweet treats but for one special chocolate on the small size and lots of fruit.

Eating wise, I am chocolate and crisps free but for the odd bag of walkers light crisps meaning the bad habit of snacking as gone. Still with the white bread but much reduced and small portions with my main meal. Everything l eat is mostly oven baked, anything fried is done with 1cal spray, and we are using the Slow Cooker more as most recipes are fat free.

The Pete interview

Interviewer Peter: Seven weeks in and what are you missing. 

Pete: Not much maybe a decent Pie. I have not had a good pie in months and none since the diet and have no plans to have one any time soon. 

Interviewer Peter: Is that a true statement. 

Pete: No I was just reminded that I had pie and chips from the chippy about four weeks ago and not a good pie it was a Clarks which are no longer great. Being honest, I had a small tube of Smarties at the weekend and felt guilty AFTER eating them. 

Interviewer Peter: Is downsizing your meals the way to go. 

Pete: At the moment, I would say yes and I keeping away from calorie counting but realise as I lose the weight I may have to start counting my calories, as weight loss will decrease. The type of meals I am eating my well change but I can’t see myself switching to those weightwatcher meals. Have you seen the size of them! 

Interviewer Peter: What are you looking forward to see/doing? 

Pete: Seeing my todger again and wearing a cool jacket, I bought years ago and never fitted into and it’s so old now it must be vintage. 

Interviewer Peter: Any problems? 

Pete: My main one is walking past Butons the Bakers and not going in to buy some of their products. From multi visits and lots of sausage rolls and pasties, I am down to one pastie a week. A treat for Saturday.

Sunday Crush - Margaret Nolan - Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Silver Bikini

Nolan is an actress and former glamour model mostly known for her appearances in a number of classic British films and television series during the 1960s and 1970s, she epitomised the glamorous so-called "dolly bird" and was often hired for her looks and figure. Also, she tread the boards in serious theatre.

She was never the star but she was in demand for television and films has the “dolly bird”, the dumb girlfriend, and much the same with the majority of her film work but she still worked on some British classics. On TV, she appeared in episode such as Steptoe and Son and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads both classic British TV comedy. In film, she played James Bonds masseuse in Goldfinger and famously had a number of roles within the ‘Carry On’ franchise.

She was definitely eye candy but nothing like in “Carry on Girls”

Brief bio

Sidney Fiddler (Sid James) conning the local council into running a beauty pageant to promote their community. He's thrilled with the prospect of entertaining all the lovely young contestants, but his girlfriend has a different plan in mind as he fills her hotel up with them. Soon, a women's liberation group invades the premises and takes over -- promptly ruining everything.

Nolan makes more than an impressive figure in the film she is imprinted on the collective psyche as Dawn Brakes in 'Carry On Girls' (1973). There was the catfight when a beauty contest rival Miss Fircombe (Barbara Windsor) accused her of stealing an item of her clothing at a previous contest. Then the fight, handbags when Brakes disrobes sitting on a donkey in the said outfit, and a very tiny silver bikini showing ample breasts. They are quite impressive and not forgettable the fight gives those interested in the study of breasts plenty of time to assess them.

There is the scene where the two rivals have a comedic run around a table joke given you an eye full of assets on show but before a short crawl around the floor than the rumble on the carpet. Good comic British slapstick.

Bless You

Frankenhooker (1990) a YouTube find - Film Review

Frankenhooker is without a doubt one of the most stupid, ridiculous, moronic, pointless, funny, and brilliant films I have seen in a while, and I watch many nonsensible films.

From the film's opening, we see our would-be hero working on a brain with an eye in it. This movie features several moments of delicious comic brilliance such as the out of control lawnmower sequence that sees the central character's girlfriend is tragically murdered and a rather tactless news report detailing said tragedy. Also the exploding whores and all the way down to the weather report which details a storm that is coming, I found there was plenty to make you laugh in Frankenhooker.

The footprint for this film is the classic Frankenstein story, and it should appeal to anyone who likes a cheesy 80's gorefests even this was released in 1990.

As I mentioned, the main character's girlfriend is killed in a lawnmower accident. The accident itself is a comic masterpiece, absurdly silly! Anyway, this accident leads our hero to the brink of madness (to which his mother responds to by asking him if he would like a sandwich), and he decides to make his girlfriend a new body from the parts of various prostitutes that he picks up. Of course, it doesn't quite go to plan, which leads him into all manner of weird troubles. James Lorinz takes the lead role of Jeffrey Franken (and his girlfriend's surname is Shelly...can you spot the tribute?).

Lorinz is great as the hero for the movie, he spends a lot of it acting on his own and he more than holds the audience's interest with his speeches and great accent. A film like this needs an offbeat star; and it has one in Lorinz.

Overall, this terrifying tale of sluts and bolts is sheer comic brilliance, and if you're a fan of weird and wonderful cult films, and even if you're not; you won't want to miss Frankenhooker.

"No one likes us, we don't care" visit CCS today

A tight victory at Middlesbrough last weekend saw Cardiff remain second in the league table two points behind Wolves, level on points with Sheffield United. Now Cardiff have two home games to solidate their position with Millwall visiting the Cardiff City Stadium today and Ipswich on Tuesday night both currently in mid-table going into this week’s fixtures.

Millwall and Cardiff have a history and not many fans like Millwall who have a famous chant, "No one likes us, we don't care" which is about right. The last time the two teams faced off at the Cardiff City Stadium was back in 2014/15 season and after a 0-0 draw in the corresponding fixture at Millwall the Bluebirds lost 1-0.

Cardiff have the better current form over the last five games and will be looking for a better result than their last home game a 0-0 against Derby. Mid-table Millwall are yet to win away from home in the league so far this season managing a number of draws so they be looking for three points just as well as Cardiff. If you believe the bookies, the home team have the game sown up but when it comes to my team, I tend not to listen.

The likelihood is that Cardiff boss Neil Warnock will stick with the team that won last weekend against Middlesbrough. Cardiff will be without striker Kenneth Zohore and midfielder Aron Gunnarsson for the visit of Millwall.

Last night’s fixture between Leeds and Sheffield United had some bearing on Cardiff league position. Before the game Cardiff were level on 27 points with Sheffield and after their win tonight they jumped to top of the league pushing Wolves to second and Cardiff to third. Leeds remain fourth, and four points behind Cardiff. If Wolves lose today and Cardiff win the Welshman would top the Division.

Games that matter today

Cardiff v Millwall

QPR v Wolves

Nostalgic Memory of Breakfast

I made my wife her breakfast this morning she wanted Weetabix/milk and a touch of boiling water to warm it up. It’s very rare I do anything but toast for breakfast but as I made it, a whiff took me straight back to my childhood.

It was how I liked my Weetabix back in the day and I could picture myself sitting at the table shovelling it down, as I was eager to get to school. When I make it for myself now, it never tastes the same as my memory of my mums. Maybe I lost the taste.

Yes, there was a time when I was desperate to get to school but by secondary school that quickly changed. St Cuthbert’s my junior school it was different we raced to get in.

Most mornings it was warm Weetabix interspersed with plain toast all you really need for a snack that was until years later I found and fell in love with the full breakfast. Not as if I have, one all the time but when I do it is a treasured moment that nothing beats the memory as a kid and Wednesday mornings.

You would think with the build-up I would be talking of something special Toasted truffle maybe but no nothing so fancy. I will explain! It involved me running around the corner shop which was funny enough just around the corner, Marion's for any locals reading this post. There besides collecting my brother and mine comics I would exit the shop with a fresh French sticks not a ruddy Baguette as they weren’t round back then and they are not the same.

So what did mum do with a French stick that was so special? Nothing. But for slicing it up and putting a big dollop of butter on a piece of French stick, not toasted or anything just plain crusty bread and butter. Some people might be scratching their heads over this but I found it heaven and still do today but it must be full on butter.

A foot note to this just moments ago the wife rolled up to me asked if I fancied to share half of what looked like a stubby French stick but it was a Baguette so I gave her a few short words. The best place in Cardiff, my home town, to buy a French stick is Burton's the Bakers or the Bread Shop at Cardiff's Indoor Market.

Must see TV - Week beginning 28/10/2017 - The Return of Blue Planet

After another week of plenty, it’s a quieter week next week. Hands up the biggest new series was the return of ‘The Walking Dead’ with Rick and his crew taking care of business with an old enemy.

Another series I welcome back was ‘Ice Road Truckers’ with the change its now shown weekly, Monday to Friday so getting my fix more regular, a bonus.

Looking ahead to next week the new series of ‘Blue Planet II’ a guarantee hit for the BBC on a Sunday night. David Attenborough narrating will bring comfort to the masses.

Saturday – Channel4 - Source Code 11:40pm ***Film***

Jake Gyllenhaal headlines this action thriller directed by Moon's Duncan Jones from a script by Ben Ripley. A bomb explodes on a Chicago train, derailing the locomotive and killing hundreds. In an attempt to identify the bomber and prevent another, larger attack on downtown Chicago, Captain Colter Stevens (Gyllenhaal) takes part in a clandestine government experiment dubbed "Source Code”, which allows him to enter the body of a male passenger during the eight minutes before the man is killed. But during his first trip back, Captain Stevens fails to gather enough clues to prevent the second attack.

With time quickly running out, Captain Stevens must relive the incident repeatedly, piecing together clues while attempting to solve the mystery behind the bombs -- all in a desperate race to head off one of the most deadly attacks ever to take place on American soil.

Sunday – BBC1 – Blue Planet II 8pm ***New Series***

The nature documentary that explores the deepest and darkest realms of the world's oceans is returning - and will feature a crab named after David Hasselhoff.

Footage of marine life in different environments around the north, beginning with a tropical coral reef which has medicinal properties for dolphins, and is used as a tool by tusk fish. In Japan, a shipwreck is home to the Asian sheepshead wrasse, which can change gender, while in the polar north, walruses struggle to find ice floes for their pups to rest on as climate change takes its toll on the environment.

Sunday – Dave – The Last Man On Earth 11pm ***New Series***

Post-apocalyptic comedy created and starring Will Forte. The Last Man on Earth is a single-camera comedy that chronicles the life and adventures of an average guy who just so happens to be the last man on earth.

The show’s third season picks up where the season two finale left off, with the safety of the group of survivors in jeopardy as armed intruders in hazmat suits approach the house.

Monday – ITV - The Harbour 8pm ***New Series***

A documentary about Tenby in Pembrokeshire filmed over the course of a year, showing how the men and women who live and work in the seaside resort cope with the sea, the seasons, and the tourists. The opening edition introduces the people who make up Tenby's vibrant community, including harbourmasters Matt and Chris, and lifeboat coxswain Phil, whose family has a proud history of saving lives. Out at sea, Richard is bringing home the catch of the day for his wife Sarah to sell on the quayside.

Monday – BBC1 – The Hour 10:40pm ***New Series***

Presented by Catrin Nye, a new presenting name to me will be hosting a national debate where 60 people get the chance to explore a topic in depth and holding politicians to account. I do love this kind of show it goes with my fascination with politics. That would be good to see but we know politicians speak with a forked tongue and rarely answer a question with a straight answer.

Tonight the main topic is tackling the subject of work and I wish Catrin good luck with that.

Tuesday – Dave – Dave Gorman: Modern Life is Goodish 10pm ***New Series***

Dave Gorman returns for another series of witty stand-up and wry observations.

To quote the official blurb:

In this series, Dave takes to fatherhood in his usual spirit: playing tricks with singing toys, interrogating children’s TV characters, and messing with modern Monopoly. What does the term ‘generation’ really mean? Why does his Mum use emoji’s? Are “Life Hacks” really any help at all? All these questions and more will be answered. Sort of. Along the way, Dave tests the merits of man versus machine, in all its life-like glory. Plus, he finds himself in a lucrative but compromising situation. Of course, no Modern Life Is Goodish would be complete without our host sifting through “the bottom half of the internet” for those real words by real people; digging out the ridiculous, opinionated and downright maddest reader comments to be found on the most frenzy-inducing newspaper articles for, what Dave likes to call, a Found Poem.

Wednesday – ITV Encore - The Frankenstein Chronicles 10pm ***New Series***

I came late to this TV series and had to play catch up but ended up enjoying it so here goes for the new series. The period crime drama opens with John Marlott is no longer a mere mortal and his purpose is to seek revenge on Lord Daniel Hervey for taking his life, and to redeem his soul after being wrongly convicted and hanged for murder.

Marlott must operate outside the law as he comes up against dark forces in high society and in the dangerous slums of the over-crowded capital. In the darkest corners of Georgian London, Marlott acts as defender of the poor and destitute as he fights to clear his name and bring Hervey to justice. Joining the cast for season two is Maeve Dermody (SS-GB, And Then There Were None) and Laurence Fox (Lewis, Fast Freddie The Widow And Me).

Thursday - Sky One – Living the Dream 9pm ***New Series***

We have six episodes to connect with The Pembertons decide it's time to leave rainy England and move to the sunshine state of Florida.

Dad Mal has bought an RV Park with plans for a booming family-run business, but it soon turns out that they are not going to be living the dream they hoped. Before they've even settled in, Mal discovers that the park is home to a group of eccentric residents who are not exactly thrilled to meet their new owners. Jen, the mum, has to learn how to survive American suburbia and the kids have to navigate a US high school.

With culture clashes aplenty, life in Britain soon seems even further away than they'd thought it would. But with the support of each other and their crazy new friends, they begin to learn how to live the American dream.

Friday – ITV – Bear’s Mission with Rob Brydon 9pm ***New Episode***

The comedian tries to keep smiling on a trek across Snowdonia.

Last time Rob Brydon went on a boys’ holiday, he was eating his way round Spain with Steve Coogan in The Trip. This trip is slightly less jolly, however. ‘If I have to die anywhere – Wales,’ says an apprehensive Rob while waiting for Bear Grylls to arrive and teach him how to survive in wet and windy Snowdonia.

After a 30ft jump from a helicopter into a freezing lake, Rob and Bear trek over the Welsh mountains, abseil 200ft into a sink hole, into which Bear drops their food and supplies – leaving Rob with no choice but to go down – and spend the night camped out on an exposed hillside. Despite all the hardship, Rob, as you’d expect, makes an entertaining companion for Bear and keeps his spirits high.

Nostalgia TV - BBC 'Dead of Night' - TV Review - TV Horror

The reason I love YouTube so much now and again it throws up a gem of nostalgia like yesterday when I came across a television horror anthology series the ”Dead of Night”, pretty obscure and made by the BBC. One thing for sure I don’t remember watching them back in the day I don’t think mum would have approved.

The BBC aired seven 50-minute episodes from November 1972 on a Sunday at 9:35pm and on BBC2, a channel we would rarely watch in our house three channels was so much choice. I found "Return Flight" and then The Exorcism - Dead of Night finally A Woman Sobbing and some research found out the other four were wiped by the BBC, which was the normal back then with many film reels were used repeatedly in a cost cutting effort.

On the plus side, YouTube had the three remaining episodes but what a sad waste destroying the others. They were an interesting watch, serious tone and there seemed to be a reasonable amount of psychological depth and well-rounded characters on display. It even was successfully chilling on a few occasions, which was great. The three I watched could in no way be call blood and guts horror and looked and felt dated that may affect a younger viewer but having lived through the time period I didn’t feel it.

Describing the stories that remain all feature what can be best as hauntings of troubled individuals. The episodes sometimes have subtexts underlying their supernatural tales, such as a socialist message underpinning 'The Exorcism' and feminism playing a similar role in 'A Woman Sobbing'. These two instalments incidentally are the strongest ones of the three, with the third 'Return Flight' feeling a little less focused and muddled. 'The Exorcism' is the most famous episode and quite rightly, so, it benefits from a very strong performance from Anna Cropper who is possessed by a ghost in a scene of remarkable intensity. It's the best moment in the series and the episode as a whole connects its social message within the ghost story framework extremely well. 'A Woman Sobbing' similarly benefits mainly from another very strong performance from its lead actress, in this case Anna Massey who plays a woman increasingly unhappy with her role in life as a housewife bringing up children. She is haunted by the sound of a woman crying in the night. Like 'The Exorcism' it's executed with considerable intelligence and is genuinely chilling at times.

Overall, I enjoyed seeing this little gem of horror TV. It's a criminal waste that most of the episodes only was broadcast the once, expect for the 'The Exorcism' which had a one of showing in the noughties. But three is better than zero, and these surviving episodes do indicate that this was a good quality series of contemporary ghost stories with social relevance and gets a thumbs up.

SAS heroes and Hollywooding of war films

I was reading a news article earlier about six SAS heroes (British Special forces) who spent around 40 days behind enemy lines during World War 2 in an operation to divert German troops away from the beaches on and after D-Day.

In true boys own stuff the operation was given the codename, ”Operation Titanic” with a low survival rate for the six SAS men. Working with local French Resistance, they led the Germans on a number of wild goose chases tying up German troops and keeping them away from the landing beaches.

The way they landed in France was interesting has they were dropped alongside a cluster of puppet parachutists to make the Germans think more men were landing than in reality. Once they regrouped after the drop, they activated gramophone speakers to simulate gunfire and set off improvised bombs, all part of the ruse to make the enemy troops believe it was a larger force of parachutists landing.

They were finally captured after 40 days behind enemy lines until the Germans stumbled upon them hiding in a barn after they decided to make a break for the Allied lines. After a fierce battle they were caught and were lucky, it was by German paratroopers who treated relatively well. Had the SS caught them they would have been executed for being saboteurs. Under orders from Hitler himself all commandos, Special Forces were to be shot on capturer.

On reading the article, I thought this would make a great film but in the arms of Hollywood, I could smell the changes they would make. The SAS becoming an equivalent American force starring Brad Pitt the leader with Chris Pine is tough sergeant and Scarlett Johansson the French Resistance get the picture. Has for the barn scene Pitt and his men take on a SS Division killing 100s before rounding up the survivors who are then marched through British lines to cheers from the British troops some on their knees praising them for saving the whole British Army.

It’s not as if the American film industry hasn’t got form on turning facts into an American story. In "Saving Private Ryan”, all mention of  British or Allied troops was omitted! Would that have happened if it were a British film? While in the film U-571, the British were admitted from the film and replaced by an American submarine and crew has they capture the Enigma cipher machine not the British sailors who capture the first naval Enigma machine in the North Atlantic in May 1941 before America entered the war. There was little in the end film that matched the true facts but when as Hollywood let facts get in the way.

Who can forget Objective, Burma! Even though it was based on the exploits of Merrill's Marauders, Objective Burma was withdrawn from release in the United Kingdom after it infuriated British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and drew protests about the Americanization of an almost entirely British, Indian and Commonwealth conflict. In Britain the film was given a new name by British soldiers who fought in the Far East remembered as the film in which Errol Flynn won the war single-handed’.

The Kitchen Sink Films - Classic British Films

You have to like a genre of films with the moniker ‘the kitchen sink’ a term used for a group of British films from the fifties and sixties. It was a society thing for years the working class in film were largely been used for comic effect stars like George Formby a 'salt of the earth' chappy.

A new wave of films showed a realism not seen before in British film, gritty was a word used a lot by the film critics. The working class now had money to spend and in their pockets it was the first time some were gaining economic power. After the Second World War with a Labour Government, the NHS, and plenty of work things began to change giving a strong voice to a working-class for the first time.

The workers were in control in the 50s and 60s with near full employment bosses were forced to treat workers has fair as possible to keep their workforce happy. You could walk out of a job in the morning and be in a new job by the afternoon and there were always strikes.

Two films I would put in genre but came later were Ken Loach’s much-acclaimed Kes (1969) is about an abused young boy by friend and family with an unbreakable spirit and a love for his kestrel, Kes. Another Loach film was Poor Cow (1967) follows a London woman’s will to survive after her violent husband his put in prison.

Three films below are what many would call confrontational films such as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), A Taste of Honey (1962) and This Sporting Life (1963) were noteworthy movies in the genre.

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Albert Finney plays the anti-hero Arthur Seaton, an angry-ish, frustrated young machinist at a Nottingham bike factory. His wages are more than the other machinists in the factory he doesn’t care he earns it his is attitude. He lives with his Mother and Father and loves nothing more than a pint or two as he parties hard he is also carrying on an affair with Brenda (Rachel Roberts), the bored and rather dowdy wife of an older workmate (Bryan Pringle). Being the happy-go-lucky guy he is Seaton also begins a relationship with Doreen (Shirley Anne Field), a sweet single woman closer to his age whom he meets in a pub.

Finney’s electrifying performance and in Roberts’s tragic portrait of a middle-aged woman scorned in what surely must be her last fling. She falls pregnant and the problem is she hasn’t had sex with her husband in months Seaton goes about getting it sort it.

Among a series of fine support performances, Pringle is outstanding as the workmate who finds out about his wife’s affair. It all comes to an head at the fair ground when Seaton and Brenda are spotted together by her husband and his brother and his friend on leave from the army get revenge on Seton by giving him a good kicking. Shirley Anne Field glows seductively as the sweet and yearning Doreen dreaming of a ring, marriage, and a new house on the new housing estate.

A Taste of Honey is about a 17-year old schoolgirl Jo (Rita Tushingham), with an abusive, alcoholic mother Helen (Dora Bryan). Their relationship is fraught with tension as they move from one shabby flat to another because Helen is dodging paying the rent.

Her mother’s new boyfriend Peter (Robert Stephens) dislikes Jo and they run away leaving Jo to fend for herself. She starts a relationship with a black sailor and gets pregnant they talk of marriage but he leaves when his ship leaves port. Jo moves a homosexual acquaintance, Geoffrey played brilliantly by (Murray Melvin) into her flat who she met while working in a shop. He was kicked out of his flat because of his sexuality. He becomes her surrogate husband/caretaker, cooking and cleaning but paying no rent. He offers to marry her for respectability sake, but despite being conflicted about motherhood, Jo realizes they can only be "girlfriends”. Helen returns after Peter throws her out. What happens to Jo becomes the focus of the film.

This Sporting Life the story begins when Frank Machin (Richard Harris), a young miner, becomes determined to win a place in the City rugby squad. They represent the only glamour in a small northern town revolving around the same routine – pit and factory by day, the pub, and dancehall by night. Frank lives with Mrs Hammond (Rachel Roberts), his landlady and her 2 young kids

While most of the town are in admiration of the team Frank refuses to join in the adulation of the players, picking a fight with one of them. When the team’s elderly scout Johnson (William Hartnell) arranges a successful trial, Frank holds out for a big money deal.

His arrogance offends some of the directors – but not the chairman, Weaver (Alan Badel). He takes Frank under his wing and grooms him for ‘stardom’ in a deliberate move to emphasise his power over the rest of the board.

Frank hopes his newfound wealth and fame will impress his landlady, the widow of a worker who died in an accident at Weaver’s factory. The two have a cagey relationship and even when it develops into a relationship with Frank becoming a surrogate father to her two young children, they are unable to express their love for each other. She feels consumed by guilt; he uses his aggressive, independent self-image as a shield against the world. But the film makes it clear that Frank is essentially an innocent – constantly manipulated by his new bosses at the club, realising too late that there’s more to life than being ‘a big ape on a rugby field’ and that he has merely exchanged one form of prison for another.

Frank's downward spiral builds to a climax that is both raw and powerful, but also artistic and moving, as he finally drops his guard and expresses emotion. But is it too late?

Remembering Ladybirds Books from my School Days

I mentioned yesterday while reviewing the new series of ‘Gunpowder’ the first I knew about the plot was reading the Ladybirds book “James 1 and the Gunpowder Plot” in school back in the sixties. It sparked a memory which is not a surprise or unheard of with me. Which were my favourites, my top five. I must have read most of the books release during my time in infant school and stole a few what a boy naughty I was.

Funny that even before I did some research I remember most of the titles but these five are the ones that I loved and there is a theme to them. Great leaders of men, heroes of British history excluding Alexander the Great and Willian the Conqueror a Frenchman who after killing King Harold in battle became King of England.. At least at the age of 8 onwards we were learning basic history if you were to ask kids of today who these men were I doubt any would have an idea who they were.

Ladybirds books were not just about heroes the was books like the fairy tale Rapunzel and Cinderella. There were also books about the Police and the Post Office. However, I was a dreamer and loved the idea of adventure and war. Richard the Lion Heart for one the warrior King and later I found out although he was born in England where he spent his childhood; after becoming king and during his reign he spent maybe as little as six months, in England choosing to lived most of his adult life in the Duchy of Aquitaine when he was not warmongering.

That’s what the Ladybird books did! Waking up your mind putting a spark of interest so if you saw a film, TV show or read a book it would add to your knowledge. Also there were so many twist and turns in history, what you listen to, read and seeing was it fact or fiction. That the problem was history so many authors/writers have their finger in the pie when none of them was there at the Battle of Agincourt Henry V great victory. The French writers at the time would have glossed over the French defeat while the English writers would have big up the victory.

Maybe out of these five favourites it’s the Captain Scott story that is my number one it was well documented and although he failed in this quest to be first to reach the South Pole and died along with his comrades this story shows that British stiff upper lip and true grit of the British explorers. Ever since reading the Captain Scott Ladybird book I have had a fascination with the North and South Pole more the Southern and the expeditions to the Antarctic regions.

Gunpowder (BBC1) - TV Review

I have been looking forward to this three part series from the BBC “Gunpowder”. There has been plenty of pre airing advertising and newspaper/magazine chatter about gore and blood so I rather knew what to expect, I was hoping anyway. However, it didn’t stop the keyboard warriors hitting social media shocked as they puked into the nearest bucket in horror.

My early knowledge about the Gunpowder Plot came from a Ladybird book in school (see picture below) It was not gore or full of blood.

I must say the scene production team got the feel of the streets of England/London in 1603 right. Well what I expected they looked like having not been around myself at the time. Kit Harrington stars, yes John Snow from Games of Thrones playing Robert Catesby a Warwickshire man who was the mastermind behind the plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament on November 5 in 1605. So it was not Guy Fawkes! You think of November 5 its old Fawkes most believe is the main man so are we watching Fact or fiction. Really, I don’t care as long as I am entertained.

So it was not ‘Penny for the Guy’ it should have penny for Robert.

Catholicism was the enemy. Not really even the King wanted to live in peace with his Catholic subjects knowing it could damage peace talks with Catholic Spain who was at war with England and the rest of us. But those who had the ear of the King wanted to cleanse the country of the papists. Has for the King he was camping it up a bit he could well be batting for both sides even the third side as he likes to dress up.

He was wholly outmanoeuvred by Lord Robert Cecil, (Mark Gatiss) who wanted to hang, draw, quarter, burn, or crush, though preferably all five, every papist in the land. Robert Catesby was fermenting some kind of plan to strike back at the establishment and he needed someone! Who could that be?

Liv Tyler as his cousin Ann Vaux is tremendous. She watched as her aunt put her god before the King and before a baying crowd. She and Catesby stood among them watching as Lady Dorothy Dibdale (Sian Webber) was put to death and we had a bit of a Braveheart moment as she looks to them standing there in the crowd.

First, I wondered why one of the executioners places a stone on the platform then Lady Dibdale is stripped, tied laying on top of the stone when a heavy looking door is placed on top followed by heavy weights that are placed on top until her back breaks. Then a young man a priest also caught at Lady Dibdale’s house as hung drawn quartered and his head dipped in a bucket of tar. I was hoping that was not the promise gore if it was I would be disappointed, I was. After all, I clutched my bum cheeks together so I wouldn’t miss something.

Of Guy Fawkes, we had a short glimpse of him at the end when he neatly skewered a spy. If you missed get to the iPlayer were you can see all three episodes but I will be sticking to my Saturday night.

Harington dominates, moody and smoulderingly with a large dose of anger, a kin to previous mentioned John Snow... However, the chief scene-stealer is Cecil. He simpers, he wheedles, he has something wrong with his neck, and he casually orders up unconscionable violence… he’s a tremendous villain. He is joined by is henchman Sir William Wade (Shaun Dooley) is chief door knocker and rounder up of the Catholics.

Has a Catholic myself I warmed to this dubious duo but I feel if I was round in the 1600s not so much. Why haven’t has Catholics got a William Wade or Robert Cecil day were we get to let of some fireworks and build a bonfire.

Must see TV - Week beginning 21/10/2017 - The Return of the Walking Dead

Last week there was no ’Must see’ TV recommendations due to the fact there was little due to be televised that interested me. So the few shows I thought I would review I didn’t but still there was enough to interest me and keep this couch potato happy.

The big treat of the week is the return of the Walking Dead on Monday so Monday night is sorted for me but with a bit of a change. Since the crack down on iffy internet streaming sites, they are hard to find and watch content before I would watch Walking Dead before it was screen on Fox. Now I will have to wait until the 9pm broadcast like everyone else.

Saturday – BBC1 – Gunpowder 9:15 *** New series***

Following the death of Elizabeth I, King James of Scotland claims the English throne, and the country goes to war with Catholic Spain. As a result, English Catholics are persecuted driven into hiding, but after witnessing the brutal means by which the Crown intends to punish his people for practicing their faith, recusant Catholic Robert Catesby devises a treasonous plot to assassinate King James.

However, he must first enlist the aid of stalwart allies, and heads to Brussels to seek the help of a hardened war veteran named Guy Fawkes. Three-part historical drama, starring Kit Harington as Catesby - his own ancestor - alongside Liv Tyler, Mark Gatiss, Derek Riddell, and Tom Cullen.

Sunday – BBC2 - Robot Wars 8pm ***New series***

Its back on our TV screen and it brings the inner child out to play with dreams of remote control madness. As a kid I always wanted to be General Jumbo he who controlled a remote control army. This is the next best thing.

Dara O Briain and Angela Scanlon present a new format for the contest. Among the new twists are a new hazard that fills the arena with fog, Robot Redemption rounds, in which losing teams have a chance to get back into the contest, and the show's biggest ever battle, the Ten Robot Rumble, in which 10 teams battle to the death with no time limit, this I like a lot.

Monday – History Channel - Ice Road Truckers 8pm ***New series***

The drivers are ready for what is forecast to be a cold and busy winter, but the tragic passing of Darrell Ward leaves them wondering who can take his place. What about his partnership with Lisa Kelly.

Alex Debogorski is pulling a trailer packed with snowmobiles destined for the tiny town of Aklavik in the Northwest Territories and has to cross the frozen delta of the Mackenzie River. In Manitoba, Rick Yemm stops his wagon on a blind corner to take a toilet break without leaving Hugh Rowland much room to squeeze by, putting them both in severe danger. You won’t have to wait a week for the next episode this series will run night.

Monday – Fox Channel – The Walking Dead 9pm ***New series***

The post-apocalyptic drama returns, with lots to answer from its last airing as Rick's group bands together with Maggie's Hilltop survivors and the residents of Ezekiel's Kingdom to take the fight to Negan.

Its Season 8 premiere is also its 100th episode, and what I noticed about the end of the last series was the lack of walkers as the battle now turned to the fight between two groups of survivors with the walkers turning more into props. With little in the way of major spoilers, the fight between Rick and Negan could be all consuming. Although of course, the show could shift back at any time.

Tuesday – Channel 4 - The End of the F***king World 10:20pm ***New series***

The End of the F***king World invites viewers into the dark and confusing lives of teen outsiders James (Alex Lawther) and Alyssa (Jessica Barden) as they embark on a road trip to find Alyssa’s father, who left home when she was a child.

James, 17, is pretty sure he’s a psychopath – emotionally detached, cold and disdainful, he’s decided he’s ready to graduate from killing animals. He thinks it might be interesting to kill something bigger…a human. And he’s got the perfect person in mind…

Alyssa, also 17, is new in school – cool and moody, she’s existential angst made flesh. But despite being popular at school, she still feels like she doesn’t belong. Spotting James one day at school, however, she thinks she may have found a soulmate…

When things come to a head at home between Alyssa, her mother and stepdad, she leaves and persuades James to join her in search of her real father. And so begins a journey of discovery that becomes progressively ominous as James’s urge to act on his sociopathic and violent inclinations increase while Alyssa, blinded by young love, remains wilfully ignorant of the consequences that lie at the end of the road. One night, however, the pair find themselves caught up in events that lead them down an ever more menacing and surreal path. First Episode will premiere on Channel 4 with the entire box set going onto All4 at the same time.

Wednesday – Sky One - Bounty Hunters 10pm ***New series***

New action/comedy starring Jack Whitehall & Rosie Perez.

When his antique dealer dad winds up in hospital following a mysterious accident, book-smart Barnaby Walker (Jack Whitehall) takes it upon himself to save the family’s cash-strapped business.

What could possibly go wrong? Well, a dodgy deal masterminded by his dad (Robert Lindsay) leaves Barnaby £50,000 down and lumbered with a looted treasure. He’s determined to reclaim his cash, but to do so he needs help. Big time.

Enter Nina Morales, a tough New Yorker who Barnaby’s sister (Charity Wakefield) met while travelling. Nina and Barnaby couldn’t be more different. She’s a gun-toting, Brooklyn bounty hunter, while he drives a tiny G-Wiz car and lives in Wimbledon. She’s wanted by a dangerous Mexican drug cartel while he’s doing a PhD in Flemish textiles.

Wednesday – Channel 4 – Man Down 10pm ***New series***

This is series 4 for Greg Davies playing Dan a childish idiot trapped in an adult's life, helped along by his uniquely dysfunctional best friends, Jo (Conaty) and Brian (Wozniak).

Walking disaster area Dan (Greg Davies) who also wrote this comedy has quit his job as a teacher to try another more earthy profession. He’s also on an increasingly desperate hunt to find a new home for his soon to be family. Can he finally grow up to become the man he hopes to be?

Thursday - Comedy Central - Takeshi's Castle ***New series***

I remember back in the early days of Sky TV every Sunday morning watching Takeshi’s Castle and the crazy Japanese contestant on this nutty game show. One of my favourite games was the doors one where contestants have to find the right door to safety while evading monsters chasing them.

Revival of the Japanese game show is true to the original in which contestants take on obstacle courses as they attempt to storm the castle. In the original, Craig Charles (Red Dwarf fame) gave an innuendo-filled voiceover in this new series its Jonathan Ross I hope he is as good.

Thursday – Discovery Channel – Alaskan Bush People 9pm ***New series***

A family living off the grid in Alaska building their own community of Brownstown. It might not seem easy but in the end is it worth it! There has been much decision surrounding the series and how real it is.

In the Season 7 premiere, the displaced Browns struggle through a devastating transition, while Ami undergoes testing due to recent health concerns. Later, Brownstown is under the care of a lone protector, as Noah braves the dangers of the wilderness to defend the homestead. There is reported to be plenty of changes and upheaval with in the brown family in this series.

Thursday – Channel 5 - Borderline 11:05pm ***New series***

Borderline is set at a border control department of a fictional Northend Airport, showed that mockumentary remains very funny when done well.

Borderline owed a lot to The Office. The ensemble cast of border agents and baggage handlers contained a put-upon boss, a few grotesques for laughs, and a couple of everyman/women for the eye-rolling reaction shots. Everyone hated his or her job. This led to some good jokes about immigration, almost all of which nestled on the borderline of the title somewhere between near the knuckle and over the top.

Friday – Horror Channel - The Hills Have Eyes II 12:40pm ***Film***

A team of trainees of the National Guard brings supply to the New Mexico Desert for a group of soldiers and scientists that are installing a monitoring system in Sector 16. They do not find anybody in the camp, and they receive a blurred distress signal from the hills. Their sergeant gathers a rescue team, and they are attacked and trapped by deformed cannibals, having to fight to survive.

Little do they know the mutant cannibals lurk in them there hills, have a master plan to kill the men and keep the women as breeders to ensure survival.