Road to Wembley - Next Round

It’s all change on the ‘Road to Wembley’ armchair special has Oadby Town bit the dust on Saturday losing 3-1 to Solihull Moors so they are my new team. I know nothing about Solihull Moors other than seeing their name pop up from time to time on result shows. They play in the National League North two promotions away from the Football League.

They will have to wait until after the replay between Holbeach United or Worcester City to see who they will be playing. Why the need for replays is beyond me just finish the game on the day like in the Welsh Cup.

My fate has been tied to Oadby since the opening game of the competition when they beat my chosen team Quorn FC but will pocket around £5,000 for their three wins. Very helpful for football clubs this end of the Football pyramid showing why a good cup run can be all so important.

Looking at some of the other fixtures one that caught my eye was Oxford City who play in the National League South who have six Spanish players in there team brought in my head coach Enrique Guillen. They were in the hat after a win and their reward was an away fixture against Bognor Regis Town.

Road so far …

3rd Round Qualifying - Solihull Moors v Holbeach United or Worcester City

2nd Round Qualifying - Solihull Moors 3-1 Oadby Town

1st Round Qualifying - Sutton Coldfield Town 0-1 Oadby Town

Preliminary Round - Harborough Town 1-3 Oadby Town

Extra Preliminary Round - Quorn FC 0-2 Oadby Town

My Favourite Bond Tune - We Have All the Time in the World

With the new, James Bond, song all over the news and social media it got me thinking about my favourite Bond tune. To be honest it wasn’t hard to come up with because there was never going to be any kind of a contest.

The opening sequence of, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", was an instrumental arrangement, but within the film is a killer tune “We Have All the Time in the World", sung by Louis Armstrong. Armstrong was the ideal person to sing the sentiment of the song, especially with everything he had gone through the previous years his voice now burned to a husk that just lent a deeper emotion to the song.

Because the film was generally regarded a turkey by the critics and the majority of Bond fans the song not getting the recognition it deserved. It failed to chart in the USA or UK. In 1994, 25 years after the original recording, Guinness used it in a television commercial in the UK. All of a sudden, people were clamouring for this long-forgotten Louis Armstrong recording, to the point that it hit the UK music charts reaching third in the charts.

It just happens to come from one of my favourite Bond movies ‘On Her Majesty's Secret Service’ (1969) in my opinion one of the best early film of the series. I felt that the critics unfairly slagged off George Lazenby for his performance. He did the best that he could seeing it was his first movie after a number of years modelling in London.

The action set pieces were impressive, Diana Rigg was hot as the leading lady, and Telly Savalas was excellent as the baddie, Blofeld. Everything about this movie had a cool aura to it. The stunt scenes were amazing (for it's era) and the cinematography was beautifully shot. I had one bone to pick with the film. The in jokes got a bit heavy handed. Other than that, it's a fun and enjoy action film.

Bounty spread ...not for me

A few weeks ago, I blogged an article about NASA awarding £127,000+ grant per year into researching turning poo into food for astronauts on long space journeys. However maybe they got the spec wrong because some food boffin as come up with Bounty spread. I would put this on a par with the poo in space it doesn’t sound appetising.

Someone out there is probably jumping up and down in excitement at the thought of a new food delicacy but not me I didn’t like the bar so I will definitely not like the ruddy spread. These days’ companies try to milk every penny out of a product and its name. We have all heard of ‘Pop-Tarts’? Well you just drop one into a toaster and after a few minutes you a have a pop tart with a filling of crap but warmed up, toasted. I wouldn’t know having never tasted one but I am looking forward to someone coming out with the Wagon Wheel pop up tart.

I haven’t seen the product in the shop has of yet but I am lead to believe the spread is milk based and studded with scrummy coconut flakes. There is, however, no chocolate involved so why are they using the Bounty name.

The best thing to spread on toast is a nice dollop of butter and if you are that way inclined cheese, jam and the more classic spreads. In my book, its sad people who will put peanut butter, chocolate and other stuff on their toast just because some food boffin in some laboratory came up with it doesn’t make it some great idea. That includes the wife and sons who will spread crap like that on their toast.

The Hunger - Film Review

One of the great things about deciding to write reviews for the blog is that it’s an excuse to re-watch movies I haven’t seen in a while (like I need an excuse!).

Last night’s offering was the vampire movie ‘The Hunger’ visually stunning and starring Catherine Deneuve a favourite of mine and star of one of my all-time great films Belle de Jour. She (Deneuve) oozes sexuality in this film and does nothing to dampen down the feeling only enhance it a few degrees more. The film also stars David Bowie and Susan Sarandon.

The reason this movie matters comes down to the lush gothic styling, the bold use of eroticism, the three iconic actors so perfectly cast and one of the coolest movies I've ever seen. The 80s fashion style. Lesbian sex and mostly female nudity but it gets most of my rating from the cool, almost smoky style of its sets and Deneuve's effortless blending into her role as the ageless vampire.

I mean the movie actually opens with Bauhaus performing Bela Lugosi's Dead as David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve stalk their prey and murder them by slitting their throats with blades no fang action. There isn't much of the usual vampire accessories, no crosses, wooden stakes, garlic, or Van Helsing. They do prefer the dark but don't burn up in sunlight.

We find John (Bowie) looking forward to a life of immortality little knowing Miriam’s (Deneuve) companions all age and end up as decrepit husks of bodies, confined to coffins. As he starts to age himself, he seeks out help from Dr. Sarah Roberts (Sarandon) who is conducting a research project into sleep and longevity but as they talk, he ages in front of her and he runs away. John tries to feed but fails and then turns on young girl Alice – who is to be his replacement – and kills the girl, but the aging does not stop.

Sarah visits Miriam, trying to track down John, and Miriam begins Sarah's seduction as the next companion. Miriam’s presence seems to be all around Sarah and then, in an erotically charged scene tinged with pure horror, the seduction is completed. Miriam plays the piano for them then they retire to bed and whilst they make love, the screen becomes full of images of blood cells and them feeding on each other, Miriam is creating a new companion. I am not going to give away the ending but I would recommend watching it again.

The Hunger may not be a perfect film, but It is clear from the first frame that it will be a visual feast for your eyes. The editing and soundtrack make for an exquisite looking film.

Maybe I was a sucker

A few months ago, I was looking on the magazine rack in the shop and noticed one of those new collection magazines the kind you have to build something or learn to bake cakes or knit. The one that caught my eye was ‘Art Therapy’. I remembered only the week before the wife had arrived home with a colouring book in hand so I thought to myself why not buy the first issue and maybe order it because like I’m always telling her “I am a good husband”.

I had now entered the financial dark side of this kind of magazine, which I should have remembered. I was probably looking for brownie points from the wife always a mistake when it involves money. The first issue is always at a throw away price, this was 99p thereafter the price was £2.99. I thought it would be monthly or more likely fortnightly but it turned out to be a weekly magazine.

I felt like a real sucker going to the shop for the latest edition earlier. I had the feeling everyone is laughing at me thinking what a loser. I must have paid out nearly £80 so far on some colouring books and pens all of which I could have bought in the discount shop ‘Works’. You can get a colouring book anywhere cheaply but I am paying £2.99 for three colouring pencils ‘What a Loser’. God knows when it will come to an end but the wife told me to cancel it, good for her and maybe I will.

I am having it better than some suckers, having noticed the other day there was a new magazine on the shelf, Zippo Lighters opening price £4.99 where after that who knows I can guarantee. it won’t be cheap. I remember reading about the chance to build the Millennium Falcon that would set you back around £900 for a 100 magazine near a two-year subscription, it would have been cheaper to buy one.

Heil Honey, I'm Home! the Sitcom

I love to throw a curveball into the mix when looking for things to write for this blog. Sometimes it’s a memory but more often than not, something will come from something I write. A flickering of a memory can spark off a search. Well that happened the other day on writing about the old British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) which lead to a google for the programming schedule.

I remembered Jupiter Moon a science fiction series broadcast on the Galaxy Channel, which after the merger with sky became Sky 1. Jupiter Moon was a bit crappy sold to the watching public as a soap opera in space. The channel also showed repeats from the BBC library – Doctor Who, Secret Army, and Grange Hill.

Writers come up with some crazy ideas for TV sitcoms but I would have loved to be in the room when someone came up with the idea, Heil Honey, I'm Home! A comedy show about Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun living next door to a Jewish couple in pre-war Berlin.

Although the series was British produced, it was filmed like an American 50s-style sitcom, ‘Hi Love Lucy’ comes into mind with the accompanying catchy theme tune and canned laughter and clapping. I can’t remember watching it but I get the feeling I must have back in the day. A quick search of YouTube and I found it but wish I hadn’t I couldn’t crack the tiniest of giddles it was that bad.

The setup is both simple and totally insane. Adolf Hitler with his trusty wife Eva Braun, you were never going to get a history lesson. They are neighbours of Arny and Rosa Goldenstein, it’s in the surname folks just in case you missed it they are Jewish. His day-to-day consists of being Chancellor of Germany’s National Socialist party and hiding his plans for global domination from the Allied forces. The jist of this first episode was British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was dining with the Hitler’s but Eva was not to mention it to the Goldenstein. Adolf was still smarting after the Goldenstein spoiled is last party for Mussolini.

On finding out Rosa invites herself a long to dinner to set the Prime Minister up with her visiting niece, who’s a bit nerdy if not borderline insane. Hitler decides the best way to hide the “Peace for our time” agreement document, stick it in the icebox. As I mentioned earlier only one episode was broadcast of the rumoured eight episode first season after an outcry and it when into the dustbin where it belonged.

This is dread man. Truly dread - its Rugby.

Stating the obvious

Well that snuck up quietly ‘The Rugby World Cup’ I had no idea when it was about to start until someone was mouthing off on Facebook about no Coronation Street tomorrow night. I would take issue with the description of World Cup has most of the world has no idea or interest in rugby.

Yes, I am a long time rugby hater so it will have little effect on me but I figure my social media will be full of rugby chatter. I was lucky my dad was a football fan with no interest in rugby it was not as if he told be football or rugby that decision was all mine.

I have been rather diplomatic with the use of the word rugby so let me call it what it is ‘Eggby’. I can honestly say there is not a bone in my body that could be given over to or have an interest in egg chasing.

This hatred is not a yesterday thing this goes back to the 70s the so-called heyday of Welsh eggby the time of Barry John, Gareth Edwards and JPR Williams when you were considered a freak if you weren’t a fan.

The only time I hate living in Wales is when some eggby international game is on because the Welsh media goes ape sh*t about the game. It has been building for the last week or so and then, Max Boyce, appears on our TV screen. The local news has endless interviews with fuckwit, ex-players who can just about pronounce their own name let alone conduct a lucid chat.

I remember the rugby mad sports teacher at my oldest son’s primary school asking if my son could turn out for the rugby team because they were short on players. Ok my son was up for it but he was nearly decapitated by the fat boy on the opposing team.

Thank god, this World Cup is on ITV so we don’t have to put up was endless mini dramas courtesy of BBC Wales while our beautiful town centre is full of idiotic fans with large daffodils and leek and daffodil hats. If you got a box and made a hole for a toilet roll, paint it black, and put it on your shoulder what do you get. A bunch of eggby fans waving at themselves ‘look at me I’m on TV’.

Consider the scrum, why, that’s it why bother, 16 men push themselves back and forth but look towards the north of England and rugby league their kind of scrum is simpler and quicker while back in the union game, collapsed scrums and balls not going in straight slows the game down. That’s why I like rugby league over union so I do like some rugby.

Take Wales’s first game home to Uruguay on Saturday. Uruguay that bastion of rugby where they live and breathe the game.

Winding up my rant I would like to offer you this parting shot: You can abuse me as much as you want; you can call me a traitor; you can insult my Welshness. So please, please, please, do not call me a rugby supporter, interested in rugby, watching rugby, chatting about rugby but you can prepare for some sarcasm. I’m a NIMTY - Not In my Timeline but I can’t really defend un-friending people over rugby I believe in democracy.

On a lighter note, have you tried playing football with a rugby ball? It’s more fun than playing the game.

This is Peter ‘90

Taking a leaf out of Shane Meadows This is England ’90 I cast my mind back to 1990.

Married for five years with three boys four and under. Like Woody, I was a househusband staying home with the kids while the wife was out grafting. Socially with three young kids there was not much happening like time to party but we did the deed (three times) so we had to take the consequences which meant little to no social life. My getaway was Cardiff City and an ever-decreasing number of away games and the odd trip to the pub.

On the subject of Cardiff they were in the sh*t and I could have cried but didn’t. That year offered relegation followed by Division 4 football. It was tough times but your team was your team.

Money was tight so there was not much to splash around with the priority the family, always the family. However, there was always a meal on the table and a lot of love. Love on a shoestring, how quaint, but not fun.

Satellite came to the house in the shape of British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) I picked them over Sky because they had the rights for the Football League. It didn’t last long before BSB merged with Sky Television, becoming British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) and we got a free sky dish. TV was mostly used to keep the children happy and quite but in-between the adults in the house have chance to watch more grown up TV.

Musically nothing much happen that year to set me alight leaving me to make do with past glories of the music industry. Emma came sixth in Eurovision Song Contest singing "Give a Little Love Back to the World" that was when some countries in Europe liked us.

The weather was typical British fair at the beginning of the year there were storms to deal with and a summer heatwave with a couple of nice dollops of snow towards Christmas only for storms to return before the big day.Looking back it was not the most interesting time in my life but that is marriage and kids for you.

Fashion and me, that is a joke, I was in the jeans, t-shirt, and High-Tec trainer’s tribe putting two fingers up to trends and shell suits.

The big news story that year was President of South Africa F. W. de Klerk announcing the release of Nelson Mandela and I remember him walking out from Victor Verster Prison, near Cape Town, South Africa, after 27 years behind bars. The Poll Tax Riots in London made interesting TV if you liked carnage and later that year Margaret Thatcher announced her resignation as Leader of the Conservative Party and therefore as Prime Minister after failing to win outright victory in a leadership contest. She cried on leaving Downing Street but there was a large cheer in some communities around the country blighted by her policies.

Cold winter for UK?

The UK climate this winter could be shaping up to be the coldest in many a year according to the weather people thanks to a record El Nino. An El Nino is a phenomenon, which sees ocean temperatures rise in the eastern Pacific that can result in colder winters in northern Europe and the UK.

Emergency services have been warned to prepare for a repeat of the devastating 1962/63 winter that saw rivers and lakes freeze over across Britain.

There are predictions galore about what ‘could’ happen the most savage winter in more than 50 years say some with months of heavy snowfall and bitter Arctic winds. Which may bring the whole country to a total standstill with fuel and food shortages.

So is it time to put together an emergency food store? Buy a gas camping stove and a whole bunch of candles. Stock up on gas and electricity if like promised we have another 1962/63 winter. I heard the stories from my Mum about how bad it was with power cuts and other shortages. With the talk of months of snow, we could be housebound for weeks even longer. The wife’s wheelchair is useless in the snow so I can’t send her out shopping.

Before the white stuff starts landing Britain is on severe flood alert for the next week for heavy rain that will unleash extreme weather chaos.

Germany learning to late

I am not going to say I told you so to German Chancellor Angela Merkel but no country in the world could just throw open there borders without control and expect a trickle not to turn into a flood.

Germany are reintroducing border controls with Austria and halting all trains with up to 2,100 riot police deployed to help carry out checks to bring some order to the entry of refugees. Tens of thousands of refugees have been arriving in southern Germany in recent weeks, with some reports suggesting around 13,000 reached Munich on Saturday alone.

The system is being overstretched according to German officials with the numbers involved wanting to enter. There are reports only those with "valid travel documents" would be allowed to enter the country with Syrians having priority over others. Asylum seekers are generally accepted within the richer countries of Europe while migrants are deed to be economic just looking for work and seeking a better life and are less welcome.

Listening to many Asylum seekers/migrants, they are planning a new life with no prospect of returning to their own country. Again, every other somebody interviewed seems to be a student looking to carry on their education.

The German decision could have knock on effects with the Czech Republic announcing that it was imposing similar measures on its own border with Austria. How long before Austria is forced to do the same with their border with Hungary who themselves will have fenced of their border with Serbia within days, which is the chosen route into Europe via Greece and Macedonia. Serbia is now rushing to push up to 30,000 over the Hungary and Serbia border before it closes.

Maybe Europe should have been taking people from the camps before this mass influx of people we are seeing now. Many people are making money out of this misery be it through Turkey or crossing the Mediterranean but death and hardship is not deterring people from making the trip.

Double Road - FA Cup and Welsh Cup

It was a double ‘road’ from the armchair yesterday with games in the FA Cup and Welsh Cup being played.

In the FA Cup, the team I am following until someone kicks them out, Oadby Town FC, yesterday were away at Sutton Coldfield Town FC. Oadby when into the game slight underdogs owing to Sutton playing a higher level of football and a goal before half time was good enough to see Oadby in the hat for the next round.

My team in the Welsh Cup Brecon Corries were also on the road at Cwm Welfare. Corries took a two-goal lead within 23 minutes with the home team pulling one back but failed to stop Brecon being in the hat for the next round. More Welsh Cup news and it was good to see local Cardiff team AFC Butetown move into the next round after a thumping 5-0 win at their San Siro ground over Chepstow Town.

Corbyn on the frontpages

About what you would expect from the Express

Fair headline

Another paper with a welcoming headline for the new Labour leader

It has just the start Corbyn will find no joy in the pages of the Times

The Labour leader gets a fairer go in the Labour supporting newspaper

The war has begun and it will never stop 

Can Corbyn win back Scotland the SNP could be worried

Crack a joke but the Sunday will gave him a rough ride

He makes the frontpage over the pond

Could we expect anything else from this tabloid

Corbyn wins but do Labour loose

I would like to thank Jeremy Corbyn and his cronies for another five years of Tory government you might have well voted Tory in 2020. Little has been said about the Deputy Leader election but on the coat tails of the Corbyn effect left leaning Tom Watson was the winner.

My loyalty to the Labour party is now going to be called into question by me because a Corbyn party is not for me although I like some of his policies. Fighting some long forgotten wars of the left is not for me sometimes listening to Corbyn it is as if I was back in the late 70s, early 80s. If you are some ‘anti-it’ kind of person – anti -NATO, nuclear weapons, rich, royalty, anti-America your new home could well be the new left dominated new Labour party. Re-opening coal mines will not go down well with the Green party but should have Arthur Scargill dancing in the street. I get the feeling those on the left of the party would quite happily welcome opposition politics 1n 2020 because they could stay rooted to their principles.

Plenty were convinced that Corbyn will romp home as his campaign took on steam, so was I, and some bookies paid out early. I blame this fiasco on the people who voted for him just to see someone from the left on the ballot paper. Didn’t they shoot themselves in the foot? I still class one of the greatest political speeches I have had the pleasure of listening to was one given by Neil Kinnock attacking Militant. I feel they are back under the wider branches of the left who may dominate the party leadership but the parliamentary party is far from being left inclined.

Everyone in the Labour party are talking love and fellowship for the good of the party now the leadership battle is over. However, I predict a bloodbath with the left having plenty of scores to settle and the Tory press and the Tories themselves loving the prospect. I can see over the next five years a war on the Blairites and the like with the weapon of choice de-selection to be replaced in favour of Corbynites.

The left are constantly saying the Tories are in the pockets of business but the unions are doing the same with Corbyn who is in the pocket of most of the unions has payment for their support. To me there is no difference between the two. Both supporter clubs filling up each parties bank accounts and I have no problems with either.

Today I would say there is no chance of a Prime Minister Corbyn come the next general election but come that change over the coming years I doubt it.

Citizen Smith coming back

Maybe the pending victory of Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership battle will bring me some joy with the strong rumour doing the rounds of the media of the return of the popular Seventies sitcom Citizen Smith. Yes the return of Wolfie Smith.

I would love to see it come back.

Robert Lindsay, who starred as would-be revolutionary Wolfie Smith in the 1970s sitcom says he’s been approached to bring back the hapless Marxist.

And the plan, inspired by the rise of Corbyn, would be to give the former leader of the Tooting Popular Front a whiff of real power.

In an interview with The Independent, Lindsay said: ‘I’ve been chased by a production company which is very much trying to get Wolfie to run for the Labour Party and bring him back into power. I think that’s a fantastic idea.’

And he said he had unfinished business with the show, which ran for four series from 1977 to 1980 – saying he quit because he wanted to be a serious actor and ‘the word “sitcom” becomes such a dirty word’.

Gogglebox returns to Channel 4 tonight

I love Gogglebox being a bit of an armchair critic myself and I prefer to hear and read the ordinary folk talk TV than some cynical professional critic. The only problem I have was the show is the seemingly love-in with the X Factor, which in the last series seemed to be on weekly.

I am hoping some of the old favourites will be returning to the show like golden oldies June and Leon, Steph and Dom and the fantastic Sandi and Sandra we all have our favourites. It is a simple format with members of the British public sitting in their living rooms and commenting on what they’re viewing, sometimes they are harsh but aren’t we all at some point. TV creates a lot of comment within any family there are some arguments.

Take the new series of Grand Designs on the other day. While I was all excited, the rest of the house couldn’t give a monkey over a guy spending £1.5m on building a house when he had a perfectly good house anyway. I just sat back soaking up the negatively.

I like what I like at the end of the day and always make my own mind up on what I am watching be it on the Radio, TV, or a Film. It would be an awful world if everyone agreed, don’t you think so, and I now have the Friday night nine-o’clock TV slot tied down for the near future.

The show became a TV sensation almost overnight, going on to win a BAFTA in 2014, and a National Television Award in 2015. I watch the last series of Gogglebox Australia via the internet and that was interesting especially when they comment on British TV.

Inglourious Basterds

Last night I ended up watching ‘Inglourious Basterds’ which I have seen a few times before and forgot how much I enjoy the film. It also helps to watch a film late at night when it quiet and there is little to distract you.

I like a good war based film and the fact that this one is no way factual still it’s a boys own adventure with some interesting scenes. First, I don’t think Adolf Hitler was gunned down in a cinema in Paris but director Quentin Tarantino simply knows how to tell a damn good story at almost two and a half hours long. Ok the film also takes many liberties with history but I don’t care if entertained.

The film follows two converging stories to a spectacular end. You have Lt. Aldo Raine played by Brad Pitt leader of a group of Jewish-American soldiers ‘The Basterds’ in Nazi-occupied France running amuck. They scalp many Nazis and are very joyous in there killing well they are Germans and they is even a German among the ranks of the Basterds.

Shosanna Dreyfus played by Mélanie Laurent takes the lead in the second after escaping the murder of her family by a devilish Nazi SS Col. Hans Landa known as ‘The Jew Hunter’ played by Christoph Waltz she is out for revenge.

Some criticize the length of some of the scenes, long periods of dialogue and drawn out sequences create an uncomfortable atmosphere and unremitting tension that at those points, fits the film perfectly.

With Brad Pitt in the ranks, you’d be right to expect a great performance from at least him and despite pulling off somewhat ridiculous accent, it is Christoph Waltz that steals the show. As the aforementioned ‘Jew Hunter’, Nazi Col. Hans Landa is transformed into an electrifying and devilish character. Waltz gives the character an unerring sense of confidence and sincere belief that nothing will ever go wrong and that he will get the job done, without fail.

This film is no ‘Band of Brothers’, hardly any actual fighting and shootouts are few and far between, meaning aside a handful of violent scenes. The two strands of this film comes together in a violent road crash when propagandist Joseph Goebbels plans to screen his latest pro-Nazi film for the party’s elite at a small Parisian theatre and owner Shosanna Dreyfus planning to burn it down. That the same time the Basterds have plans for the same event, which turns into a bloodbath.

It was an enjoyable way to while away the evening until bedtime.

By the River

Ever changing Cardiff Bay

The River Taff was just visible from my bedroom window I could not actually see the river but knew it was there but the whole river thing always intrigued me growing up until I was old enough for it to become my playground.

Has a youngster I always wondered why sometimes all I would see was mud and then water it was not until the whole tide thing was explained to me and how dangerous it was to play around there that I understood. Not like, I listen to my parents because soon as I was allowed to play a bit further from my front door I was straight around the corner to look at the river.

At some time in junior school, there was a lesson about the Taff and where I always thought the river was topped up by the tide, no it wasn’t. It was explained to me, the river-started way up somewhere in the Brecon Beacons with water that fell on the mountains, first I heard about mountains and the Brecon Beacons. To friends and myself going around the ‘Bank’ was a big part of growing–up giving hours of fun. The discovery of the bank gave me a taste for river exploration and adventure it was somewhere you were never bored.

If you needed a ball, a walk along the tide-line would possibly throw up one or two nine times out of ten. That was owing to some kid up river losing their ball in the river. Fishing was always popular, with a hand line or rod with some taking it more serious than others not much you could do with eels. There was swimming which was not the healthiest of options with the state of the river but that didn’t stop us with a bit of mud larking thrown in for fun.

Earlier I mentioned hours of fun but it was more like days, weeks, months, years of fun growing up because it was ever changing with the different tides and seasons. We built many things like rafts and dens, lit fires, and climb trees without a care of health and safety even if we knew what it was about not forgetting a bit of gully jumping.

There was nothing better on a hot summers evening than sitting watching the power of the tide coming in something I miss but today the Taff is no longer tidal after the building of the barrage. When I was a teenager, I had purchased an inflatable dinghy the 2-man type and sometimes I would just drift with the tide keeping an eye out for nutters with air rifles. Then there was the leisurely walk along the riverbank from Clarence Road Bridge around to the Esplanade. The river back than was quiet but for the odd speedboat now, there are water taxis, excursion boats, rowing club, kids in sailing boats learning to sail because now it’s Cardiff Bay.

It may have lost some of that old style beauty I loved so much but to me it’s still beautiful and every chance I get I take the journey from Cardiff Castle along the Taff to Cardiff Bay via the water taxi.

What to do about migrants/refugees

Who could not be moved in some way by the scene we witnessed of that three-year-old child’s limp dead body being carried up a Turkish beach, you would need a heart of stone.

The big question being asked is could the UK do more and take in migrants/refugees with plenty of people it will not really effect saying we should. ‘Britain is RACIST’ for not taking in more refugees, was the claim of actress Emma Thompson but how will it effect on her life, not much.

She won’t be queuing in all ready over crowded housing office with a number in her hand waiting to speak to some council official trying to find them some accommodation. Most will find emergency accommodation the only offer and probably end up on some council estates not the leafy suburb of London, Manchester, or some quaint village.

Is she offering to throw open her door? She most likely got the space does that make her racist if she doesn’t offer to help? Talk is easy. I don’t think the news reporters would get much joy asking the people queuing in the housing office and find much support for more competition for housing. Of course, it’s not just housing schools, health, and other services all could feel the pressure of allowing a free for all.

I like the Labour idea of spreading around 10 refugee families around a thousand town/cities in the UK. It could work in that case but I have the feeling most would want to go to London. Syrian’s only or are we opening the door to everyone? If so will it be families or hundreds of single young men.

If we do take in more they should come from the people who are in camps supported by the British government. It is only fair, as they have sat tight in the camps waiting for their chance and some are waiting to go home to Syria. Germany has created the currant problem and the mad rush across the backbone of Europe. They say they would take 800,000 refugees but what happens when the 800,001 refugee turns up at the border. I reckon when the dust settles Germany could find themselves with many more migrants/refugees came over their border than their set target.

Unforgettable sex scene No.1

I like a good poll you know the kind the best of something like recently having my home city of Cardiff as one of the best cities in Europe to live in, I would agree.

There was a poll in the press today for the most unforgettable sex scene in a mainline movie ever. It got me thinking, well it would. I always thought the beach scene from the film ‘From here to Eternity’ between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr was pretty interesting, which had, the censor a bit hot under the collar back in 1953. I find the suggestion of the sexual deed more erotic than full on films like 91/2 Weeks, with scenes out to shock.

I can really say some sex scene chucked in a film to titillate isn’t the be all and end all of a film for me because sex can spoil a good film. With me, its ends of films I like especially if there is a twist like in ‘Some Like it Hot’. I’m not a fan of happy endings or films were you just know none of the stars are going to die no matter how many bullets are flying around or how major the disaster.

Topping the list based on a poll of 2,124 British adults, conducted by VouchersCodePro it was the lesbian scene in ‘Black Swan’. The steamy action involved Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman that has been voted the best sex scene of all time.

The Hollywood duo - who play ballerinas in the Darren Aronofsky-directed psychological thriller - engage in some memorably X-rated action in which they share a passionate kiss or two before tearing each other's clothes off.

1) Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis 'Black Swan'

2) Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams 'The Notebook'

3) Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger 'Brokeback Mountain'

I have only seen the ‘Black Swan’ scene I haven’t watched the other two movies.

X Factor face battle for Christmas No.1 spot – from Cilla Black?

There are plans afoot for the battle of the Christmas No.1 spot to keep it out of the hands of the evil one Simon Cowell and the X Factor winner. The evil one and his minions have long believed it is there right for the winner of X Factor to have a Christmas No.1 unless the people unite and fight the beast.

There is an online petition, Cilla Black for Christmas No.1 Campaign 2015, won backing from 10,000 fans on Facebook in under a week, while thousands of others are following a new Twitter account. The people have crushed the hopes of the evil one before can the same happen this Christmas because I hope so.

Cilla Black died last month at the ripe age of 72. She has long been regarded by most as a true national treasure of this country stretching from the 60s onwards through her music and hit TV shows. There is bound to be other contenders but I don’t thing todays charts are capable of beating off the X Factor machine.

The campaign aims to ensure her hit ‘You’re My World’ grabs the top spot at Christmas and put a dent in Cowell’s Christmas celebrations but baby Eric should have a good time.

Bring It Back - Beef & Onion

Just seen an advertisement on TV with Gary Lineker, so it must be something to do with Walkers Crisps and there is a £100,000 prize to be won.

To win you need to enter the prize draw on the Walkers website or using flavour hashtags on Facebook and Twitter to have your say. Last year I enter to pick a new flavour ‘Curry and Chips crisps but I have yet to see them in the shop so I am not sure if they were the winner.
This time it is a chance to bring back an old favourite to the shelves. Barbecue, Toasted Cheese, Lamb & Mint, Beef & Onion, and Cheese & Chive are the flavours, one of which will come back permanently.

Well friends romans and countryman there is only one flavour to bring back permanently that is ‘Beef and Onion’. I wait in the knowledge that the British people are like-minded and can see the benefits on adding them back to the Walkers crisp family and we have until November.

Road to Wembley in my Armchair (2)

The FA Cup fixtures are popping up with a surprising frequency I missed the results Saturday. I opened my armchair quest with Quorn FC who lost out to visitors Oadby Town FC in the opening of the contest so the victors became my team.

So last weekend I had a new team to learn all about that was Oadby Town FC who play in the Chroma Sport & Trophies United Counties League - Premier Division where they are in the bottom half of the League Table. They are based in Leicestershire along with their next opponents Harborough Town who are bottom of the same league has Oadby Town FC.

The game Saturday saw Oadby progress into the next round with a 2-0 away win and set up another away trip this time against Sutton Coalfield Town.

Route todate ....

Qualifying Round – Harborough Town 0 – 2 Oadby Town FC

Extra Preliminary Qualifying Round - Quorn FC 1 - 3 Oadby Town FC

New striker for Cardiff

I am a one-man team and that’s Cardiff City. They are the only team I support although I do follow other teams that I like for one reason or another but don’t support like I stated – I am a one man team. One of them over the last few season has been Clermont Foot.

The reason I have been following the French Ligue 2 team is that they are managed/coached by a former woman footballer, Corinne Diacre. It’s her second season in charge of the team and the manager comparison with the English leagues she would be a Championship manager and somehow I don’t think that would happen ever. A club owner would have to have a lot of balls to appoint a woman manager/coach but I would like to think it could happen one day.

Cardiff latest signing hails from Clermont Foot, striker Idriss Saadi, who has signed a three-year deal subject to international clearance. The 23-year-old is a former French under-19 international of Algerian descent who last season scored 18 goals in 39 games played a fair return.