The Rat Patrol - Sixties - TV Show

I caught up with an old TV show from back in the sixties The Rat Patrol, which I had a distant memory of but thanks to the internet was able to relive.

The TV show was American made but was based on the exploits of the real-life British Long Range Desert Group so we have three Americans and a Briton zipping around the desert fighting the Afrika Korps in North Africa during World War II. It was pulled from the BBC after six episodes due to British viewers taking offense at the dominance of American characters on the show (50+ were shown in the USA). Veterans from the desert war were unhappy with two American jeeps with small guns mounted on them could defeat anything the Germans threw at them.

They would dash around the desert in jeeps mounted with 50” calibre machine guns and for the brief time it was on, I was hooked. I wanted a jeep with a machine gun optional. It was awesome, a couple jeeps busting of the top of sand dune in the air and then proceed to destroy a heavily armed German convoy. Really, boys own stuff that captivated me and could be where my interest in war came from. I would ride up and down the street on my bike pretending I was in the desert.

Captain Britain - Coming soon??? - Dai the copper

The Americans have Superman and Britain had Captain Britain, yes, we once had our own superhero courtesy of Marvel Comics back in the seventies. I wasn’t a big Marvel superhero fan but I remember in my youth reading a few Captain Britain comics.

Essex-born Brian Braddock was UK's answer to Captain America receiving his powers from Merlin, yes of the round table and King Arthur and his daughter, who I never heard of before. Braddock received his powers after a nearly fatal motorcycle accident.

According to my research because I couldn’t remember anything about how he became super. It was Merlin giving him the choice of the Amulet of Right or the Sword of Might. He selected the amulet over the sword feeling he was no warrior his backstory was that he was a bit of a loner would a reputation of being cowardly.

When Brian touched the Amulet of Right he was instantly transformed into Captain Britain with the powers of superhuman strength, speed, stamina, durability, reflexes, senses, and the ability to fly at supersonic speed (for 15minutes only). Merlin also made a telescopic Quarterstaff loaded with high-tech gadgetry later turning it to the Star Sceptre with the ability to generate a protective force field. He would eventually lead a British Avengers-style team called Excalibur.

Being British, he preferred a low profile, although he did garner attention after saving Prime Minister Jim Callaghan from the nefarious Red Skull and frustrating a takeover of London by time-travelling Nazis. I also like that one of his archenemies was Welsh anti-superhero Detective Chief Inspector Dai Thomas of Scotland Yard.

Dai Thomas

Thomas’s hatred for Captain Britain comes from a defining event of his life when he and his wife, Valerie, were crushed under a falling building when the couple were visiting New York for a police conference. The collapse occurred during a fight between Thor and the Hulk with Thomas developing a hatred of superheroes, whom he saw as a serious threat to public safety.

The character no longer has a stand-alone comic but recently popped up in an Avengers story leading to speculation of a rebirth. A Scottish movie poster artist Ciara McAvoy announced on Twitter that Marvel is developing a Captain Britain TV show. Marvel have been scouring there back catalogue for characters to regenerate into new superhero franchises for television and films.

The news hasn’t set social media outlets alight. I saw one poll on line asking who should play Captain Britain if a movie was made with London mayor Boris Johnson top choice. There is plenty of potential for a reborn Captain Britain. His team Excalibur could be like Unit in the Doctor Who series and he could be at beckon call of the British Prime Minister.

End of the season run in - Predictions - Cardiff City

Glad to see the back of international football and back to the bread and butter of league football and the prospect of maybe a Play-off place for my team Cardiff City. We are only three points off the magic of a sixth place or above finish to the season.

Only eight games left, which at the start with all the troubles surrounding the club I was thinking a mid-season finish would be good, but how wrong was I. The next six games will be hard with a mixture of Saturday and mid-week games putting pressure on the management and the squad.

I have taken a scan of the remaining fixtures and put on my prediction hat and if my luck with my footy bets are, anything to go by I will be miles off the mark.

Cardiff V Derby Sat 2 Apr 3pm

Next game City face play-off rivals Derby County at the Cardiff City Stadium, five points ahead making it one of those ‘six pointer’ games we hear so much about at this time of the season, a must win game. If we can win, it would leave them just two points ahead of the Bluebirds. My prediction a Draw

Burnley V Cardiff Tue 5 Apr 7:45pm

A trip to Burnley on a Tuesday night is not the kind of game you are looking for in search of points especially when they are top of the table having not lost a game at home since the beginning of December. My prediction a Defeat

Fulham V Cardiff Sat 9 Apr 3pm

After those two games, time to face struggling Fulham who are at the wrong end of the Championship table. These games can sometimes be tougher than playing the likes of Burnley at the top of the league has we have had the misfortune to come across before. My prediction a Win

Cardiff V QPR Sat 16 Apr 3pm

Next up QPR, visit the Cardiff City Stadium who are hovering around mid-table at present and are likely to be when this fixture is played. They may have nothing to play for if they stay mid-table but you can bet former City player and now manager of the Londoners Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink would like to walk away with three points in his pockets. My prediction a Draw

Brentford V Cardiff Tue 19 Apr 7:45pm

Brentford are another team scrapping for points at the wrong end of the table and could be dragged into the relegation mire. My prediction a Win

Cardiff V Bolton Sat 23 Apr 3pm

At the time of making my predictions Bolton are rock bottom of the league table. Who knows where they could be when this game is played, relegated or about to feel the drop to Division 1. Making this game just as important as any and could see them a threat to the 3 points. My prediction a Win

Sheff Wed V Cardiff Sat 30 Apr 3pm

If this game were played today, it would be one hell of a massive game seeing as at the moment Wednesday and City are sixth and seventh respectively. It could still be a big game come the end of April My prediction a Draw

Cardiff V Birmingham Sat 7 May 12:30pm

Last game of the season home to Birmingham could be one hell of a party or a damp squib depending on what really happens over the previous seven games. A bit of luck from on high would be helpful. My prediction a Win

So I am predicting 15 points from the last eight games that may not be enough for the last play-off spot. Last season three teams ended up on 78 points tying for sixth place with two of the three in the play-offs due to goal difference. Win all eight and that should be good enough it would be nice and pressure off. Pity we are not vying for automatic promotion, not a possible play-off place, and the pressures that come with those fixtures.

Sci-fi - Firefly

Has someone who always enjoys a good sci-fi series I always wondered why I missed the Fox show Firefly when it was first released it was not until I saw the movie Serenity that I found out about the TV series.

Having caught Firefly on TV later, it's was certainly very watchable TV, technically slick and has some original concepts. The acting is great and overall it is better than most of the crap the networks come up with.

So it was great to see a Firefly fest on the Syfy channel yesterday and between other TV commitments I sat back to a mega viewing.

Considering its short run, Firefly manages to create a rich and textured universe for its nomadic cast with consummate ease and makes its series cancellation all the more baffling. If you turned on half way through an episode you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a western, until the cowboys riding horseback are passed by a hovering train or a OK corral type shootout with bolt action rifles pitted against lasers which only the rich can afford.

As fabulous as Firefly's backdrop remains, it's not the secret of its success, nor is it the content of the episodes either, but the remarkable characters within them. The crew and passengers aboard Serenity arrived there for many different reasons; loyalty, escape, money or freedom to name a few. But they fit together like nine pieces of a jig-saw where the whole is infinitely better than you imagined when viewing the individual pieces. And as the series continues, you appreciate just how well it all fits together.

There are many things to love about Firefly though. Great sets - Serenity in particular is exactly as you'd imagine an ageing transport ship would look, functional yet at the same time beautiful - balletic space scenes, laugh out loud humour, the whole cast shines and their natural chemistry is obvious for all to see. Lets not forget the aesthetic pleasure of simply watching the women, because you won't find a more beautiful bunch in any TV show I can recollect... Ever.

Firefly isn't without it's shortcoming though. Sometimes the low budget shows, sometimes the episodes seem predictable and sometimes it's a bit too cheesy for it's own good, but you simply won't care. You'll just keep watching until the end. Then you'll go and buy the film Serenity, then you'll wonder why they didn't make more of this fantastic show. And you'll yearn for more.

Easter on TV - Not a lot

Best of  Easter never shown these days

I was wondering this morning how Easter Sunday would be celebrated on television or even would it be. Therefore, I perused the TV schedule to see what was on offer.

BBC One is offering Easter Worship a trip to church and the old stable offering of ‘Song of Praise’ and that is the lot while BBC 2 is showing the film Kings of Kings. A favourite of mine the movie Kings of Kings and Springwatch at Easter and I am unsure what that as to do with Easter.

All the other channels and they are a lot of them are a desert for anything Easter related but for Sky Movies Select; they will be showing The Greatest Story Ever Told.

I do not think I am remembering past Easter’s through rose-tinted glasses but I seem to remember Easter had a bigger presents on my TV. No Jesus of Nazareth again the TV series starring Robert Powell as Jesus you think the TV companies would drag it out like Dads Army and Only Fools and Horse.

On the subject of Jesus of Nazareth it is beautifully filmed and filled with excellent actors (too many to name), who all play their parts perfectly. What I find incredible is that it is filled with famous actors, some playing quite small parts, but when you are watching it, you don't seem to notice our famous they are and just enjoy the story, perhaps it is because they don't scene steal, just act.

The story is told accurately except for one small point in that Mary Magdalene is portrayed as a prostitute (again!) when there is nothing in the bible that suggests this was true. Still this is a small point and Anne Bancroft is wonderful, especially in the crowd scene when she is shouting for Jesus to be saved. Robert Powell was superb in the portrayal of Jesus.

Still there is plenty on over Easter on the TV with stand out for me Our Queen at 90.

Easter - Chocolate - Catholic

Its Easter time and I am not a fan, I am a fan of chocolate but not Easter eggs. I was reading yesterday of up roar over the fact some Easter egg makers have omitted the word Easter off their packaging. Why pay for all that packaging when it would be cheaper to buy a bar of chocolate.

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary if you are a believer. In the Catholic Church, which is my religion Good Friday is supposed to be a fast day in which having one full meal and abstaining from eating meat is called for. Has a kid the only time you would see Dad in the kitchen was on Good Friday because it was is job to cook the fish. A trip to Ashton Fishmongers in Cardiff Market would be called for to get some nice fillets of cod.

Ashton’s is still there fascinating to young children as it was when I was a child. All the fish and the smell makes it an experience to behold.

Dad made some of the best batter in the world and much better than the local chippies. With it being a no meat day in our house due to a strict Catholic upbringing I did wonder growing up how Dad squared using lard to fry the fish and the chips, isn’t lard basically pigs fat, a meat product.

I remember Easter Saturday was time to hit the confessional box at St Cuthbert’s. It would be busier than usual has you cleared the decks before the big Easter Sunday mass. Like Christmas all the part-time Catholic’s come out of the wood work funny thing like a lot of Catholic’s I am not even a part-timer more like a sleeper Catholic who has "gone to sleep", until when, who knows.

Why Easter has become synonymous with chocolate I have no idea, it’s been around since I was a kid in days gone by people would decorate eggs to celebrate Easter and then give them out to loved ones. My strict Catholic upbringing means Easter Sunday is not about getting sick eating chocolate it’s a festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. One egg before church, dressed in your best and get in early for the best seats in the house is what I remember from my childhood.

The Easter Bunny

I hate my birthday - Food porn – Chinese Takeaway

Curry, Egg Fried Rice and chips a thing of beauty

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to …. I screech to a halt! Wait a minute I hate my birthday no cards, presents, can make any kind of a birthday just give me money. Even as a kid I never was one for birthdays it just means a new number tagged on to me, today Peter is 56 another year off my life card.

Luckily, the wife who was in hospital will be home later so that makes my birthday for me, nearly.

I hate my birthday so much I can’t remember anything special happening I never had a party or anything like it but don’t cry for me because I couldn’t give a toss. I don’t like cake so that would be a waste of time and I hate the smell of candles. I would rather have a Clarks Pie and stuff any cake and candles. I think I was made to be Mr No Birthday, and would be happy to keep it that way.

When kids come along, it is difficult to play the Birthday ‘Grinch’ so until they come of age I was forced to unbrace the whole Birthday thingy until they became of an age to understand daddy’s wishes. When they were old enough I sat them down and explained to them “Daddy didn’t like is birthday so no cards or presents and I would be happy with a takeaway.”

That started the tradition of a Chinese takeaway for Daddy on this birthday but it’s everyone’s birthday really because I could never sit there eating a Chinese on my own. Therefore, we all get a birthday treat off Daddy.

Tower Block (2012) - Film Review

It’s always a nice surprise when you are surfing the TV with the remote control and you come across a film you had never seen or heard of before. That happen last night when I happened upon the film ‘Tower Block’ about half way through which was a pity but in the new world of TV was able to switch to the channels +1 meaning I could watch it from the start.

The tower block in the film is due for demolition with only the top floor residents left in the building. The film starts with a teenager running crying for help on the top floor his pursuer’s catch him as they drag him off to his death only one resident tries to help played by the excellent Sheridan Smith.

The story moves on three months and we see Sheridan Smiths character sitting having an awkward coffee with the previous night’s one-night stand. Telling him she had just come out of a long-term relationship when a shot through the window takes off half his face. Shots then ring out as other residents are targeted.

The scene is set for a ferocious game of cat and mouse in this tense low-budget British thriller.

The unidentified sniper with a high-powered semi-automatic rifle controls the power, internet, and other utensils to the building leaving the residents trapped. You just don’t have to be careful of the windows he has also sets up a number of booby traps to prevent them leaving the top floor. The murderer of the found among the residents and a kind of rough justice is met out.

The tension mounts as the group in-fight and bicker among themselves as one by one they are knocked off with all their plans to escape thwarted. They work out is must be some to do with the death of the teenager but who is the sniper?

What makes it good and watchable? The characters are everyday people believably portrayed by an accomplished cast of performers – which helps a great deal. One of them a young thug is feeding off the other residents running a protection racket if you don’t pay your home is ransacked.

This is an interesting if highly implausible story but any flaws are more than made up for by the well acted unpredictable and explosive story line. I have seen many low budget films but this one took me by surprise at just how good it was.

My Rating

Evil Aliens - Horror Film - Blood and Gore

I came across this film (Evil Aliens) the other night on the Horror Channel and although it ended a wee bit past my bedtime, I decided to stay up and watch it.

Set on some remote Welsh island after word of alien abduction taking place. A presenter of TV show called Weird World is in need of a juicy story to save her job and heads to the island with her team hoping to catch an alien on film. She and her oddball crew are join by some less than hospitable Welsh farmers with chainsaws and a local girl impregnated by an alien. The presenter and her team along with a UFO Nerdy expert arrived seeking to interview the pregnant victim and make a reconstruction of the events for her show.

The crew find everything hard to believe but pretty soon, things take the inevitable turn for the worst. They soon find the whole alien visitations are for real and then begins the fight to survive with anything they could lay their hands on shotguns, cricket bats, chainsaws, rotor-tillers. The aliens could be straight out of an early Doctor Who or one of those 50s/60s B movies but with plenty of modern day gore.

These aliens are hell bent on doing what aliens do best. Impregnating the women, anally probing the men, and mutilating the cattle and killing the humans.

The would-be set pieces feature a virginal UFO-spotting nerd seduced by an alien dominatrix, with a 'Jerry Springer' alien show ending. A combine harvester massacring 20+ Aliens running away across a wheat field accompanied by The Wurzels’ greatest hit.

Olympics - Munich - Brazil

I am really looking forward to the summer Olympics in Brazil and it reminded me of the first I can actually remember watching and they were the 1972 Munich Olympics. I had the pull out from one of the newspaper telling me the events who won the medals.

Of course, one of the main reasons for remembering Munich was because of the massacre in which eleven Israeli athletes and coaches and a West German police officer were killed the darkest day for the Olympic movement.

I have some great memories of the games but not many of them involving British competitors. We won four gold medals in total with Mary Peters winning the Women's Pentathlon but on a low note, she received death threats because she was a protestant. She won her medal for Britain at the height of the troubles in Northern Ireland between the state and the IRA.

It was the only athletics gold the others were won in sailing and two equestrian. There were five silver medals the stand out winner were the Men's 4x400 metres Relay squad. Nine bronze medals were also won Boxing (3), Athletics (2), Judo (2), Cycling, Shooting one each.

We are likely to do much better medal wise in Brazil with most medals expected to be won outside the main stadium. British competitors have mostly lead the way in Cycling, Rowing and Sailing but the world is catching up and I am salivating with the prospects of Brazil.

It’s always like me to have an alternative motive for blogging something and this post is nothing different. It gave me a chance to revisit the major crush I had on British athlete Donna Murray in the Munich games.

Back to the Munich Olympics, two competitors excited the world and they were Mark Spitz a swimmer from the United States and Russian gymnast, Olge Korbut. Spitz not only won seven gold medals he also set seven new world records for each of his medals. Korbut was the darling of the games with her floor exercise routine and the cheeky ending she won three gold medals in total.

There was controversial in the basketball arena in the final between USA and Russia who won the game by a single point. They made the winning basket as time expired with the Americans questioning the legitimacy of the final play. The Americans regarded basketball as their own and since it was introduced to the 1936 Olympics, a team from the USA had won the gold medal.

Although I enjoy all the Olympics events except for Wrestling and Sevens Rugby newly installed into the Olympics god knows why. We can have a GB rugby squad but not a football team. I will have by eyes on sports that really float my boat Badminton, Canoeing, Rowing, Cycling, and the Triathlon. The Olympics opening ceremony takes place 5 August it will have to be spectacular to beat London.

Sunday Dinner - Perks of the Job - The Cook

Another tasty Sunday roast dinner done and dusted. I do enjoy cooking a Sunday dinner and always have since that very first one on setting up house with my then girlfriend, now wife. I love the smell coming out of the oven with today’s offering a loin of Pork pre stuffed and potatoes roasting.

A Sunday dinner anchors my week and if we don’t have a cooked dinner, it throws my day and most of my week off. Since I was a child, my Sunday dinner was always on my plate between 12:30 and no later than 1:30pm at was a time set by my mum. I never got people who would eat their Sunday dinner at say 5pm it is a ridiculous time to me.

We buy our Sunday joint at the butchers mainly for quality the price doesn’t come in to it. Yes, we could buy a joint of meat in one of the many supermarkets, and cheaper but the taste and quality is just not there. I may not enjoy all the chopping, cutting, and slicing of the veg and stuff but it’s a job that must be done. What would your Sunday dinner be without a bit of work?

There are a few benefits of being the cook like a slice of meat just to make sure it is cooked. My favourite perk is when the stuffing oozes out of the meat has it cooks. I could put it to one side for the dishing out later but no, I don’t think so. What if a roast potato jump outs of the meat tray begging to be eaten. It’s another perk for the cook.

When is a pie not a pie? When a pastie wins Pie of the Year!

Not a pie

Has a bit of a connoisseur of pies I like to think I know the difference between a pie and pastie and you would think the judges at the Pie Awards would as well? I am sure the PASTIE that won the Pie of the Year the ‘Beef Skirt & Vegetable Pastie’ made by the family-run butchers A.F Huddleston could well be a top pastie but no one is telling me it is a pie.

The controversial decision has led to talk of a boycott of next year awards with twitter going into melt down from the pie community. I bought a pasty this morning asking the woman behind the counter for a pasty and she handed me a pasty not a pie. Matthew O’Callaghan, chairman of the British Pie Awards and Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, “I know many will be surprised to see a pasty winning the British Pie Awards, but the definition of a pie is a filling totally encased in pastry – pies come in all shapes including round pies, square pies, and pasties.”

Mr O’Callaghan probably still believes the world is flat and the moon is made of cheese if he thinks his organisation could past off a pie as a pastie or the other way around. Just as annoying is people coming out of the woodwork claiming a pasty is a pie.

A Pie

A pie has a lid, and bottom and you bake it in a pasty lined pie dish with the filling of choice and totally encased in pastry … we have a pie. A pastie is a turnover ‘folded pastry case with a crimped lid’ and NOT a pie. The pie is about the depth, top to bottom full with gravy.

Have you ever seen a flat pie? No, they are slices and look like a pastie. The pastie people can’t even decide how to spell pastie is it ‘pasty’ or ‘pastie’. What next! A sausage roll winning Pie of the Year because someone decides to put tops on the end of a sausage roll or a shepherd pie win.

Pie of the Year should be win by a pie and nothing else. Everyone knows what a pie looks like even those deluded to think a pastie is a pie.

American Pickers - My TV

I love American Pickers shown on the History Channel although it can be viewed on a number of other channels. It’s one of the best reality TV shows to come out of America.

Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz are business partners at Antique Archaeology. They buy and selling all kinds of old junk, the rusty the better has Mike would say. They travel the country and even the world to find interesting items and meet some really interesting people. You see a lot of backwoods America small towns and gravel roads. They are helped by Danielle Colby-Cushman who mans the phone back at their shop, helps with finding contacts and goes on the road picking sometimes.

I'm sure that there is some scripting going on but it doesn't really matter. I don't think anybody actually believe they make their money doing this. The reality is that they probably barely cover their gas money. That's not why I like this show. It's about interesting items and their history as well as the chemistry between the guys. One can't help but like the guys. It's fun to see some of these items and the prices isn't even that important.

They are respectful to all of the sellers and even over pay sometimes when they do not have to.

Road to the Welsh Cup Final – Quarter Final

It was the Quarter finals of the Welsh Cup yesterday with the final now only two games away. My virtual journey from the opening round and Brecon Corries now sees me following Port Talbot Town of the Welsh Premier League.

Town faced a trip to Cwmbran and faced Welsh League Division Two Cwmbran Celtic the lowest place team left in the competition. Port Talbot took the lead in the first half with Cwmbran levelling the game early in the second half.  Town soon regained the lead and going on to win a place in the Semi-Finals.

In the Semi-Final, they will face fellow Welsh Premier rivals Airbus UK Broughton at a neutral venue yet to be arranged. The only Cardiff based team left in the competition Cardiff Met University fail in their bid to progress to the Semi Final losing at home 2-0 to Gap Connah's Quay the game was shown live on S4C.

• The Semi-Final - Airbus UK Broughton v Port Talbot Town
• Quarter Final - Cwmbran Celtic 1-2 Port Talbot Town
• Fourth Round – Port Talbot Town 3-0 Caerau Ely
• Third Round – Caerau Ely 4-0 Brecon Corries
• Second Round - Brecon Corries 3-0 Aberbargoed Buds
• First Round - Aberaeron 0-1 Brecon Corries
• Qualifying Second Round - Cwmbach Royal Stars 1-2 Brecon Corries
• Qualifying First Round - Brecon Corries 3-0 Penrhiwfer

Friendship declined - Dickhead

Have you ever had a mate you secretly thought was a bit of a twat who always seemed to do incredibly well with the opposite sex? Well maybe I have with no name mentioned but if you read on and remember, I think you will know who you are.

He’d turn up at parties or the pub with some gorgeous bird in tow and you’d couldn’t understand why she couldn’t see how annoying he was. He was a prick and everyone knew it but for girls who would flock to him. This is nothing to do with the time I walked into the Robin Hood and you ended up playing footsie under the table with my date who ended up at yours.

I did wonder if there was something wrong with me but I was a nice guy while my mate was a shit. Another notch on the bedpost another ‘big I am’ round up in the pub. I would be there laughing how lucky I was and I probably bought you a pint has a thank you. She was never seen again she was thrown away like many of your conquests.

She seemed like a nice, intelligent girl I seem to remember. My female friends reassured me that girls preferred going out with arseholes and liked nice guys. It didn’t really help at the time. Thanks for the Facebook friends request which I declined that was nothing to do with the Robin Hood incident. I just don’t like you.