Gorgeous Gus - The Victor Comic - Football Redburn Rovers

Back on one of my favourite things to write about good old comics after a run in with a copy of “The Victor” in a second hand shop. Flicking through the pages brought back memories and there was “Gorgeous Gus” I had totally forgotten about him, how could that be? However, it soon came flooding back and as a reminder I pocketed the comic.

I had a good eye for a bargain even has a kid you could get four second hand copies for the price of one new copy and my source was a DIY/second hand bookshop in town. It was a gold mine for comics and I loved going there.

The story goes the manager of Redburn Rovers, Sam Hopkins is facing relegation from the First Division and after trying, everything to motivate and lift morale of his team has no success. He’s in total despair, when suddenly and unexpectedly some butler fully decked out in the full butler uniform seeks manager Hopkins.

The butler Jenkins tells the shocked manager that his master, Earl of Boote G.B.E., K.C.B., D.S.O., M.C.has just purchased the club. He is then given some instructions to carry out. Hopkins at first sees this, as a practical joke on someone’s part, is ready to throw the butler out of his office. However, Jenkins is telling the truth.

Earl of Boote is loaded and with a passion for football. Gorgeous Gus as the Rovers fans soon nicknamed because of his aristocratic airs and graces however, he possesses the hardest shot in football. The power of his shots are enough to knock a goalkeeper clean off his feet backwards into his own net. Did he play for any other team I have no idea. When he scores two goals and then substitutes himself to rest in his own small pavilion on the touchline where Jenkins is at his beckon call.

Readers who haven’t heard of Earl of Boote before, maybe under the impression that he is a bit of a pompous character. But there is much more to the Earl of Boote than this. A staunch defender of footballing values, he is for example, prepared to prevent players who consistently play dirty tackles that could cause serious injuries from taking part in playing professional football he would hate the divers in todays’ football. He's also quick to deal with football hooligans in the crowd. Earl of Boote backed by a large personal fortune and the necessary influence to be able to make things happen quickly.

He turned Rovers around from relegation candidates to Champions.

The second series having saved Rovers from relegation and won the First Division now follows Earl of Boote and Rovers progress in the European Cup. Initially, Gorgeous Gus is sceptical of the value of Rovers playing in Europe and refuses to allow his team to play in the competition. The newspapers think otherwise, the Earl of Boote realises his mistake. It is a matter of national honour pride and for Rovers compete in the competition. Many trials and hurdles are met and overcome in the quest of lifting the covetous trophy.

In one of their away leg matches in Poland, for example, the Redburn Rovers team are arrested when the police mistake Gus's football passing machine as some sort of gun. The police think they are gunrunners. With the team in jail and no hope of their release in time for their away leg match Gus has to resort to inviting some of the fan’s supporters and British Embassy staff to play for Rovers!

With a makeshift team, Rovers do enough to ensure that they can still win the return leg back in the UK. You can see why my weekly read would be so interesting and of course, they win the European Cup.

Gorgeous Gus is not only the king of the First Division and Europe but after the death of Uncle Reginald, he becomes King of Gannet Island. The island is a separate country and is thus eligible to enter the World Cup. But there are many difficulties to overcome first. The island only has a population of five hundred, has no footballing stadium and it is a steep climb via a rope ladder from the landing point to the land above. All these obstacles (and others) are overcome and Gannet Island are in the World Cup.

As the series progresses though, Gus takes more of an interest in bird spotting and obtaining eggs from birds’ nests, than in the World Cup. So what is going on? Needless to say, the island country reaches the final and their opponents are… England, who in the real world had yet to win the World Cup? But who wins the World Cup - England or Gannet Island?

I think I know!

A boyhood dream dashed - HMS Pomeroy

I have talked about my love of comics before but one of the strangest I would read was the ‘Mad’ comic from America. I would pick it up from time to time from a second hand bookshop dad would frequent.

They made no regard to a UK audience has it was oriented to the American market, mainly lamblasting American politics. Later a British publisher was found, British content was add, and which help with sales. That the time competition from British satirical and current affairs magazines begun to grow the biggest and most popular being Private Eye. Still growing up  it was still fun to read with some funky artwork and the covers were always fun.

While British comics were, giving away cardboard thunderclaps and other little trinkets in Mad, for a few dollars you could buy a Polaris Nuclear Submarine. A kid size nuclear Submarine and it didn’t stop there you could buy a tank, rocket ship and a Log Cabin all for a couple of dollars all child size and made for two.

The advent that got me licking my lips

In the early 1970s, I was still innocent enough to believe written press was god’s honest truth. I wanted the submarine, I envisioned myself diving into the depths of the River Taff at high tide. It promise torpedoes and Polaris missiles from the advert it looked epic but there was a problem with my dream. I lived in Wales and was unsure how to order or pay for possibly the greatest toy ever sitting somewhere in a warehouse in America.

My dream was to sink one of the Bowles Sand Boat and then nuke Grangetown just for the hell of it but it was a dream unfulfilled. It has been awhile since I thought of my childhood dream until I came across the above old advert. It led me to have a search of the internet to check out this wonderful offer and see how real it was. Oh boy, was I disappointed.

A childhood dream was dashed when I found out my "nuclear sub" was actually made of cardboard and the torpedo and rocket launched by rubber bands. I was glad I didn’t even try to look into having one deliver because what a disappointment it would have been having promised all my friends trips under the Taff.

The finished product

Groovy Space Chicks Part 3 Aliens

Tricia Helfer - Number 6 – Battlestar Galactica

If we had a number 1 on this list then Number 6 would be it. Played by the sexy Tricia Helfer, any sci-fi chick list is not complete without her on it. Number 6′s multiple versions on the cult show Battlestar Galactica is what carries much of the appeal. A total bad girl. A sexy seductress. An intimate confidante. An icy brain box. A super strong warrior. A sensitive would-be mother.

Balthar is one lucky guy. She is painfully hot. Was it even legal to show this character on TV back then?

Natasha Henstridge - Sil – Species

Sil is grown from spliced alien DNA in a lab to grow rapidly from an embryo to a fully adult Natasha Henstridge. After escaping the lab that created and then tried to kill her, the alien Sil goes on a rampage through the city, trying to mate with men in the hopes of spawning more aliens to take over the planet. The beauty has little problems in attracting the male of the species I would volunteer if she were in her human form during copulation.

Zev Bellringer - Xev - Lexx

Zev Bellringer begins her journey on Lexx by being imprisoned and sentenced to becoming a love slave. The transition process gets as far as modifying her body, but a roaming lizard creature breaks the machine before Zev’s mind can be rewritten. As a bonus, her DNA fuses with the lizards, turning her into a highly libidinous and extremely conflicted space girl with disturbing reptilian superpowers. Originally played by Eva Habermann and later (after the “Xev” transition) Xenia Seeberg, Zev is our number one alien girl.

Louise Jamison - Leela - Doctor Who

Louise Jameson brought sex appeal to Doctor Who. Not that she was the first sexy who girl, but with Leela - a cavewoman, descended from survivors of a spaceship crash, with an athletic figure and a penchant for violent survival methods - it was just more obvious.

An audience of 12 million was help by football dads with Leela there target she soon attracted the moral campaigners like Mary Whitehouse, taking issue with Leela's outfit and for being un-lady like. Also the time of the show was another stumbling block.

Alien Jumpsuit Chicks - Dude where’s my Car

Why stick with one alien when you can have five! Being greedy, I can’t see why not. These may be a case of aliens taking on human form, but we never really find out but these five chicks came to earth looking for the "Continuum Transfunctioner", a mysterious and powerful device, capable of destroying the universe. Our five alien offer the two luckless heroes of the film plenty of sex if they find the device I also loved the fat blind kid copping a feel of the leader by touching her. That the end of the film the five meld together to form a Super-Hot Giant Alien.

Mid-Day kick-off for the Sevenside Derby

The Sevenside derby tomorrow/today with Cardiff City, boss Neil Warnock pitting his players against his counterpart from across the Bristol Channel in what could be a heated encounter. The Bluebirds are looking for a fourth straight win as they host Bristol City.

If they secure their fourth win in as many games it could do their promotion push a great deal of good as they host promotion rivals Bristol City. Cardiff have moved four points clear of third placed Aston Villa after a hard-fought 1-0 win away at Ipswich on Wednesday night in fact all the results involving the top six went the Bluebirds way mid-week.

Cardiff are undefeated in the last five games while Bristol City have just one win with one defeat and three draws. Early in the season, Bristol got the better of us on a visit to their ground 2-1. Game set and match to the Bluebirds maybe but that’s fantasy football until the final whistle.

Following promotion rivals Fulham mega win over top of the table Wolves 2-0, which means a win for Cardiff, will see them only six points behind the current league leaders. With Aston Villa’s, win this afternoon they stay third in the league table and now just a point behind the Welshman depending on the outcome of the game tomorrow/today. Derby dropped another two points with a high scoring draw (3-3) at Reading.

Team News

Cardiff City captain Sean Morrison is reported doubtful for the Sevenside derby after coming off in the midweek win at Ipswich with a groin problem. But Warnock said he will play making it one for the team sheet, will he or won’t he.

Neil Warnock is facing a defensive crisis of sorts, especially at fullback, where he is missing Jazz Richards, Armand Traore, and Lee Peltier out for at least a month after only making his return two weeks ago, and Joe Bennett. He is also without Aron Gunnarsson, while striker Gary Madine is pushing for a starting place. Callum Paterson (ankle) faces a late fitness test.

In the world of derbies, I rate Bristol City as our greatest more than the scum down the road (Swansea). That was due to the amount of times our paths have crossed over the seasons. Has a young Cardiff fan in the seventies they (Swansea) didn’t register for me it was Bristol City who were constantly talked about and the tensions would gather pace as the game came closer. The hatred was also helped along by the “Aberfan" chant at City fans was probably the worst chant ever to be heard at a football ground. It was guaranteed to cause a riot and back then, there was plenty of that about.

The walk from Temple Meads to the ground before and after the game could be nasty and the police were not as on top of trouble like today in most cases. The rise of Swansea put them on the radar but I always look to the other side of the Bristol Channel.

My First Three Albums That Counted – The Police – Steel Pulse - Squeeze

I make no apologies for today’s memory. I have written before about my undying love of my music. I still find it a privilege and a joy to find something I have never heard before only the other day I caught Aretha Franklin track - Angel it was beautiful for easy listening on a sunny day.

I love my music and the journey it as lead me on over the years. Although I was always surrounding by music growing up listening to the radio I would never place myself in any genre of music. I liked what I liked with the attitude if you don’t I couldn’t careless.

I bought my first record player in 1977 with my account at Mackross and was soon in Spillers record shop to buying singles my first album. Outlandos D'Amour was the first by The Police I remember playing it repeatedly until I was word perfect with Sting. Favourite tracks! Roxanne,  So Lonely or Sue Lawley it kind of sounds like and Can't Stand Losing You.

The other two were first Handsworth Revolution Steel Pulse thanks to a John Peel radio session and the years of walking through Butetown hearing this kind of music blasting out of windows. My favourite tracks off this album are Soldiers and the fantastic, Prediction.

Again it was thanks to the John Peel radio show for the next and final album the appropriate named Squeeze by Squeeze with the stand out track Take Me, I'm Yours.

I was soon listening to Madness, The Specials, Bob Marley and many more I could live without music in my life. Every day I listen to music if I hear something in a TV show or film I feel the need to seek it out.

The biggest disappointment album was Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols by the aforementioned Sex Pistols. Why I bought it I can’t remember but it did came in use as a target for my air rifle.

Must see TV - Week beginning 24/02/2018

I haven’t plugged my TV recommendations in a while because TV has been generally bad but for a few shows and I have now signed up for Netflix. Some days are poorer than others so I hope Netflix will be a nice filler for those days.

The popular horror drama ‘The Walking Dead returns as the impact of the war between the survivor enclaves is felt, and Carl struggles to come to terms with the fact that he has been bitten.

Saturday – ITV – Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway 7pm ***New series***

I will be watching this under protest the wife will demand it because she is a fan of Ant & Dec. The duo return with their regular weekend variety show that is good Saturday night viewing I suppose, featuring audience surprises, outlandish stunts, and celebrity guests. Kylie Minogue gets proceedings under way by opening the show with a studio performance.

Olly Murs swaps his rotating chair on The Voice for a seat in the announcer's booth. Amanda Holden becomes the first famous face to fall victim to the pair's latest round of Undercover pranks, and Stephen Mulhern is back to preside over another Ant versus Dec contest, this time featuring monster trucks. Plus, Scarlett Moffat returns to Takeaway for more extravagant challenges, and the boy’s launch the shows biggest-ever Place on the Plane giveaway

Sunday – BBC 2 – Top Gear 8pm ***New series***

I think the BBC have the right line up for Top Gear the only thing I would like to see is more input from German motor racing driver Sabine Schmitz, I hope she has not been dropped from the show. I rate this more than the Grand Tour.

Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, and Rory Reid open the series by taking a motorsports road trip across America's Wild West, putting the latest V8 sports cars from McLaren, Jaguar, and Ford through their paces. Back on the track, Rob Brydon is the Star in a Reasonably Fast Car.

Monday – BBC 1 – MasterChef 9pm ***New Series***

I like cooking shows and I don’t know why as I have one of the blandest diets in my house anyway. I rarely like anything that is cooked on these show as the contestants are out to impress so a simple pie is out of the question.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace put more amateur cooks to the test, with first seven hopefuls beginning by preparing a dish using ingredients from the MasterChef market in an hour and 10 minutes. Only four contestants will survive the first round, and are then challenged to prepare a two-course meal to secure a place in the quarterfinal.

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

The popular horror drama returns as the impact of the war between the survivor enclaves is felt, and Carl struggles to come to terms with the fact that he has been bitten.

Rick’s group have lost Alexandria to Negan, his army, and his son Carl has been bitten so his time in the show looks limited. Rick and his followers at the mid-season brake were hiding in the sewers of Alexandria. The second half of the season will focus on preparing for war and gathering the supplies and numbers to take Negan down once and for all they also need a new home for the group.

Monday – Channel 4 – Electric Dreams 10pm ***New***

The sci-fi anthology is back after a break and will continue with four more episodes.

Eleven-year-old Charlie Cotrell must make the most difficult decisions imaginable to protect his mother and the human race when he is among the first to realise that the homes of everyone on Earth are being infiltrated by an insidious extra-terrestrial threat.

Tuesday – Netflix – Black Lightning ***New Series***

It centres on Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams), a respected high school principal living in the fictional city of Freeland, who nine years earlier ended his double life as the crime-fighting Black Lightning after his wife left him because of his vigilante moonlighting. However, with the growing social unrest caused by the expanding threat of a dangerous criminal gang called The 100, Pierce is forced out of retirement in order to protect his daughters, his school, and the city.

Wednesday – BBC 1 – Film 2018 11:35pm ***New Series***

I remember back in time staying up late to watch Film 74 shows a long time ago it was the only way you could see film reviews for films you had to be 18 to watch like The Exorcist. I remember it being reviewed.

The film review programme kicks off with a look ahead to this weekend's Oscars, as host Clara Amfo and critics Ellen E Jones and Larushka Ivan-Zadeh consider the Academy's nominations. Plus, Best Director nominee Greta Gerwig chats about her acclaimed new film, Lady Bird.

Thursday – Fox Channel – American Dad 10pm ***New Series***

I love this and Family Guy/Simpsons it is always nice to go to bed with a nice giddle. Seth MacFarlane's animated comedy returns as Francine becomes obsessed with conspiracy theories, after discovering Stan has been shielding her from unhappy news.

Friday – History Channel – Hitler’s Circle of Evil 9pm ***New Series***

This is the story of the rise and fall of the Third Reich told like the drama it really was: through the personal relationships of the movers and shakers of the most evil regime in history.

They were Hitler’s henchmen — the small gaggle of misfits, careerists and fanatical Nazis who had the ear of the Fuhrer. Those whose job it was to make his brutal vision a reality. Men like ex-chicken farmer and leader of the SS — Heinrich Himmler, Hitler’s adoring but mentally unhinged deputy — Rudolf Hess, fighter ace turned morphine addict — Herman Goering and sex-crazed propaganda chief — Josef Goebbels. As they scrabble for power, they will turn on each other in a murky atmosphere of intrigue, betrayal, and murder.

In a regime where all power derives from just one man, they strive to out-do each other in brutality, hatred of the Jews and an unequivocal commitment to the Nazi cause.

Friday – Netflix – Ghost Wars ***New Series***

Ghost Wars is set in a remote Alaskan town that has been overrun by paranormal forces. Local outcast Roman Mercer must overcome the town’s prejudices and his own personal demons if he’s to harness his repressed psychic powers and save everyone from the mass haunting that’s threatening to destroy them all.

Funny what triggers a memory?

The picture opposite reminded me of something and no it was not a blonde on top of a mountain wearing tiny shorts and braces, I wish. You must agree a stunning picture.

I once owned some braces. Funny what triggers a memory? I found them much better to wear than a belt but they came with dangers.

The first time I wore braces began with a few painfully and awkward moments. Like how tight do you adjust the length? Too tight the chances are the clasps could give way to smack you in the face, take an eye out, pulling your trousers right up the crutch which give you a nasty wedgie, painful. While too lose why bother your trousers could drag on the floor.

I have a long-standing love affair with skinhead girls wearing braces it’s a pervy thing.

Then there was the comedy element. The dread twanging of braces funny and painful the first time but the second, it was a painful and a bore making me rather sorry for the bra strap twanging I had inflicted on girls I knew. One by-product of wearing braces they were associated with skinheads and they were hard so by wearing them they could give you a temporary hard status.

Welsh-noir Craith - TV Review

I am binge watching the Welsh language drama Craith that the moment on S4C on catch up and it’s been very enjoyable it’s an attempt to do another Hinterland by having dark bad things happen out in the pretty Welsh countryside.

Unlike Hinterland, which I watched in the English/Welsh language, I watched this via subtitles a first for me watching in the full Welsh language. I watch a lot of European drama in subtitles so it doesn’t matter to me. An English version will be broadcast later in the year on the BBC probably on BBC Wales and BBC4 but we will see under the title (Hidden).

I heard about Craith by chance on twitter and the chatter got me interested to seek it out. The interest comes from all the Scandi-noir influence on British TV mostly from the BBC and Channel 4 who much to my disappointment have been box setting the dramas after showing the opening episode. I can now had Welsh-noir to the list.

The moody and rugged scenery of Snowdonia and its surrounding area is the eerily beautiful setting for Craith. The series tells the story of detective DS Cadi John, played by Sian Rees Williams and D.S. Owen Vaughan (Sion Alun Davies)

Here, a girl appears to commit suicide, but it seems she’s probably been kept captive somewhere for some time before the event, and the police have to investigate. Enter DI Cadi John, who’s returned to her hometown to care for her ailing dad. We first meet these two as they have a quiet chat by the side of a gorgeous-looking lake, the sky smudged grey behind them. However, a phone call soon has DI John on her way to a crime scene and a body.

The rest is the normal fare for this kind of show with a few twist, turns to keep you on your toes, and is well acted. The badie here is about the moodiest character I have come across in a while who wasn’t paid for dialogue.

I have to say Craith has been an absolute cracker and I am looking forward to the finale on Sunday – an intriguing story with great, natural characters and stunningly shot and directed.

Bluebirds hit the road to Ispwich

Cardiff City are on the road again with a trip to Ipswich and Cardiff boss Neil Warnock and his players continue their push for promotion. After the weekend fixtures, Cardiff climbed back to second in the league and an automatic promotion spot.

After beating play-off hopefuls Middlesbrough 1-0 on Saturday with a first-half header from Captain Sean Morrison enough to clinch victory more of the same tonight would be good. Aston Villa played a home fixture against Preston so had a chance to jump back into the automatic promotion spot but it didn’t work out for them. They could only manage a 1-1 draw leaving Cardiff a point ahead of their promotion rivals and a win at Ipswich could see them four points ahead of the Midlands club.

Wednesday 21st February 2018 fixtures with a view of the top six league placings.

Bristol City (6) v Fulham (5)

Derby (4) v Leeds

Ipswich v Cardiff (2)

Wolves (1) v Norwich

However, Cardiff will face a tough test against mid-table Ipswich whose draw in their derby against Norwich extended their unbeaten run to three games. Cardiff are undefeated in six games but means nothing without the three points. The Cardiff have won their last three games.

Last time around in October at the Cardiff City stadium Ipswich were crushed 3-1 but Cardiff record at Ipswich has been poor the last time they win at October 2012 at Portman Road.

Warnock will hope his side can repeat their performance from October where they cruised to a 3-1 victory there is an interesting fact the last time Cardiff did the league double over Ipswich you have to look back to 1946/47 season in the Third Division South.

.

Team news

Striker Gary Madine is expected to be fit for Sunday's visit of Bristol City but could miss tonight’s game. Several players have come back from injury this week as Warnock announced that Craig Bryson, Kadeem Harris, and Matthew Connolly are all available for selection.

However, Aron Gunnarsson will remain sidelined until March and Jazz Richards is unavailable for two weeks.

An idyllic childhood – Memories – Living the good life

Its half term and most of the kids will spend their time in doors even if the sun is out does not sound much of a childhood to me. On the other hand I really had an idyllic childhood growing up in the Docks area of Cardiff in the mid-sixties early seventies. We lived in Pomeroy Street, I can remember my immediate neighbours, and if I close my eyes, I can still see them.

To the right of my house was Mrs Hutchings the other side Eddie Barrett. Mrs Hutchings was a curtain twitcher, nothing much slip passed her down our end of the street but would always greet me with a friendly smile. Eddie was a gent and a good neighbour and it was always fun when his nieces were around.

You could stand at the top of the street and you would see plenty of kids out playing and mums talking on the doorstep. Today all you will see are cars. We kids would be playing hopscotch, alleys, and ball games, riding our bikes, or just sitting on the church steps chatting away. As you grew older, other streets were open to us and we used every inch with the Hamadryad Park being the place to go if the weather was good.

A lot of my childhood was largely spent roaming the banks of the River Taff and on the river on rafts we would make or find and swimming … yes; we would swim in the dirty Taff. There was always something to find along the tide line a ball or maybe a dead sheep.

I loved school, St Cuthbert’s and later Mostyn RC. I didn’t even care that from time to time I was caned as I saw it as part of my school life and the same with teachers I may have liked some more than others but I learnt and that was what it was all about. Another lucky stroke my school was in my street (St Cuthbert’s) but I like to get in early because it was like a giant street party. Most of the kids from the streets around the school went there and a few foreigners from outside the area … like Grangetown and Butetown.

My all-time favourite teacher was Mr Walsh, headmaster of St Cuthbert’s, a legend and I have never heard a bad word said about him. He loved to teach and I was willing to listen and learn. Also, there was a likelihood that he had taught a member of your family who would still call him ‘sir’. He taught all my uncles and aunts. I can never remember him shouting even while giving me the cane maybe he left that to Mr Finn who did a lot of shouting.

Being a Catholic school and with the church next door it featured highly in my education. The priest was a daily part of life and I don’t think there was a day I didn’t see him back then. “Morning Father” or “Afternoon Father” and respect was due.

The street is now one big car park. The school has long gone and the church is now St Theodore of Tarsus Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church the Bethel Baptist Church has also gone. When I was a kid if you needed a stitch or two the Hamadryad hospital at the top of Pomeroy St was handy now it’s a mental health day care centre. Most of the hospital was knocked down for housing, and a Welsh-medium primary school.

Troy: Fall of a City - TV Review

Sky Atlantic recently released a blockbuster new series Britannia and it was given what I would regard the kiss of death being compared to Game of Thrones, which it wasn’t. I only lasted one episode before I binned it. So the BBC/Netflix drama latest offering Troy: Fall of a City was hopelessly tagged with the now standard Game of Thrones comparison again but unlike Britannia, I may just stick with this one.

Within the first five minutes, the Queen's troubled labour ultimately produces a baby boy, and a young girl foresees the ruin that the child will bring upon their city. Skip forward 20 years, we get the first shag and meet the gods and soon find out Paris – or Prince Alexander, who we are led to believe is a son of a shepherd, is in fact a Prince of Troy, as a baby he was stolen by wolves.

When he comes across the princes of Troy training for the upcoming games, he challenges them, and finds himself brought before the King, where his true lineage is revealed. The rest, as they say, is history. Well. Sort of...

Within what seems days Paris is sent off on a diplomatic trip to Sparta, he meets and falls in love with Queen Helen she of a thousand ships, and she looked the part. His posturing combined with Helen’s furtive glances and whispered asides also created a tantalising erotic charge, which crackled off the screen. However, in the totty stake Helen may be the hottie but its Paris mother that gets me weak at the knees.

Those who are looking forward to the blood and gore may be left feeling disappointed, as violence is almost non-existent in the first episode. The focus is on the human relationships, therefore it may feel a little slow for those who are out for bloodshed. However, too completely bombard viewers with graphic images of slaughter would be a detriment to the series, and would feel entirely too rushed. However, we can expect bloodshed by the bucket load over the next seven episodes with the promise of more sex and intrigue.

I may have liked it but the world of social media (Twitter) had issues and the poor lighting and historical inaccuracies were among the main bugbears. Of course, being the BBC the old whispering dialogue that accompanies all BBC drama these days was aired and Troy seemed to be populated with cockneys.

Middlesbrough visit the Cardiff City stadium

After a solid victory over Bolton in mid-week Cardiff City, face a tougher home game today against Middlesbrough, who are ninth, and in the hunt for a top six finish. There is only 15 games left to the season with the carrot of promotion dangling in front of boss Neil Warnock.

Before Warnock was handed the manager’s job at the Cardiff City stadium there were strong shouts among fans for the now Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis to be installed as Cardiff boss. He is a known Cardiff City fan (Pulis) but will be traveling to Cardiff looking to do no favours to the Welsh club in the dog eat dog world of points.

Cardiff are fourth in the league level on points with Derby and a point behind second place Aston Villa with both vying for that automatic promotion place along with Cardiff.

Games that matter for Cardiff it would be helpful if both home teams were to win.

Fulham v Aston Villa

Preston v Wolves

Over the last five games Cardiff are unbeaten and seem to have moved on from the dreadful Christmas period where Cardiff lost four league games on the trot. While the visitors have suffered two defeats over the last five games earlier in the season Cardiff beat today’s visitors 1-0 with a late goal.

Aron Gunnarsson could return to action as early as March having missed a hefty chunk of Cardiff City's campaign so far. Boss Warnock reckons the player’s fitness is at 75% and he is yet to train on grass according to the press. He is out of contract in the summer when if fit he has the World Cup to look forward to.

Cardiff will give striker Gary Madine a chance to prove his fitness after missing the midweek win over Bolton with a broken nose and an ankle problem. Warnock looks to have no other injury problems going in the game Craig Bryson, Kadeem Harris, and Matt Connolly all played their part in an under-23s game in midweek but may not be risked for Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough are waiting on the availability of two former Bluebirds with injury niggles. Striker Rudy Gestede has had a back problem while a thigh issue means Fabio Da Silva may not be fit to feature in the game.

Upcoming games

Wednesday 21st February Ipswich Town v Cardiff City 7:45pm

Sunday 25th February Cardiff City v Bristol City 12pm

Dr Pimple Popper - TV Review

Dr Pimple, aka Dr Sandra Lee as amassed over three million YouTube subscribers of which I am one thanks to her sharable if stomach-churning videos of giant cysts and zits being picked and popped. Her Dr Pimple Popper’s videos have become something of a sensation – viewers can’t get enough of seeing what comes out of these enormous spots. As you can see she is easy on the eye and is very friendly. Yes, there’s a lot of pus involved. I prefer the messy pus ones I am that strange. 

I have spent hours viewing her videos on YouTube and feel the need to share my all-time favourite, which is not for those with a weak disposition. She drains a patient’s rather painful looking cyst on his bottom – sharing it in all its gory detail on her YouTube channel. 

It’s no surprise, then, that Dr Pimple Popper, aka Dr Sandra Lee, now has her own TV show. Dr Pimple Popper on TLC is a pimped-up version of her YouTube channel, where the California-based dermatologist deals with even bigger cysts and spots. This hard-core pimple popping is certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Her hour-long TLC TV special proved incredibly fascinating (read: disgusting) we see Dr. Lee's treat a patient, homeless Delano, who, for unknown reasons, had two grapefruit-sized bumps on his back. At first, it was easy to assume that they were cysts or lipomas, but through closer investigation, Dr. Lee determined a different diagnosis altogether.

Not going to lie, watching Dr. Lee drain the fluid was mesmerizing as she fill 33 big syringes. That being said, I am not about to sit here and tell all the results! I will say that the fluid wasn't as harmful as it looked, but the diagnosis was, in fact, really complicated and Dr Pimple passed him on to fix his problem. 

Keep It Up Downstairs (1976) - Film Review

Spent the afternoon watching one of the many British sexploitation comedies from the 70s via YouTube and I was lucky to find one I had not seen before which was a result.

Excellent production values including gorgeous period costumes - it is set in 1904 - mark this 'Upstairs Downstairs' spoof out as an above average entry in the 1970's Brit sex comedy stakes of the time. It is a tale of a bunch of sex-obsessed aristocrats and their equally randy servants.

This kind of film was a staple of British film of the time with their low cost production and quick turn around there were seen has a cheap cinema fuller.

So the film. Earl Cockshute is faced with a grave dilemma: Snotty Shuttleworth, a local villager who ventured to Australia and made his fortune in trade, has bought the debts of the once-great family. Now he is back in England, and fancies himself as Lord if they cannot pay what they owe within a month.

Butler Hampton is perhaps more despairing of such a notion then his master, and the rest of the staff are equally aghast at the idea of life at Cockshute not being what it was - for all enjoy casual and fulfilling liaisons of a hot and sweaty nature.

With no family heirlooms left to sell, Lord and Lady Cockshute turn to that old aristocratic trick of a convenient marriage. Young Lady Kitty recalls that a school-friend, Betsy Ann Dureneck, is an obscenely wealthy American oil heiress, and would be a perfect match for Master Peregrine. He, however, is far more interested in his basement scientific laboratory...

As the Durenecks visit for the weekend, things go quickly awry. Hampton recognises Betsy Ann's mother as a dancing girl he was once engaged to, and comes to a realisation about her parentage; Shuttleworth declares his love for Lady Kitty; and Betsy Ann seems as buttoned-up and uninterested in love or sex as Peregrine! Is a staged jewellery theft the only answer left to ensure the status quo at Cockshute Towers is maintained?

As a time capsule of the era it was made, it is priceless. Holding the whole thing together is Neil Hallett, who has perfected his long-suffering look as the butler, Hampton, but he has given ample support from a whole bevy of familiar British faces. Watch out for OLIVER! Jack Wild as a mad scientist type, Diana Dors as a visiting aristo, and Francoise Pascal and Mary Millington as a pair of sexy maids.

Go away Valentine Day

Its rip off day better known as Valentine’s Day … suckers day I call it and yes, I am one of them because I am married and the wife likes Valentine goodies. With all its chocolate hearts, tacky pink cards, helium balloons, and flowers and overpriced tables at restaurants it’s the one day of the year, you are commercially forced to declare your love for your wife/husband, partner,

girlfriend/boyfriend, or secret admirer by opening your wallet.

Normally I purchase a few items pre V Day gifts for the wife but not this year not even new undergarments, but the wallet has opened which the wife received before rip off day, but still I had a card and some for her this morning. She knows better not to buy me anything that is how I like it not even a card hopefully.

In school, I never found myself inundated with cards from the countless girls who lusted after me. In my dreams. If the truth were told throughout school up to the age of 16 years old, I received only three cards two were posted through the letterbox meaning someone local the other I found in my desk at school. I’m not bitter and I didn’t cry myself to sleep every 14 February I would just love to know who sent the cards, that’s my ego at work. Were they a joke or did I have a secret admirer and if so why didn’t you just tell me.

No card, no present for me. I am adamant I don’t want anything I would rather have any money spent on a takeaway, that’s my kind of love. I certainly don't want- nor expect- anyone to dig deep in their pockets to remember they love me for one day, yet forget about letting me know that for the rest of the year!

That also goes for the supermarkets ingredients meals they all do one like Sainsbury’s who have bundled together, two steaks, two side dishes and a bottle of pink fizz which costs £16.25 overall. The downside … you have to cook it so why bovver. It is easy to pick up the phone and have a takeaway delivered you can even get your steaks to your front door if that’s your wish.

Cardiff home to Bolton

Cardiff City play they game in hand tonight a there can’t be any slip up if the management and players want an automatic promotion spot at the end of the season. There have been just too many slip-ups the latest being Millwall who with the help of the referee saw the Bluebirds drop two more points into the wastebasket.

We hear a lot about a top six finish but that route to promotion means winning the play-offs I would prefer Cardiff finishing in the top two and automatic promotion. Who needs the sleepless nights of play-off worries? Still that’s a way off yet and has long as we are winning everything will be ok.

Tonight Bolton are the visitors to the Cardiff City stadium and Saturday Middlesbrough will cross the border to face the Bluebirds. Two home games that must be won.

Bolton have spent most of the season at the wrong end of the league table while Cardiff has not really recovered from the dreadful run of four defeats over the Christmas period one of those games lost was an away fixture at Bolton. Before which Cardiff stood second in the league and only four points behind Wolves while today we are 16 points from them and they are still top of the league table.

Aston Villa who are second in the league at present were ten points adrift of the Welshman are now four points clear of Cardiff who are fourth, how things have changed.

Our recently sign star striker and former Bolton player Gary Madine could miss the game with a (broken nose) while Lee Peltier was on the bench at Millwall and is a possible defensive option for Warnock after being out through injury. There are no injury or suspension doubts for Cardiff apart from those regularly on the treatment table.

Junior Hoilett is hoping to fire the Bluebirds within one point of second place Aston Villa having scored four goals in the last five games but none at the CCS since the beginning of December. Third place Derby play tonight.

Cardiff travel to Leeds today

No more Cup worries it is all about league football now and promotion and at least a top six league finish at the end of the season. Many Cardiff fans will be happy we are out of the FA Cup so everyone can concentrate on the League. I would prefer Cardiff were in one of the automatic promotion spots, as I am no fan of the play-offs.

Cardiff have hit the road and later today face a tough fixture against Leeds United who are just outside the Play-offs and the form over the last five games isn’t the best so will be chasing the three points on offer just as well as Cardiff. While Cardiff have been on FA Cup duty, they have dropped to fourth level on points with Aston Villa.

Cardiff boss Neil Warnock did a bit of shopping before the January transfer closed snapping up Bolton striker Gary Madine for an undisclosed fee but being reported to be around 6million. Bolton have been struggling for most of the season but even so, he has the ability to score with 10 from 29 games this season. Back in September, Cardiff cruised to 3-1 win at the Cardiff City Stadium with goals by Zohore (2) and Hoilett. Cardiff are seven points ahead of Championship rivals Leeds making a win all-important to make a buffer between the top six spots in the league table.

Also, joining Madine Lee is Nottingham Forest striker Jamie Ward after a swap deal seeing Lee Tomlin going the other way, which came, has a bit of a surprise but Warnock was reported as saying he couldn’t see how to use Tomlin. Armand Traore moved after the deadline had passed because, having had his contract terminated at Forest, the left-back was able to join Cardiff as a free agent.

Two Cardiff players left the club on loan. Striker Omar Bogle join Peterborough on loan and goalkeeper Lee Camp sign for Sunderland on loan for the rest of the season.

Joe Bennett will not be available for the Leeds game has he serves a one-match ban for his red card in the FA Cup defeat by Manchester City on Sunday. Also not in contention are Lee Peltier, Craig Bryson, and Matthew Connolly who are still out injured but are slowly recovering and could feature in Warnock’s plan soon.

Will the news-signings feature at Leeds. Well striker Gary Madine should start his last game for Bolton was 20 January in a 1-1 draw where he scored. Jamie Ward could find himself on the bench while Traore is still subject to official confirmation after his release from Nottingham Forest, and the full-back now looks unlikely to be involved for the trip to Leeds United.