Infuriated of Cardiff

Mr Blue ..... you will die

I was going to blast off about the latest from on high, no not god, but Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan. However, in my present mood I thought I better calm down so not to give his lawyers a field day.

What I will say is ‘I told you so’ that goes to all the fans rushing out to buy Malaysian flags and believing the messiah had landed with free money. Nothing is free, and there is always a catch somewhere along the line. Chairman should be seen and not heard as a rule. Many are not fans of the club they own just looking for some vehicle to up their profile, they never buy a lower league below the Championship.

This interview with the BBC which can be seen here (See Here) it's sombre viewing and you get the feeling he (Tan) is living on a different plant.

 

He said he believes he has been portrayed unfairly as a villain with the in house joke in sunglasses and black gloves he looks like a Bond villain. "I wear sunglasses because of the glare of the spotlights," he said. "I wear gloves because it is very cold in the UK. Frankly, sometimes I think they are nuts making all these comments."

 

He told the BBC. For the fans think there could be a softening on the red re-brand they will be disappointed, “No way will I change it back to blue under my ownership," he said. "Perhaps they can find an owner who likes blue, pay up and buy me out. Sure they can go and change it to blue after that. I go somewhere and build another red club."

"Of course it helps that, in Asia, red is a colour of success, festivity, joy. After we changed it, that same season we got promoted. I think that was a good omen, a good sign."

 

Not much of a good omen, a good sign this season what happened to it being lucky? Where he gets the idea 90% of Cardiff fans base support him just puzzles me, and maybe that’s why he wears the sunglasses, to colour out the blue around the stadium.

 

Social media and news outlet are awash with opinions about the controversy owner and is latest out-burst. He was suggested that the British press is a little bit racist and his now tied and tested attack on former boss Malky Mackay.

Friendless in Cardiff

The former Voice of an Angel Charlotte Church, used social media to call out for her many fans to turn out for her new video shoot in Cardiff City Centre, and one turned up.

 

The now fallen angel twitted a message to her 70,000 followers.

'Yo! People of Cardiff, I'm filming a music video this Saturday for my new single Little Movements. 'I want as many of you beauts in it as possible, I'll be in the city centre from about 2 till 10pm. Feel free to bring your best dance moves. Loves you.'

 

The only fan … maybe not was a professional TV extra Julian Gillard, 42, answering the call, travelling 40 miles to appear in the video. She looked at it has an ideal opportunity for further exposure. It left Church badgering members of the public to dance with her.

The sun is out

Nice sunny day in Cardiff today, but will it last? This beautiful day could be a false dawn I just no the second I hang the washing out it will take a turn for the worse.

It's going to a tough decision

My Perfect Christmas

Christmas Decorations and Lights

December 1st is the day we put up our Christmas decoration. We have a pop-up Christmas tree, one of those space saving ones which can be up and ready in five minutes. Easy and convenient even if I have to put the lights on.

We no longer do ceiling decorations too old for stepladders, and we have no children to get excited about them anymore. We have those traditional Christmas scene with multi-colored LED lights very pretty and again nice and easy to display.

Presents

Let's be honest, I don’t do presents very well. No I am no scrooge, I don’t like receiving them, I like cash because if I want something I will buy it myself.

Food and Drink

Last years turkey

My love of food allow I have on a kind of diet at the moment that will be kicked into touch for a few days. I am not much of a drinker these days close to tea total, but I don’t like tea or coffee. I love cooking a full on Christmas dinner we have a turkey crown, why pay for a lot of bones the turkey costs enough anyway.

A full cooked dinner with trimmings only happens at Christmas. Followed later when room has been made for turkey and stuffing sandwiches and some sweety treats.

Christmas Films

I'm a big TV-watcher over Christmas and like a good Christmas film, you can't keep me away from them. I fact I would say I watch more films on the Christmas 24movies channel during the month of December than any other channel. The Bishop's Wife (1947) is my all-time favourite it is rarely on but I do love it. A perusal of this Christmas schedule showed a number of film to get excited about

• Monday 23rd Channel 5 … Christmas with the Kranks (2004
• Christmas Eve 14th Channel 5 … Scrooge (1951)

Two films on my must watch list.

No Christmas Day snow for Cardiff

It’s time to announce there will be no snow before or after Christmas, so no white Christmas Day in the offing for Cardiff. Instead it will be wet, unsettled, and very windy at time. So the run up to Christmas has been everything but Christmassy but there is an outside chance Scotland could see some of the white stuff. The bookies have Cardiff 5/1 at for snow falling on Cardiff.

Since 1960, snow as fallen on Christmas Day in Cardiff only four times in 1990, 1993, 2001 and 2004.

Despite the weather in the UK being notoriously dreary, it never tends to snow much meaning we rarely have snow fall on Christmas day or any day. Growing up, you here tales from your parents about snowy Christmases but realize when you get older they didn’t happen as frequent as you thought. I am already thinking about next Christmas and will it be white and by the summer start the conversation "Will we, won't we?" and the bookies will start taking white Christmas bets earnest. Some old guy will pop-up TV and tell the world this winter will be the coldest on record, owing to the fact is wife’s big toe is throbbing.

Christmas Day 1970 TV

Christmas Day Friday 25th December 1970          

The random chosen year for this year’s blog was 1970. He is the TV schedule for the day from the BBC and ITV.

BBC 1

9.00pm Christmas Carols with the Wandsworth School choir

9.30pm Basil's Christmas Morning with Basil Brush and Derek Fowlds

10.00pm Christmas Crackers a cartoon parade with Michael Aspel

10.25pm News Summary

10.30pm A Family Service from Netherlee Parish Church, Glasgow

11.40pm A Christmas Appeal by Alvar Lidell on behalf of the Wireless for the Blind Fund

11.45pm Rolf Harris: Meet the Kids in hospital this Christmas

12.35pm The Story of the Silver Skates starring Eleanor Parker, Richard Baseheart

2.15pm Top of the Pops 70

3.00pm The Queen, speaks to the Commonwealth and introduces a special film

3.25pm Billy Smart's Circus Spectacular

4.30pm Disney Time with Harry Worth

5.10pm Robinson Crusoe starring Ken Dodd, with Lyn Kennington, Peter Glaze, Arthur Mullard

6.40pm The Main News

6.45pm Christmas Night with the Stars introduced by

Cilla Black, featuring Bob Hope, Mary Hopkin, Graham Kerr, Jerry Lewis, Nana Mouskouri, Clodagh Rodgers, Frank Sinatra, Jack Warner, Dad's Army, Stanley Baxter, Dick Emery, Bachelor Father, Terry Scott and June Whitfield

8.15pm The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show

9.15pm Film: Charade (1963) starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn

11.00pm The Good Old Days with Danny La Rue

11.50pm But Seriously...on the Nativity with Joyce Grenfell, Cyril Fletcher, Ernie Wise

12.00 Close

ITV

8:15pm Sing a Song of Christmas

9:00am Anita in Jumbleland

9:15am Parish Communion from St. Alaban's Cathedral

10:15am Cinema Special

11:00am A Merry Morning

11:30am Laurel and Hardy Cartoon

11:35am Tarzan's Peril (film) starring Lex Barker

1:00pm Kelvin Hall Circus

2:00pm A Gift from Gracie

3:00pm The Queen speaks to the Commonwealth and introduces a special Christmas Day film

3:20pm The Incredible Mr. Limpet (film) starring Don Knotts, Carole Cook, Jack Weston

4:45pm Cinderella, with Dickie Henderson, Vince Hill, Jack Douglas, Lionel Blair, Susan George 5:50pm News

6:00pm All-Star Comedy Carnival

8:30pm On the Buses: Christmas Duty

9:00pm The Val Doonican Show

10:00pm News

10:20pm Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte (film) starring Bette Davis, Joseph Cotten, Olivia de Havilland (b-w)

12:40pm Church and Close

Scrooged - Film Review

It’s a big-budget film in its day packed out with major star, Bill Murray, and an attractive concept. This film is a modern version of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. Updated to a TV studio we see Murray has a cynical TV executive who schedules a live Christmas Eve broadcast of A Christmas Carol.

Murray plays Frank Cross, a Scrooge-type TV executive who's very cross on his employees, doesn't really care too much about the holiday season, and only cares about ratings. When he goes too far by forcing all his workers to host a live telecast of A Christmas Carol, Cross, like Scrooge, is haunted by three extremely freaky ghosts who show him the error of his ways and redeem himself before it's too late.

Scrooged also features David Johanson as the humorous cab-driving Ghost of Christmas Past, Carol Kane as the sugar-plum fairy Ghost of Christmas Present, Karen Allen as Murray's former love interest, and there's a ton of celebrity cameos in here as well, from Buddy Hackett, Robert Mitchum, John Forsyth, and Mary Lou Retton. Director Richard Donner, brilliantly succeeds in making A Christmas Carol a dark comedy.

Some moments, such as some of the ghost visuals, do come out as corny, and Bill Murray is a little obnoxious in places, especially in the beginning, but it's Murray that makes Scrooged the fun film it is. I cracked at his facial reactions when the ghosts show up and the jokes are simply hilarious (such as "This will scare the Dickens out of you.") Surprisingly, the film also manages to have a little holiday heart in it towards the end, which surprised me most in a dark comedy.

This film can be cheesy, but with the original approach to a classic Christmas tale and Bill Murray's entertaining performance, Scrooged is a fun little comedy filled with pure fun and heart.

Christmas Cards

We received our first Christmas cards last week, thanks Pat, Sally, Maxine, Frieny Pam, Elise, Joanna and another Pam.

The wife sent out a lot while I have so far have sent out one. Most of our cards arrived with the help of the scouts so far and that 25p a card much cheaper than the 60p changed by the Post Office for a first class stamp. Pity the scouts only deliver locally (Cardiff some of the surrounding areas) we could have saved a few quid.

When the boys were in school we would have hundreds of cards stretched across the wall, but people don’t seem to send cards. I like Christmas cards unlike  Birthday card and the rest forced on me. I just see it has a big rip-off and a simple massage on Facebook will suffice.

I fact I bet I will receive more Christmas greetings on Facebook than receive cards.

Toy Memory

I was never a fan of Subbuteo growing up, all that finger flicking did my head in and unless you nailed/glued the pitch down on a board, it would move all over the place. Somehow I did end out getting my boys a kind of Subbuteo game but it was the beginning of the Sega Master System and the Nintendo. Video games all but killed of table football and lots of other games.

I remember getting this football game one Christmas and it gave my brother and me hours of fun. I can’t remember who got it has a present, but I think it was me.  If not I must have been cheesed of a bit being the football fan out of my brother and me. Trying to pin point the year is difficult, but I would say I was around eight?

It was very easy to play around each player there was a dip which would trap the ball give you a good chance to line-up a pass to your player or a shot at goal. The goalkeeper slid from side to side and was trick to control leave yourself open to a long range shot at goal.

Radio Times

While in the shop buying my morning papers my eyes come across a notice asking if you wanted to order the Radio Times Christmas edition or other TV schedule magazines.

The guy in the shop told me he barely sells any most of the year but come Christmas he will sell out. I have not felt the need to buy a copy in donkey years has newspapers these days cover the Christmas TV scheduling extensively.

My mind drifted back to days long gone when really need to buy the Radio Times (BBC) and TV Times (ITV). Both would be ordered from the local shop and there would be heightened sense of excitement in our house as time closed in on their release. Soon as I got my hands on them I would write a list of the films and then badger Mum into watching what I wanted to watch, however it didn’t always work.

Pity before this two-week special edition hits the shops I know what films are on, shows and the soaps storylines has they have been widely reported in the press. I put my name for a copy for old times’ sake but at a cost … £3.20, a reported hefty 14 per cent on last year’s issue. On a lighter note if I was to put it away for a few years I could at least double my money selling it on ebay.

'Tis the season to be sober - Fa la la la la la la la la

Library picture at party drinking

I am not a big drinker, unlike my earlier years when I could be official called a piss artist. I am such a lightweight drinker these days I have five cans in the fridge from last Christmas! How sad is that. The old Peter would have knock them back by Boxing Day as I hang my head in shame.

I asked my youngest last Christmas to buy me four or six bottles, he buy a slab of cans!!! Why I asked myself as he lifted most to take to a party. There was never much alcohol in our house at Christmas growing up Dad liked his drinking in the pub/club not at home and Mum hardly drunk at all.

There was never much of a drinking culture around my friends in my teens either unlike today. If I was at a party or in a pub don’t get my wrong I would very much partake of a drink or two but I have never liked drinking at home. I was a late comer to Christmas drinking my main drinking day was Boxing Day helped in no uncertainty term by my love of football. Home are away to pub would be the first port of call while away the coach/van or car would give one a head start.

I have never been a tea or coffee drinker, I have had one cup of tea in three years and that was recently to celebrate my release from hospital. And since I kicked sugary and ‘no added sugar’ drinks into touch I have little enjoyment in drinking. I am contemplating my first booze free Christmas but I just seem all wrong and it’s not that I fancy alcohol-free booze.

Am I going to crack open a can or bottle this year?

Christmas Day TV Wars

The big two Television players for the coverited number one spot for the Christmas Day have nail there colours to the wall with the all-important 5pm to 10pm schedule released. There are a number of head-to-head clashes meaning the iplayer and others will be call into play.

The soaps are regarded as the big two with the TV companies with the BCC’s EastEnders regular the top show on Christmas Day while Coronation Street has not managed to knock them off the top spot.

17:00 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special v Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs at Christmas

Still warming from the Strictly series which finish four days before Christmas and with the likes of Rochelle Humes, Rufus Hound, Sara Cox and Bros singer Matt Goss taking to a Strictly ballroom and hands down winner for the BBC. Paul O’Grady will be spreading festive cheer with a seasonal visit to the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

My predicted winner: Strictly BBC
Our House … Strictly

18:15 Call the Midwife v Emmerdale

Very tough one to call, both show are very popular with Midwife regular pulling in around 9m viewers. It could help at they are following straight on from Strictly I suspect it may just edge out the competition. You know what you get with soaps like Emmerdale some major drama.

My predicted winner: Midwife BBC
Our house … Emmerdale as the wife is a soap junkie.

19:30 Dr Who v Coronation Street

We see Matt Smith’s final performance in Doctor Who with Peter Capaldi expected to make his proper arrival in the show as the new regeneration of The Doctor. Traditionally with all soaps like Coronation Street on Christmas Day there is a wedding, death or the dreaded reveal of some secret and it should be the same with Coronation Street.

My predicted winner: So close to call but I think Coronation will just steal it ITV
Our house … Dr Who if the wife lets me

20:30 EastEnders/Mrs Brown v Downton Abbey

BBC will be looking to EastEnders to bring home the viewers and they will be hoping the arrival of new Queen Vic landlord Danny Dyer and family among with the inevitable other dross will do it. It will be followed by comedy with the Mrs Brown Christmas special give the BBC a double header against ITV flagship Downton Abbey Christmas special. Over on ITV Downton fans will see the Crowley’s head for Buckingham Palace.

My predicted winner: EastEnders/Mrs Brown
Our House BBC away the way

A joyous 53 hours

I have always maintained that my Christmas starts at 6pm Christmas Eve and ends bedtime on Boxing Day. After finish off any shopping required for me it’s lock down time Christmas Eve, TV and a takeaway in the old days the work would not finish until late because of present wrapping something I don’t miss.

Today money in a card, how easy is that. No need for me to get up ready but if the weather is ok, dad will be wandering down for a few hours and family tradition, but don’t mind the visit. We hope our elders will graces us with a visit for Christmas Dinner has last Christmas was the first time he was not here choosing Christmas Eve for a visit. If he is not here that will mean three for Dinner we don’t count our youngest (24) he will be happy with a plate of pigs in blankets (sausages’ and bacon), some Christmas dinner.

Boxing Day is a quiet day for me surrounded by football. The wife might go shopping into town to spend any money she received has presents, she is not one to let grass grown to quickly under her money unlike me. It need to be a fairly quiet day after the eating the previous day although there is the Turkey leftovers to clear, a curry and sandwiches’ is the normal way for most families.