england's new shirt

If this isn't England's new strip soon, something has gone terribly wrong.
Like the team.

toodle pip 

ossie ardiles - white, blue and white, and the centenary fa cup final, plus england v west germany, 1972

I've been watching the documentary on Osvaldo (Ossie) Ardiles today - 'White, Blue and White' by ESPN, and rather enjoyable it was as well, especially when they had the (unexpected to me) crash in the Falklands.
However......
As l'm a sad pedantic stickler for details when it comes to such things, it really annoyed me that they kept referring to the 1981 FA Cup Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City (Ciddy) as 'The Centenary one'. It may well have been the 100th cup final in the competition, as it was interrupted twice for the World Wars, but what was billed of at the time, and what was known as the centenary final, was the 1972 final between Leeds United (dirty Leeds) and Arsenal.
Here's the programme for the (Centenary) 1972 final.

Plus, while l was searching for my copy of the programme, l also came across the advert for the programme, on the back of my 1972 England v West Germany programme.

I know l really need to get a life, but these things are important!.

Oh, and if you're wondering about the England game, don't be surprised to learn that they were overrun by the Germans, humiliatingly beaten 1-3, a triumph orchestrated by the magnificent Gunter Netzer, after everyone beforehand had given the Germans no chance. The Germans had a young and mostly inexperienced team out, also had two good penalty shouts not awarded, and so much was expected from England.
Times haven't changed since then.

toodle pip

danny baker takes defeat to iceland in his stride (with steve mcclaren and chris waddle)

Danny Baker has taken the defeat to Iceland well. Pretty much how any right thinking person should be thinking at the moment.
What a fucking shambles.
Sadly for the country, looking at the bookies odds for the next England manager, things don't look like they are going to improve in any way, shape or form, even if we are already crap.

Here's Chris Waddle's view



And as usual, Steve McClaren talks nonsense - and has a quick go at backtracking at the end.





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the uk at night from the international space station

As it says in the title, this is the UK at night from the International Space Station.  I think l can see our house (looks like we are having a BBQ).
It looks really populated and built upon, but as anyone knows when you fly over it, there is plenty of greenery. In fact, if l remember correctly, only about 10% is classed as urban, and that includes roads and back gardens, so if anyone says the UK is full, they are talking crap.

toodle pip

the kings speech ( 2010) - tom hooper

The Kings Speech was much better than l envisaged, as l fully expected it to be some kind of  Merchant Ivory / Rambo hybrid, where the future King overcomes his setbacks and difficulties, to emerge victorious at the finale, despite all odds. Don't get me wrong, it was like that (after all, they want to appeal to the American audiences), but not as obviously overblown as l imagined. In fact, l enjoyed it, even in it's so obvious 'What a sad life he has had',  'Poor little darling he has been teased and frightened', 'I've got no friends' and 'I don't really want this life' kind of way. I have little sympathy for somebody in his position who has untold wealth and influence, when all he has to do is make some speeches and show himself in public, but, saying that, Colin Firth was excellent as King George V1. I also thought Geoffrey Rush was superb as Lionel Logue, his speech therapist, and l lasted to the end, which l was not expecting beforehand. Somewhat obvious, overblown and sentimental, but that's exactly the sort of movie that attracts the Oscars (amongst other awards), so it's no great wonder the film was done that way.
And then he led my grandfather into war.....the bastard!


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notes from a small island - bill bryson

Notes from a Small Island is the first travel book l have read by Bill Bryson, and it was pretty entertaining in parts, with some interesting observations and amusing throwaway lines. The only other book of his l had previously read was 'A Short History Of Nearly Everything', which mainly dealt with science, (and is superb, even with the odd mistakes). 'Notes' has Bill travelling from dahn sarf in Blighty up to the top of porridge munching land, using mainly public transport, and doing a lot of walking, drinking tea, and staying in crappy hotels or bed and breakfast places along the way. He gets a bit tiddly sometimes, gets soaked a lot, but loves the countries and the people. l think l may peruse another one of his books in the future, as they are something you can just dip in and out of, with plenty of moments to make you at least chuckle a bit. He has also enlightened me about the 5th duke of Portland, William CS Bentinck and his life at Welbeck Abbey, including the underground tunnels he had built. What a character he was. He lived the life l could only dream of, but he certainly did his own thing, and bugger what anybody else thought of him or his actions. Check him out.

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