choke, what just happened and bayern munich

I have watched two films today (amongst other stuff), one of which was 'What Just Happened' and the other one being 'Choke'.

What Just Happened (2008) stars Robert De Niro as a movie producer getting loads of shit, and guest stars Bruce Willis and Shaun Penn (amongst others). It was alright, but movies about making movies, or the mechanisms of making movies, don't really do that much for me. I suppose if you were in that loop, there would be loads of things you would recognise and identify with, but unfortunately for me, I don't.

Choke (2008) stars Sam Rockwell as a sex addict who also raises money for his mothers (Angelica Huston) hospital bills by working in a theme park and choking in restaurants. It is a dark comedy which has a few twists and turns in it, incorporating Jesus' foreskin, saving people, and flashbacks to his childhood. It is based on the Chuck Palahniuk (who wrote Fight Club) book, but the screenplay is by Clark Gregg, who also directed the film, but as I have not read the book, I am not sure who should take the credit for the great storytelling (still Chuck I would guess). Everyone was good in it, especially Angelica Huston, and I enjoyed it more than I was expecting, and as I didn't really know about the film before watching it, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me.

I also watched some of the Bayern v Lyon game, the second leg of the European cup semi final, with Bayern waltzing through to the final.What an utter bastard, Manchester United should have beaten Bayern, but they blew it. Makes me more depressed each time I think about it. Looking forward to the second leg of Inter v Barcelona this evening (it is now Wednesday) Hope Barcelona win by enough to get through (they are 3-1 down)

toodle pip

latest collapsing news

I had an appointment at the doctors today, supposedly to get a heart monitor put on for 24 hours. What a waste of my precious time, as I was told when I was there that the monitor they had would not be of any good, as it checked for palpitations, which I do not have. I do have an appointment with the cardiologist at Northallerton hospital in June, but they said at the doctors there is not much more they can do until the cardiologist has seen me. They did give me the results of my final blood tests, which I had last week to check for diabetes. These came back normal, so I am in the clear for that. All the blood tests I have had have been OK, so it is back to thinking that it is my heart that is the problem, probably the electrics, as my ECG test was fine (I have the heart of a 21 year old). Bit of a bugger having to go to the doctors just to be told that, as I could have just stayed in, as I was entertaining myself (fnarr) reading and watching stuff (as usual). Ah well, at least I am off work till 3pm Thursday, so life is still pretty good at the moment.

toodle pip

who david met next

Click on the link and see who David has met!

http://www.fridgemagnet.org.uk/toys/dave-met.php

toodle pip

the kids knew how to freak out in 1970

This is from the Double Deckers in 1970, the freaky dancing starts just before a minute is up

toodle pip

oil city confidential

This is a documentary about Dr Feelgood, which is just great. It was done by Julian Temple and mainly narrated by Wilko Johnson, who is still a real character. It must have taken ages to find all the clips that were used from old films, the documentary still had not even got to the point where the Feelgoods get signed, even after about an hour into it. Lots of interesting stuff is referenced (Essex floods of 1953 etc), but Wilko is easily for me, the star of the show and certainly his own man. When the band were taking off, the band were pretty heavily into the old alcohol, except for Wilko, who didn't drink and would get depressed a lot (taking loads of speed probably doesn't help). He split from the band after a disagreement about songs to be put on their new LP, and that is when I lost interest in them. The Feelgoods were the first proper band I saw live (Reading Top Rank in 1976 I think), and I loved them. I hitch hiked to the gig and back from Catterick, (by myself), but it was well worth it. I remember I met up with and went with Robin Collins and a mate of his I can't remember, who both lived in Oxfordshire (Robin in Lewknor). Myself and Robin both got the Stupidity live LP when it came out (helping it get to no 1!), and I have fond memories (and a bootleg DVD) of watching them on The Geordie Scene while I was skiving off school in 1975. Marvellous times indeed. They were certainly ahead of their time, just before punk rock broke, and a welcome change from ELP, Genesis and Prog Rock, I can tell you. It's a pity they now consist of no original members. Personally, I think they should change their name and stop calling themselves Dr Feelgood. Then again, what the Hell, I don't care that much what they do now.

toodle pip

record sleeve art

A very clever idea, reproducing record sleeves as artworks, including creases if required. They are too expensive for my liking, though I don't have their information to hand at the moment. Certainly look impressive enough.

toodle pip

toodle pip

the volcano and the northern lights

Here's some great pictures (from The Times) of the volcano in Iceland with the Northern Lights. It must be fantastic be there and see it in real life. Talking of the volcano, I have been led to believe that it is not called Eyjafjallajokull, that is the name of the glacier it is on. The volcano's name is Gear, which is a lot easier for the likes of oiks such as myself to say. Could be wrong, though this is what was said on Have I Got A Bit More News For You last night. I certainly can't be bothered looking it up at the moment.

toodle pip

emma and pauls wedding

Back to work today (Saturday), after being at Emma and Pauls (the head) wedding reception last night, just outside the Boro, (Stainton?). Drove there from Robbo and Kerry's, then picked the car back up before coming home today, as I wanted to watch the United v Spurs game (3-1 to United) before heading off for work. Had a good time at the do and we all got suitably pissed (and I even managed to remain standing). Mandy stormed off to bed in a huff when we got back to Nunthorpe, as she was pissed and thought we were all picking on her for trying to stop Robbo breathing (it's a long story). All fine afterwards though, and laughing about it in the morning. I got up through the night to use the loo, and must have got out of bed a different way, as I ended up trying to find the door handle where it wasn't, as I was trying to open the wall, not the door (it was pitch black). Worked it out in the end, although I thought I might piss my pants if I couldn't find it pretty damn sharply. At work again at 3pm, but haven't done too much tonight, and even fell asleep at the end of Match of The day, which is pretty unusual for me, so I must still be tired. It must be all the blood they have been taking out of me recently. Ah well, beddy byes is a calling, so..

toodle pip

blood tests, the savages and breakfast at tiffany's

I have had the day to myself today, as I had to be up early for the last (I think) of my blood tests, which was to see if I could be diabetic. I had to go to the health centre for my blood to be taken, then had to go and drink some Lucozade, and then come back and have more blood taken two hours later. Riveting stuff. This did mean I got the day off work to doss about, so it was back home and back to film watching, reading and listening to music. Hurrah!

Enjoyed The Savages, (2007) which starred Philip Seymore Hoffman and Laura Linney as two siblings bought together by their fathers decline, as his dementia gets gradually worse, until he dies. Cheerful it is not, but enjoyable all the same, and both the leads, plus Phillip Bosco (who played the father), were excellent. Philip Hoffman Seymore I really like. I have seen him in a few films now and enjoyed all of his performances. An actor I could happily watch all day (if I didn't have to waste my time attending work). Not a lot happens throughout the film, but that suits me just fine and dandy.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) is a film I had never seen before, but have obviously seen lots of stills from the movie, as Audrey Hepburn is held up to be such an icon because of it. She plays Holly Golightly, a naive gold digger who is wooed by her neighbour, George Peppard, and of course, being Hollywood, they find love and get together at the end. I haven't read the book for a long time (by Truman Capote), but I am pretty damn sure she does not find any love with the neighbour in that. I am pretty damn certain she is still looking for love and unhappy with her lot (like Madame Bovary, by Gustav Flaubert). I was also amazed at Mickey Rooney playing an irate Japanese neighbour. Wow, what racist stereotyping. He was all yellowed up, (complete with big buck teeth), and acted stupid all the way through it. I know times were different then, but it was still a sight to behold! I thought the film itself was average actually. After the hype surrounding it being such a major film, and Hepburns performance being praised as probably her best, I expected more from it. never mind, glad I have now seen it, although the sight of Hepburns fingers when playing the guitar are frightening. They are really, (really) long (never go out with girls with big hands), and at the end of the song, if you look at her left hand, it is really odd looking, like a monsters claw. Trust me, I'm a doctor. Check it out!

toodle pip

niagra falls

This is something I only discovered today. Niagara falls are controlled upstream and the water diverted to other places for power. here's part of the falls (American Falls, not the Horseshoe Falls), which have had the water diverted in 1969 for some Army exercises and work. Impressive.

toodle pip

food poisoning

This made me laugh on another sight. I have certainly been bad in the past, but no-where near as bad as this (still, there's always time)

I've never had food poisoning before. And I'll die a happy man if I never have it again. Approx 1^1/2 hours after eating a couple of dodgy burgers, I was being very, very, very sick into the toilet. It was spraying out so violently that I had to dip my head under the rim to keep it all in the bowl. As if that wasn't bad enough, it then started coming out the other end with just as much gusto. I had to choose between sick in toilet or shit in toilet. In the end, to save destroying the carpet, I had to puke in the toilet and shit in my pants. This went on for about 30 minutes. By the end it was just bright orange bile coming out of both ends. My throat and arsehole burned red hot for days.

I'll never forget the sensation of hot liquid shit endlessly filling the seat of my trousers and then spreading down the legs. I had to bend my legs tightly to create a seal and keep it all from spreading out onto the carpet.

toodle pip

l love japan

Apparently, because of their love of Kit Kats, the Japanese have the privilege of loads of extra flavours, some just for certain regions. They are sooooo far ahead of us.

toodle pip

bloody bike

The bike was magnificent yesterday after being souped up and the puncture fixed by yours truly the day before. It flew like Icarus himself towards the sunshine that is my work, only like Icarus, not quite making it all the way, as I got another bloody puncture about half a mile from my workplace. I therefore walked the last bit into work, yet still made it in on time as I had been going so fast previous to the puncture. Had to drop the bike off this morning and get a lift home at 3pm, so I have just been in the garden fixing the bloody thing again, so let's hope it will be OK for tomorrows journey in. At the moment the tyre is once again throbbingly hard and ready for action, begging to be mounted and taken to the promised land that is my work. It will probably end in tears.

toodle pip

the pacific, the rocker and blindness

Got round to watching some episodes of The Pacific at the weekend, three episodes, one after another, which was a good way of getting into it, as the characters are hard to distinguish from one another at first. By the time the third episode with R and R in Australia had finished, they were a bit more defined. I am sure the series will get better as it goes along and the involvement with the characters grows, it's pretty good at the moment (even though it is now getting so that all the big scenes have to have the colour bleached for more authenticity, since Saving Private Ryan).

I have just been watching a film called The Rocker this morning, It stars Rainn Wilson (from The Office USA version and Six Feet Under) as an aging rock drummer who joins his nephews band after getting fired from his old band Vesuvius (who of course, go on to be massive without him). It was really cliched and predictable, but it was a pleasant enough waste of time with the odd funny moments. At least I managed to watch it all the way through (fast forwarding past some of the songs).

More than can be said for Blindness, a movie in which a blindness epidemic starts to strike, and people start getting quarantined (including a sighted person). It was crap. Straight away it was annoying. Someone goes blind at the wheel of his car, but gets taken home instead of to a hospital. When someone is struck blind and has to sign a hospital form, they sign with a big cross because of course, they can't see (and must have also forgotten how to sign their name, even though people can do it normally without looking). When they are quarantined, there is no help, they are just shoved into large wards and left to find their own beds and fend for themselves. That was about as far as I got. Christ on a bike (with or without a puncture), I hate films like that, which are just so unbelievable. Obviously when watching a film, you can bet taken away by a story, and that story can be far fetched, futuristic or whatever, but the day to day things such as signing your name instead of putting a big cross on a bit of paper, should be right, otherwise the film immediately loses it's credibility, avoids the reality of the situation, and I very quickly lose interest and patience with it.

I need to have a lie down now

toodle pip

fixing a hole

Damn! Got my first puncture last week and got round to fixing it last night, as I have work again today. Took me back a bit, as I used to fix them all the time when I was but a nipper, but for fucks sake, I am nearly 60! (or feel like it). The memories came flooding back though, and I remembered what to do (I think). I have just been outside to check and the tyre is still throbbingly rock hard. I just hope the whole wheel doesn't fall off when I am half way to work. I am going to double check it is tight before I go. Souped it up a bit and altered the brakes as well, so I will get to work in half the time or kill myself, one or the other.

toodle pip

things that make you feel old - part 245

Sinead O'Connor nowadays, plus the fact that Jet Black from the Stranglers is now 71. Punks not dead (yet!)

toodle pip

danny rose goal - fight the power

This is a view of the Danny Rose goal from the stands (if it stays up) from the Arsenal v Spurs game. The clip has been on youtube from other cameras but has been taken down due to a copyright claim by Netresult, whoever they are.

What a bunch of bastards, if they are preventing someone putting up their own film, after they have already paid outrageous prices for the privilege of watching the game live, and then being fleeced for the three p's (a pie, a pint and a piss). I know that technically the piss is free, but you get my point.

The goal is on TV and shown round the world, with clips being franchised everywhere, money being made and profits maximised, so let the poor old fan have a bit of enjoyment with his camera and allow him to share it.

Normally, I would not have put this clip up, but fight the power I say. Great shot though.

toodle pip

Eyjafjallajokul

Here's a great picture of the volcano in Iceland (Eyjafjallajokul - try saying that after a few pints) by Marco Fulle. Impressive.

toodle pip

new york police

Who says the police over-react to any threat of terrorism in the States? They should have tried living through the Blitz etc......

toodle pip

living in the middle of nowhere

When I was trying to avoid the football scores at work yesterday, I decided to get out and have a short drive. That is when I thought it was like living in an episode of Wallander, it's pretty quiet and bleak around these parts, and the view when at home is about the same (top photo).

Thing is, it is also very close to the A1 and right in the middle of Newcastle, Leeds, Middlesbrough and York, so it's handy for mingling with the outside world whenever I want (only now and again).

Right, back to the sheep shagging.

toodle pip

rocks off

Love the song but it's the first time I have seen this video tonight. Marvellous end to the day!

toodle pip

the seasons back on!

Hurrah!! Spurs have beaten The Rent Boys and Terry has been sent off for further humiliation. There is only one point in it now with three games left to play. Sadly though, United play Spurs next. It's squeaky bum time and I have already pooped myself four times today.

I can't stand this excitement - I'm off for a bath

toodle pip

my little ginger prince

It's all gone blurry through the tears. I have just finished watching United Beat City with a late Scholes goal (15 seconds from time), and Spurs are beating Chelsea 2-0 at half time. Come on!!!
toodle pip

election debate cock up

Classic stuff. Look at what the online comment about Cameron is. Fantastic!

toodle pip

madison square gardens

Thinking of Mad Men (see earlier post) got me to thinking about Madison Square Gardens in New York. During the series, they were discussing the contract for demolishing Penn Station (the above ground part in the photos above), to build a sporting and office complex (which turned out to be Madison Square Gardens). I do like the gardens (and certain stores and pubs opposite), but do think that they should have kept the old building and done something with that instead. The upper station was demolished in 1963 and the Gardens were completed in 1968. The outcry regarding the demolition led to the formation of the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission, which prevented Grand Central Station going the same way. Love your history I say.

toodle pip

babettes feast and the end of mad men

So, the end of Mad Men was tonight (or at least we watched it tonight). Don Draper and some of the other people from the agency are breaking away and forming their own company, as they were about to be sold off. Don (who you actually feel sorry for, even though he has been cheating throughout the series) is getting a divorce from Becks, but now has a new family of sorts with his fellow workers. It has been a really well put together series with a great cast and development, keeping you guessing what is going to happen, but also blind-siding the viewer with unexpected developments, such as the sacking of Sal. Can't wait for the next series, but I hope they don't drag it out for too long, they should quit before any shark jumping takes place.

After the FPO had gone to bed, I watched Babettes Feast (1987), a Danish subtitled film that was pretty bleak for most of it, but got more colourful as Babette prepared the feast (wow! symbolism!). Basically, villagers, especially the two daughters that Babette worked for, had been living a pious life in the middle of nowhere (Jutland). Praising the Lord for every morsel they got, they are suspicious when Babette (after she wins the French lottery), wants to prepare a large French meal for the sisters and the villagers, who have been squabbling and moving away from the 'Love thy Neighbour' teachings. They are overcome with joy and unbridled emotion when eating the meal, as they have never experienced anything equivalent to it before. They then find renewed love and faith and Babette is happy as she has created something beautiful ' As an artist'. The sisters think Babette will now return back to Paris (as they discover she used to be a head chef in an exclusive restaurant), but she explains she has spent all of her winnings on the meal. They then say to her that she will get her rewards in Heaven. End of film. A very slow paced two hours, but I enjoyed it.

Now it's looking at crap on the computer for an hour or so before beddie byes

toodle pip

bloody germans

Who says the Germans haven't got a sense of humour (or is that supposed to be the Americans?).

This is a Lego re-enactment of Bayerns goals at Old Trafford. Still sickening.

toodle pip

notorious, agnes of god and blackball

Another finish at 7.30am today, so I have had the place to myself and did my usual crap (literally), reading, listening to music and podcasts, and watching films. Once again, the films were of varying quality and all were completely different from one another.

I will get Blackball (2003) out of the way first. It stars Paul Kaye and Johnny Vegas (who I usually really like, even in the Sex Lives of the Potato Men), as a couple of scumbags taking on the establishment (maaannnn). The reason for this is Paul Kaye plays someone who is in love with, and brilliant at, bowls. Therefore lots of stuck up blazer wearing stereotypes being offended by the young upstart, who of course, manages to also fall in love with the chairmans daughter (no one saw that bit coming). I managed about 40 minutes before I got really tired of it and switched off, crap dialogue, bad acting and no laughs. Who decides this rubbish should be made? Sadly, I would not be surprised if a lot of people like it, although I would despair if that was the case.

Agnes of God (1985) has Meg Tilly playing Agnes, a nun who supposedly has a miracle birth and then kills her baby. It is from the play by John Pielmeir and also stars Jane Fonda and Anne Bancroft. There was a similar case in real life which is where John Pielmeir probably got his inspiration from, where a nun gave birth and killed her baby (in 1977?), and said she could not remember giving birth. Police however, found that she had been out of the convent on a trip approx nine months before, but in the film, a secret tunnel is discovered. It was pretty dated in its look (and clothes!), but well worth watching. Lots of questions about faith and miracles, although I am probably bigging it up too much now.

Notorious (1946) I didn't enjoy that much. Considering it is an Alfred Hitchcock film, the main bit of suspense was whether Cary Grant would end up with Ingrid Bergman, instead of Claude Rains (of course he did). There was a plot involving Nazis and a key to the wine cellar, but nothing as good as Dial M for Murder. The Grant/Bergman love story was like an episode of Friends, where Ross and Rachel keep prating about and not expressing how they really feel for each other, creating problems and misunderstandings. Bah! Still a pleasant enough morning/afternoon, followed by a long bath and a read of my Manchester United fanzine (United We Stand - highly recommended).

Now if I could just stop pooing and collapsing..............my poor arse and head.

toodle pip

freddie starr and ali

Great story from Freddie Starr and just as good a reaction from Ali (Parky 1981)

toodle pip

Javi Martínez goal for Athletic Bilbao against Almería

It's like someone filmed me years ago

toodle pip

garage, the class and the boat that rocked

In a desperate bid to forget about football and Chelsea beating Bolton tonight, I have been watching films during the day, with varying results.

Garage(2007) is set in Ireland and has Pat Shortt playing a man with learning difficulties. He is a bit of a loner, but comes out of his shell with the help of a young lad of 15, but then gets in trouble with the law for showing the lad some porn and giving him beer (not in a perv way, just being friendly).

The end of the film is a bit ambiguous, but my reading of it was that he feels such shame about what he has done, he sets free a horse he has been feeding and then drowns himself. It was really slow paced, but had some great acting by Pat Shortt, and it was the sort of quiet and slow film I like.

Another one was The Class (2008), a French film with subtitles, about a teacher (Francois Begaudeau) and his relationship with his other members of staff, the Parisian inner city pupils, having to deal with their problems and issues of racism. Once again, it was pretty slowly paced, but another film I enjoyed.

Last and definitely least was The Boat That Rocked (2009), a so called comedy from the mighty pen of Richard Curtis. I got through about 50 minutes of it, didn't find any of it funny, and thought it was all too clichéd and one dimensional. The music was great but the storyline, dialogue and acting just annoyed me. The Spice Girls movie (Spice World - 1997) was about the same level of entertainment, and I never managed to sit through all of that (nor have I seen much of Four Weddings and a Funeral). What do they all have in common? Written by Richard Curtis and staring the so called cream of British comedy (God help us). Someone at work said they liked The Boat That Rocked and thought I should as well. They are going to get such a slap when I next see them.

toodle pip

tommy cooper dying

Never seen this footage before and I never saw it when it was out live (1984) as I was playing tennis. It's really strange how you can just die like that - poof! Obviously the audience had no idea he was in trouble and thought it was just part of his act, fooling around as usual. I suppose he went out on stage with people laughing, which is one way he might have wanted to go, but life can be so fragile and fickle (I should know, with my collapsing. Good job I am indestructible)

toodle pip

the baghdad blog - salam pax

I have just finished reading this in the bath, as I was back home this morning for 7.45am and the FPO is out till about 9pm tonight, therefore plenty of time to read and catch up with stuff. It is a book by an Iraqi calling himself Salam Pax (Salam being a play on the word for peace), which was put out by Guardian books. It is a gathering of all his bogs before and after the bombing and invasion of Iraq and Baghdad (where he lives). It was pretty interesting as you were reading the thoughts of an Iraqi which were not just concerned with the war. He was also posting about the mundane consequences of war such as internet connections going down and the price of food and drink going up, as well as looking foreword to the new Massive Attack album. When writing about the Musaharati walking around banging his drum at night during Ramadan (to wake up people for their last meal before dawn - Suhur), it took me back to a holiday in Turkey a couple of years or so ago. We arrived at our villa (posh eh!) at night, got settled in and then got awakened by the Musaharati in the early hours, as it was the first day of Ramadan. This was unbeknown to us, so we thought the locals might be about to start some kind of Straw Dogs attack. Slept with one eye open that night, that's for sure.

toodle pip

a cat that stands up

Jacksie is getting taught later on today

toodle pip

nicky campbell slip up - twice!

He messes up this pretty badly, then does it again later. Silly boy

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/audio/2010/apr/01/nicky-campbell-fox-hunting?popup=true

toodle pip

the season has blown up

Manchester United's season is just getting worse game by game. Obviously a lot of people will be very chuffed by that fact but it's doing my head in. Finished work today and rushed back to watch the United v Blackburn game. I shouldn't have bothered (0 - 0). It is now going to take some kind of divine intervention for United to win the league, and I hold out no hope of that happening. it's even more galling watching Match of the Day 2 later on and seeing Tevez scoring another couple of goals, we really need someone to harry defenders and cause mischief in the opposition box. Sadly Rooney is injured and I have dodgy knees, so I don't know who is going to step up to that roll. Berbatov gets some stick, but he was probably our best player today, he is just not a man to lead the attack, he is better playing behind it. At the moment, there is no way I can see us overtaking Chelsea, who now look as though they will do the League and Cup double. I would try to live in hope, but I have non left.

On a related note, I have just watched Barcelona v Real Madrid (2 - 0 to Barcelona). Once again, Messi produced the goods and scored the first goal. There was a lot of hype beforehand that it would all be about Messi and Ronaldo, but to me, there is no contest. Messi has been the best player in the world for a while, but he plays more for the team. Much as I admire all Ronaldo did for United when he was there, he still came across as though he was playing for himself and for his own glory, rather than the teams. Messi is different. He goes on long dribbles and shoots when he gets the chance, but is always willing to pick out a team-mate if it is a better option. He is still only 22 (I think), and I hate to think how good he would be if he was taller and stronger. Probably a lot like me when I was younger. Ah, those where the days...

toodle pip

dazzer's birthday

A splendid time guaranteed for all. We all went out for Dazzer's birthday tonight at the Indian at White shops, which was OK, pretty quiet, and the food was not that spectacular (should have gone to Shute road). By we, I mean Dazzer and Louise, me, Mandy, Ruck, Debbie, Maria and John. We all ate loads and got pretty drunk, apart from Louise, who is with child and had the scan to prove it. Who's it is is anyones guess but at least she's happy (only joking!). Couldn't make head or tail of the scan though, just a smudge to me, but I do think I saw a snout there somewhere. Anyway, off to J.T's afterwards for more drinkiepoos, leaving about 1pm I guess, can't really remember. On the good side, I didn't collapse again so I managed to retain a little bit of dignity (what little I still possess), although I did manage to scratch my nose, which I did not realise until it was pointed out to me and the blood started running down it. Damn! What can I say? I have issues. Argued playfully with a conductor guy at the bar in J.T's about music not having to be perfect, which was a bit of a laugh (I was right, he was wrong). Walked home with Ruck and Debbie as the rest of them buggered off back to Stockton in the car (Louise driving). Same time again next year!(at Shute road).

toodle pip

old photos 1924

To carry on from the last post showing the old film, these are photos taken in 1924 of Fleet street in London and the Thames. The one from the Tower of London is from 1913. Once again, where the hell is everybody?

toodle pip

the great north road 1939

This film is from August 1939, showing a car journey from London to Grantham, up the A1 (Great North road). It is remarkable for the lack of people about. Most places look deserted, and this is in the middle of summertime. The Second World War started a month after this film was shot (there are black and white markings on the pavements in London, for better visibility during the expected blackouts). If the country looks empty in this film, it was emptier a short while later, when lots of people were killed during the war.It really was a different country then.
toodle pip