I had that Black Stig in My Kitchen!
The original Black Stig, Perry McCarthy, once came to see me about a business venture, I was involved with. He was a likeable guy, talked a lot of sense and I regret slightly that we didn’t meet again. I wish him well in whatever he is doing now.
I can still see him standing in my kitchen by the fridge and every time I get milk out with someone else standing in the same place, I have a little smile.
Coast is in Denmark
Coast is one of my favourite telvision programs. Today was all about Denmark. I’ve been to the country a couple of times, although one was just to get a connection to Oslo.
My next-door neighbour at the football is also a man who has a Danish father, who had been trapped in the UK at the start of the Second World War.
The program was about the Danish coast and agriculture, but with a fair amount of Second World War and other history thrown in. They also visited Heliogoland, which seems a fascinating place. A large part of the program was about how the Danes got most of their Jews to safety in Sweden. They didn’t mention King Christian X, who surely became one of the unlikely heroes of the war.
I doubt many monarchs would have did what he did to give support to his people.
What Shall I Do Tomorrow?
Today is not really the problem, as there is plenty of good sport on television, with the Grand Prix and some football. But it is tomorrow!
I thought that I might like to go to the cinema in Haverhill, as it would be possible with a taxi both ways.
But having seen the list of awful American films they are showing, that is a complete no-no. Most seem to be in 3-D, which is totally appropriate for someone with bad eyesight. I should also say that this relives some really bad Bank Holidays in the past, where C and I would vargue because there was nothing to do. Often we’d go shopping in London or Bluewater, or perhaps go and have a meal. But I can”t do that as I’ve got no transport and must stay here in my beautiful and lonely prison.
I could go to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, as I haven’t been for many years.
I can’t even do some of my new found love and time filler; cooking. I’m miles from the nearest shop and that would again mean a taxi both ways, just to get the things I need.
So I’ll just stay here and rant at all the people , who’ve said they’ll visit me and never have!
But at least there’s Tuesday to look forward to!
Carravaggio
I ended up watching a program about who killed Caravaggio on BBC4. This is the sort of program I worry about, if the BBC decides to save money. Having been introduced to the works of Caravaggio by an artist friend, I feel that this is the program, I should watch, to make sure I am less of an ignorant Philistine.
According to Caravaggio‘s entry in Wikipedia, today is the four hundredth anniversary of his death.
Big Brother
I didn’t know that the odious Big Brother was still going, but whilst looking for something to see on my Sky+ box, I saw it listed on Channel 4.
I really think that my life has been improved by forgetting to watch it! In the past, I’ve often watched the first program to see what freaks they’ve dragged up this time. But I didn’t even do that this year!
Is It a Good Idea to Cut the BBC Licence Fee?
There are reports today, that the government is wanting to cut the BBC licence fee, as we must all make sacrifices in these hard times.
Obviously, it could be good for the country, but we must make sure that the quality of the BBC’s output doesn’t decline.
My viewing habits are I think fairly typical of someone, who is male and reasonably well off, as I have a subscription to Sky Sports, and digital television and a Sky+ recorder.
- I watch football, cricket, tennis and sometimes other sports on Sky.
- If sport is on the BBC, I usually watch it. Because there is nothing else to do today, I’m watching the golf, but I’d prefer to be watching football, cricket, tennis or athletics.
- I never watch soaps or any drama series that require you to see all episodes. Even things like Spooks, which I do like, I rarely watch.
- I watch intelligent quizzes, like Mastermind, University Challenge and QI and sometimes inane ones like Shooting Stars.
- I always check BBC3 and BBC4 for intelligent or interesting programs.
- I watch old comedy and rarely any new stuff, except for things like Have I Got News For You.
- I watch the repeat channels like Dave, for repeats of programs I like.
- I rarely watch films on television, as you should see them in a proper cinema.
- I never watch anything other than sport with adverts.
- I watch a lot of documentaries and history programs.
- I watch a lot of news programs and always start the day with BBC Breakfast.
- I don’t watch property, gardening and makeover shows
- I only watch ITV, if I’m really desperate.
- I listen a lot to BBC Radio 5 Live and I often contribute to programmes with e-mails.
So cutting the licence fee would not affect my viewing much, unless shows that I liked weren’t made anymore. I worry about BBC Radio 5 and BBC Sport going to Manchester, as I think that could reduce the quality, as the good commentators and production staff, might not want to move north. One northern-born Radio 5 presenter said as much very stridently in an off-air comment, that a microphone picked up. If the north was so good, it would create more jobs without government subsidy, just like London and the greater South East does.
I hope too, that BBC cuts don’t mean that the BBC dumb downs. In fact cuts should mean that programs like East Enders, which are expensive to make should be replaced by something less inane, that would hopefully give ambition and perhaps a degree of education and enlightenment to those less fortunate than myself.
But what we really need is a better way to collect the licence, so that everybody pays and thus it could be reduced without atually reducing the total take to the BBC. Years ago, I proposed a Reverse TV Licence, where the BBC was paid for out of general taxation and if you didn’t have a TV, you got a payment from the government.But with technology now, we could go a lot better. Especially, as we’re all going to have to go digital and many of us will go to satellite or the Internet. Remember, many of us, pay a large subscription for all sorts of services on our mobile phone, but think that all television, music and film should be free.
One thing that has to be born in mind though, is that if the BBC cuts its budget and staff, many of the people affected will not just give up. They will form their own production companies and make innovative programmes, that will probably broadcast through the Internet. The good ones will be found and promoted by the broadcasters and the amount of material generally available that is worth watching and listening to will increase.
One point, I should make, is that the BBC sought my cooperation in a new program project. It droned on for a couple of years and they must have spent a fortune to get no program at all. The program commissioning at the BBC is in my experience, a complete waste of space. It would be so much better if independent companies took all the risk and then presented them to the BBC and others to broadcast. It would not be easy, but in the end, we’d get much better and more affordable television.
I think it is true to say, that some of the best programs, I have seen over the last few years, were created by independents and promoted by the likes of the BBC and Channel 4.
We live in interesting times.
A Statue of Arthur Lowe
It is being unvieled today in Thetford according to the California Chronicle. The reference shows how far the much-loved TV series, Dad’s Army, has penetrated the world’s pysche.
Perhaps, the UK and especially England’s beleaguered sportsman could learn a lot from Captain Mannering’s ragbag collection of heroes.
ITV’s Bad Commentary on Ghana – Serbia
No advert mistakes this time, the commentator just missed the action. Perhaps, he was in the studio and not at the game?
So for the rest of the matches on ITV, it’ll be pictures only and commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live
Products I Won’t Ever Buy Again!
As these companies are ruining the football by interrupting it with advert breaks, I won’t be buying their products in future.
- Ladbrokes – I use Betfair
- Bacardi – Be patriotic – Drink Scotch or Irish Whisky
- Lucozade Sport – I bet it’s not gluten-free anyway or has maltodextrin in it.
- Bet365 – I use Betfair
- EASports – Only sad people play computer games
- Shell – Be patriotic – Support your pension and annoy the Americans, by buying BP
- Swiftcover – I’m very satisfied with NFU
- Kia – What’s wrong with my Lotus and Jaguar?
- Audi – See Kia
- British Gas – I might buy their products if they connected me to the gas network
- Gillette Fusion – I have a beard and have had one for over 40 years
- Doritos – When I looked they weren’t gluten-free
- Ford S-Max – See Kia
- Freesat – I’ve got Sky AND Freeview
- Sony Ericson Phones – I’ve got a Nokia 6310i
- WKD – Enough said
- Moonpig – I always have a stock of proper cards – Remember my father was a proper printer and anything printed is a work of art to me.
- Stella Artois – Crap chemical lager, that’s not gluten free. What’s wrong with real ale, like Adnams or Greene King anyway.
- We buy any car – I bet they don’t and you’d getn more selling through eBay or AutoTrader
- Carling – See Stella Artois – A policeman once told me, you never get trouble at a real ale pub.
So they’re rather a load of dead beat no-good products anyway, that the civilised world could do without. It either proves you need advertising to sell rubbish or good products don’t need it. Or perhaps both!
ITV Times The Adverts Wrong Again!
It just goes to prove that advert breaks and sport do not mix!
The Anonymous Widower 