Bits and Pieces


On Saturday I watched and listened to part of the Prom featuring John Wilson, a conductor whose speciality is in re- creating sound tracks of classic movies such as MGM musicals. It was glorious. I love to watch musicians when they are impassioned. Curtis Stiger sang one of my favourites - Heather on the Hill and in the musical interlude part the violinists bent over their instruments like a mothers comforting their children and then flung their heads back-in joyous abandon, hair swinging over their shoulders,. It was quite orgasmic.


On Sunday morning Andrew Marr was on holiday getting drenched in the West Country and Stephanie Flanders stood in for him on his current affairs programme. I liked her style and the way she kept her cool interviewing General Sir Mike Jackson – former head of the British army. Not only did he commit the unforgivable sin of taking his mobile on the set – it was switched on. He got a call and Sir Mike – ever so slowly - switched it off. Then it rang again and gained Sir Mike’s full attention which rather left us hanging. It seems he didn’t really know how to switch it off and finally flung it in disgust off the set. I mean it gives us oldies a bad name. Even I know how to switch my mobile off.


I was glad to see Sir Terry Pratchett in good form: he is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease- old Timer’s Disease he calls it. He has joined in the debate on assisted suicides. He thinks there should be some sort of tribunal to make sure requests are bona fide and not a result of ‘gentle persuasion.’ He has often worked with coroners: ‘All the ones I have met have been former lawyers with much experience of the world and of the ways of human nature. People with wisdom in fact.’
For his own demise he wants to be in his garden listening to his music with a glass or two of brandy. If wet in the library.


I still haven’t mastered my recorder so chose to watch ‘Single- Handed ‘instead of Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones. Good move. It’s written by Barry Simner – is a three-parter and worth watching for the ravishing West of Ireland scenery. It is a dark gripping tale and I’m hooked.