Royal Oak

Eddie The Eagle Eric the Eel Carlos the Jackal

Read his obit today in The Telegraph; interesting to read that his mother denounced "Angela's Ashes" as lies. This wouldn't be the first "misery lit" book to have been questioned by those who "were there" - didn't Dave Pelzer's family say much the same? I know there has been a recent court case in the UK where the mother of one of these authors has sued her daughter for something like libel or defamation.

Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited. I well remember the British TV adaptation of this. Obviously, being about 12 I really didn't understand why, apart from being able to snigger at the gay thing (it was the 80s, forgive me) and the odd boob shot. Let's see if it makes sense now.

I didn't see it, but I'm amazed Clarke gave Swann the charge with only 6 wickets down. I can't imagine Ponting is happy with him.

Rut-a-tut-tut

rrrrrrrrrrut

Hmm, this could go horribly wrong for England tomorrow.

I read somewhere that the end of the cricket season is when a cricket fan notices that his wife has left him. Clarke and Haddin resisting well here. England still big favourites though.

Hussey gone too, looking good.

Finished "One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich" - stoicism is a virtue not rated highly enough these days. Now reading "Goodbye Columbus" by Philip Roth.

You shouldn't read the Sun, it's bad for you. It depresses me that it's the most popular paper in my country.

Pissing down for much of the day here.

a bit small, but you get the picture

Joe Henderson - Multiple

Fine book! I'm almost entirely ignorant of the wider story of the Russian politics of the time, but I'm enjoying the simplicity of the prose. I've only dabbled in Russian literature (Dostoyevsky, Gogol and some Tolstoy) but I find it speaks to me somehow. All bleak and cold and filled with injustice - don't know what that says about me! I've read some tremendous novels that came out of Stalinist oppression: First Circle, also by Solzhenitsyn, Arthur Koestler's Darkness at Noon and Victor Serge's The Case of Comrade Tulayev. I shall bear those in mind Bill, thanks.

I got called just once, but was excused because I was studying at the time. I hope never to be called again. I have a vague recollection of some Laurel and Hardy film where the convicted man makes some non-verbal threat to kill L&H at the conclusion of the trial. No thanks.

Fine book! I'm almost entirely ignorant of the wider story of the Russian politics of the time, but I'm enjoying the simplicity of the prose. I've only dabbled in Russian literature (Dostoyevsky, Gogol and some Tolstoy) but I find it speaks to me somehow. All bleak and cold and filled with injustice - don't know what that says about me!

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich

Finished "On The Road". I neither loved it nor hated it. As a homebound square, there was the vicarious thrill of the "life less ordinary" and all that, but I'm sure Dean Moriarty would annoy the piss out of me.

Run for your life sideshowsteve!

And the British dream dies for another year....

If he wins, this place will be unbearable for the rest of the year. You're not kidding. Wimbledon; the sport for people who don't like sport. Adopts Ron Manager voice: "Wimbledon, isn't it? Henman Hill, strawberries and cream, Cliff Richard, first British winner since Fred Perry etc".

I remember a Scott Hamilton gig in a Northern English town in the mid-90s. One got the feeling his heart wasn't really in it, and at one point he rather pointedly inroduced the tune "What Am I Here For?" I suspect Scott had had a drink or two, and later on he sat down on a chair out front while the pianist took his solo, and promptly nodded off. After several choruses and "what the..." glances between the band, an old man (I think he was the promoter) got on stage with a cup of coffee and woke him up. At this point, Scott shook his fist angrily and shooed the old man away. He put his horn to his lips, then gave a "fuck it" look and fell asleep again. You couldn't help but be impressed by the panache.

Just finished Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". Now about to start Kerouac's "On The Road"

Funny. I'm a big fan of Gervais as well. Maybe it's because we get smaller doses of the two of them here in the US... Possibly. Don't get me wrong - I loved "The Office" as much as anyone when it came out. He quickly became omnipresent (BBC specials, publishing deals for books of his drawings, weak stand-up shows on DVD) and he obviously believes the hype. Just seeing or hearing him now makes me cringe. I think his American equivalent would be Will Ferrell - I can't think of a more repellent screen prescence. Sorry for getting off -topic.