Guards, Guards ...Public Service Please

I'm not trying to avoid paying , I really want to and I dont want to shut down all the local Post Offices.

But can someone tell why theye have up to six ticket inspectors on Darlington Station every morning (this has been the situation for six months , and recently they also have them on Newcastle Station.

By this time you would think they could have some kind of simple permanent barrier (like Durham) to stop potential fare dodgers.

Another thing is Post Offices . There's a huge furure over potential closures , but it took me thirty minutes to post a CD to Italy , thanks to one clerk behind the four positions. That's a guaranteed way to lose custom!!!

Halloween....

It's that time of year again , and parties and events are happening all over . There was a queue for costumes outside the Magic shop on Percy street , so your as well going online somewhere like this:

Local radio will be playing all the cheesey scarey records , and there'll no doubt be lots of film nights featuring slasher classics such as Halloween and Scream.




The Goths will be abroad in Eldon Square.....

Is There Life On Mars?

Been revisiting Life on Mars and Ashes To Ashes via the thoroughly modern medium of DVD , and find both series entertaining to say the least . Youtube is full of clips such as this one of Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt as Camberwick Green figures:



The BBC has a page with various cartoons and soundclips to download here for Life on Mars and here for Ashes To Ashes.

Currently looking forward to the Abominable Showmen gig at the Centre for Life in Newcastle tomorrow and the Alabama 3 gig at the Carling Academy in December.

Oh and the youtube thing reminds me of the a couple of brilliant Mitchell and Webb sketches which are hanging around. The Doenitz thing is apparently almost exactly what happened in reality:

Are We The Baddies?:

Fuhrer Doenitz:

Gourmet Scran Half Price!!

Well not quite , but I've just signed up with the Gourmet Society which gives you loads of two for one deals , and you can save your initial outlay within two sittings. Think it's based around the North East, Midlands and The Smoke at the moment but is spreading and well worth the investment if you eat out.

As well as the posh places such as Secco and The Living Room, you also have the more basic locales such as Curry Capital and the Ho Buffet , so all tastes , and price ranges are catered for.

Money Saving Expert usually publish discount codes here , so you can get even more of a bargain!

Shakespeare in Stratford or "There Is Nothing Like A Dane" or "You Can't Make A Hamlet Without Cracking Some Heads"

Just back from another week in Upton Snodsbury, wherein we managed to take in two of the Bard's plays , "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Hamlet", at the Courtyard Theatre, temporary home of the RSC during the redevelopment of the main theatre, the frontage of which is displayed below.

Both plays were excellent , though I enjoyed the former more , as it's not so depressing. The cast was virtually the same for both productions, with the additions of Patrick Stewart and David Tennant for "Hamlet" (which ensured a full house and more besides). A number of nubile young ladies I'm sure were only there because of the presence of the latter actor.

"Hamlet" is the one with the body count , while "Midsummer Night's Dream" is a little more light hearted but not without it's darker side.

Would recommend the RSC productions to anyone with a penchant for that sort of thing.

Music For Nothing

A short post this , just about downloading. There's some folk still think that they shouldn't pay for music they download , then complain if it ain't pristine or contains a virus when they get the

stuff off limewire or wherever. WE7 pays for downloads by advertising , so you can get free downloads , with no DRM , no virusses and the artist gets paid. This is a widget thing that should allow you to listen to People Get Ready by Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart:

However this has to rate as one of the worst albums of all time: It even has Chris Waddle and Glenn Hoddle's "Diamond Lights", I think you'd be better getting a Retro England Shirt from TOFFS!!



But they have a lot of good stuff should be supported in their efforts.

The "Last Supper" At The Free Trade

The Free Trade Pub has one of the greatest views in Newcastle , about to be destroyed by Taylor Wimpey by raising a block of flats in front of it, details here. The Government deemed that the view had no merit , especially where cash was involved. This is the same lot that put 75% on fuel , tell us to tighten our belts when energy bills increase by up to 60% , expect a 2% pay rise to be observed by the country while awarding themselves 9.4% . Gits. It's also one of the few pubs in the area that get's a thumbs up from The Burglar's Dog !!

Anyway this is the sort of thing we're going to lose to the builders:

And heres a short video with pictures , soundtracked by Lindisfarne's "All Fall Down":

On August 14th an impromptu pub trail was instigated , which was rather well attended . Not naming names as some folk value their privacy , but the pictures are here , and thought this was reminiscent of a certain famous painting:

And here's the rest soundtract by Terraplane's Beer and Cigarettes only available as far as I know on the vinyl 1978 compilation The Akron Complication on Stiff Records!!