Strange day, yesterday. I received a phone call in the morning to let me know that the Botanics Hotel has finally closed. It's been on the cards for a few months, and over the last couple of weeks the Bar's only been open from Wednesday - Saturday evenings. It's a shame - not only because my weekly quiz is no more, but the Botanics - or The Marina, as it was much better known - was a very popular hotel. I have fond memories of the old place when it was the post-match venue when I played football at Inverleith Park in the old Maybury League, thousands of years ago - in the days when pubs didn't open on Sundays and you could only drink in hotels and social clubs. Ah, the golden days ...
Anyway I still think it's a crying shame that a perfectly good hotel, with a nice bar and a beergarden attached, is to be converted into yet more flats. And what am I going to do with all those quizzes I've compiled?
On a brighter note, though, I read on the Chicago Film Festival's website that 'Stuck' has won a Silver Hugo (whatever a 'Hugo' might be?). According to the pre-publicity 160 movies from 44 different countries were screened during the event so the Award is no small achievement. It's great news for Graham, and us bit-part players will bask in the reflected glory!
Not much glory in Georgia last night, where Scotland almost predictably fell to the ocassion - we never do well when we're expected to, we're not good favourites. So it's all down to the Hampden showdown with Italy next month - winner takes all. I'd hate to predict the outcome, but one way or another it'll all end in tears ...
Thursday, 18 October 2007
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
An age-old problem ...
So the honourable Ming has bowed to the inevitable and fallen on his sword. No real surprise there - the spotlight shifted onto him as soon as the election was called off. There's no doubt the Lib Dems have been out of the picture recently as Brown and Cameron slug it out under the media glare, and it mus be frustrating for those Liberal young turks who live by the oxygen of media publicity. The question is: given the current political situation, would it have made any difference if any of the plotters had been in charge? I think not.
Who's to blame for Ming's departure? The 'loyal' party members blame the media for stirring it all up. They would, of course, wouldn't they? If the media is to be blamed for anything it was the frenzied speculation over an imminent election, stoked up by those shadowy advisers close to Gordon Brown whose very lives are all about scheming, manipulating and briefing. Really, who wanted an election? Not the public, particularly in Scotland where there is simply no appetite for another trip to the polling stations; Gordon Brown didn't need one, David Cameron didn't really want one and the Lib Dems probably couldn't afford one! No, the real beneficiaries of an autumn election would have been the media. With party conference season over and little of substance on the horizon to fill the political pages, it was the media who badly wanted an election. They didn't get one, but with Campbell's decision to quit and the subsequent leadership election they've got their story now - thanks to over-excited Lib Dem MPs.
Yes, the real assassins here are those Lib Dem schemers who have so little else to do - they are almost an irrelevance in Westminster and they are now bit-part players at Holyrood too - that they have spent months scheming and plotting the downfall of their own leader in the hope of generating some publicity. It's a dirty business - and we can now all look forward to a leadership election where all of the candidates will no doubt praise the great work done by Menzies Campbell and Charles Kennedy before him! I bet you can hardly wait - the phrase 'bald men fighting over a comb' was never more apt!
Sir Ming came across as a decent and an honourable man but not one who is cut out for the often brutal, cut throat world of front-line politics - he seems a man who would be more at home in one of those many leathery old gentleman's clubs which abound around Westminster, discussing issues of national import over a brandy and cigars. He never looked comfortable carrying out the photo opportunity and sound bite sessions so necessary for today's media-savvy politicians, and I'm personally quite pleased that we won't have to witness the undignified spectable of Ming in a baseball cap, or Ming skateboarding to the Commons while listening to the latest sounds on his Ipod! He's not that old, but he gives the impression of being an old-fashioned politician of a bygone age. He's now paid the price for that - something he could really do nothing about.
Incidentally I couldn't help but chuckle at remarks made by former Lord Chancellor Charles Falconer at the weekend. The noble Lord - known as Billy Bunter to not a few Labour back benchers - urged Gordon Brown to show 'vision for the country'. Falconer's greatest claim to fame is that he shared a flat with Tony Blair when they were both aspiring young lawyers. Strangely enough Charlie fairly shot up the establishment ladder, yet 'visionary' is not an adjective one would use to describe our dear old Charlie. Gordon Brown is not perfect - he's been a fair exponent of the old 'black arts' himself in the past - but I think he's something of a rarity these days: a conviction politician and a man who still believes in the ethos of public service. The day he starts taking advice from the likes of arch-Blairite Bunter - or come to that those advisers for whom politics is a career option and who have no experience or knowledge of life outside that of their wee Westminster bubble - will be a dark day indeed.
Gordon Brown has learned some hard lessons from the events of the past few weeks. I hope one of them is to be his own man.
Who's to blame for Ming's departure? The 'loyal' party members blame the media for stirring it all up. They would, of course, wouldn't they? If the media is to be blamed for anything it was the frenzied speculation over an imminent election, stoked up by those shadowy advisers close to Gordon Brown whose very lives are all about scheming, manipulating and briefing. Really, who wanted an election? Not the public, particularly in Scotland where there is simply no appetite for another trip to the polling stations; Gordon Brown didn't need one, David Cameron didn't really want one and the Lib Dems probably couldn't afford one! No, the real beneficiaries of an autumn election would have been the media. With party conference season over and little of substance on the horizon to fill the political pages, it was the media who badly wanted an election. They didn't get one, but with Campbell's decision to quit and the subsequent leadership election they've got their story now - thanks to over-excited Lib Dem MPs.
Yes, the real assassins here are those Lib Dem schemers who have so little else to do - they are almost an irrelevance in Westminster and they are now bit-part players at Holyrood too - that they have spent months scheming and plotting the downfall of their own leader in the hope of generating some publicity. It's a dirty business - and we can now all look forward to a leadership election where all of the candidates will no doubt praise the great work done by Menzies Campbell and Charles Kennedy before him! I bet you can hardly wait - the phrase 'bald men fighting over a comb' was never more apt!
Sir Ming came across as a decent and an honourable man but not one who is cut out for the often brutal, cut throat world of front-line politics - he seems a man who would be more at home in one of those many leathery old gentleman's clubs which abound around Westminster, discussing issues of national import over a brandy and cigars. He never looked comfortable carrying out the photo opportunity and sound bite sessions so necessary for today's media-savvy politicians, and I'm personally quite pleased that we won't have to witness the undignified spectable of Ming in a baseball cap, or Ming skateboarding to the Commons while listening to the latest sounds on his Ipod! He's not that old, but he gives the impression of being an old-fashioned politician of a bygone age. He's now paid the price for that - something he could really do nothing about.
Incidentally I couldn't help but chuckle at remarks made by former Lord Chancellor Charles Falconer at the weekend. The noble Lord - known as Billy Bunter to not a few Labour back benchers - urged Gordon Brown to show 'vision for the country'. Falconer's greatest claim to fame is that he shared a flat with Tony Blair when they were both aspiring young lawyers. Strangely enough Charlie fairly shot up the establishment ladder, yet 'visionary' is not an adjective one would use to describe our dear old Charlie. Gordon Brown is not perfect - he's been a fair exponent of the old 'black arts' himself in the past - but I think he's something of a rarity these days: a conviction politician and a man who still believes in the ethos of public service. The day he starts taking advice from the likes of arch-Blairite Bunter - or come to that those advisers for whom politics is a career option and who have no experience or knowledge of life outside that of their wee Westminster bubble - will be a dark day indeed.
Gordon Brown has learned some hard lessons from the events of the past few weeks. I hope one of them is to be his own man.
Sunday, 14 October 2007
Beautiful Botanics
Spent a peaceful couple of hours at the Botanic Gardens this afternoon - glorious autumn colours and a world away from Johnny Wilkinson and that 'magnificent' England performance ...
The Botanics really is a jewel in Edinburgh's crown - you always feel happier with life after spending some time there.
Come On You Springboks!
I never thought I'd ever find myself saying this, but for the next six days I will be a diehard South Africa supporter! Having been sickened by constant references to Ingerlund throughout this evening's Rugby World Cup semi-final - the 'other' semi-final, obviously - I'll be avoiding the news all week and cheering on the Springboks come Saturday.
You forget how obnoxious those 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' clowns can be; if they win, it's emigration for me!
You forget how obnoxious those 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' clowns can be; if they win, it's emigration for me!
A Tale of Two World Cups
Saturday was a big day for sport, and what different emotions were aroused by two results in two different sports. In the afternoon Scotland continued to 'live the dream' by beating the Ukraine 3-1. Scotland's renaissance has been something of a fairy tale - who could have believed that these are much the same players that plied their trade under the hapless Berti Vogts? Once again we were outplayed for periods of the match, but there's a self-belief an a confidence in this current squad that makes almost anything possible. No world superstars, no Prima Donnas .. just an honest bunch of journeymen professionals who work their socks off for each other. They deserve everything they've achieved so far - no-one gave them a hope in hell of qualifying for next year's Euro championships, yet here we are: just two games and a tantalising four points away from one of the most amazing achievements in Scottish sporting history. As long suffering Scots supporters we've been here before - the long road of our sporting travails is littered with too many 'glorious failures' to mention. I still think we will find it tough to qualify - even if we were to pick up all three points in Georgia (and that's no certainty after the loss of a number of influential players) we could still be faced with having to take at least a point off Italy in our final game at Hampden. There's still a huge challenge ahead, and ultimately we might not quite get there, but at least it's in the players' own hands (or feet) now. They know what they've got to do - and what a lift it would give the nation if they were able to achieve it.
Meanwhile, across 'Le Pond' our neighbours England were grinding out a dour victory over France in the Rugby World Cup semi-final. As usual, the victory was based on a grimly determined pack and the trusty boot of Mr Wilkinson - dire to watch and just so predictable. Enjoyable to watch it was not, yet when you listened and watched news reports following the match - 'Magnifique', 'bulldog spirit' 'tremendous performance', etc. etc. - you could be forgiven for believing that you had actually been watching a different game! And it is supposed to be a game, about providing enjoyment for players and supporters alike. But when you see the set faces of England's modern gladiators before and during the game - fierce, determined,'focused' and 'in the zone' - you see a group of men who are not playing sport for enjoyment or to provide entertainment but who are on the field with one single-minded purpose only - to win.
Win of course they did, and as far as they and their legion of coaches, advisers, motivators, etc are concerned it's the result, not the performance, that matters so their tactics are justified. Seeing and listening to their jubilant followers too, it seems the end justifies the means. It's a pity - England have some exciting backs who are rarely seen to effect when the team plays in this style. Sadly this boring, grinding, monotonous style has been rewarded with victory and England are in the final once again.
Will they open up and play an expansive, flowing, running game fit to grace a World Cup Final? No, I don't think so either!
This has been a RWC of upsets, so it's hard to predict the outcome of the semi-final between South Africa and Argentina tonight - but I'll bet as a spectacle and as entertainment it will be a hell of a lot better than the England's semi.
Meanwhile, across 'Le Pond' our neighbours England were grinding out a dour victory over France in the Rugby World Cup semi-final. As usual, the victory was based on a grimly determined pack and the trusty boot of Mr Wilkinson - dire to watch and just so predictable. Enjoyable to watch it was not, yet when you listened and watched news reports following the match - 'Magnifique', 'bulldog spirit' 'tremendous performance', etc. etc. - you could be forgiven for believing that you had actually been watching a different game! And it is supposed to be a game, about providing enjoyment for players and supporters alike. But when you see the set faces of England's modern gladiators before and during the game - fierce, determined,'focused' and 'in the zone' - you see a group of men who are not playing sport for enjoyment or to provide entertainment but who are on the field with one single-minded purpose only - to win.
Win of course they did, and as far as they and their legion of coaches, advisers, motivators, etc are concerned it's the result, not the performance, that matters so their tactics are justified. Seeing and listening to their jubilant followers too, it seems the end justifies the means. It's a pity - England have some exciting backs who are rarely seen to effect when the team plays in this style. Sadly this boring, grinding, monotonous style has been rewarded with victory and England are in the final once again.
Will they open up and play an expansive, flowing, running game fit to grace a World Cup Final? No, I don't think so either!
This has been a RWC of upsets, so it's hard to predict the outcome of the semi-final between South Africa and Argentina tonight - but I'll bet as a spectacle and as entertainment it will be a hell of a lot better than the England's semi.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Another Op'nin, another show ...
Bright start to this month - saw the finished version of 'Stuck' at Broughton High School (where it was shot). Very impressed - I had thought it would be good, but it's even better than I had hoped. The film score, composed by Graeme's brother, complements the gentle pace of the film beautifully. It's a lovely wee film, and I hope it gets the credit it deserves when it's shown at the Chicago Film Festival later this month.
Went along to see it for a second time at The Filmhouse, where it was screened with some of the latest Pilton Shorts. Those were of the more traditional variety - i.e. drugs and violence - so 'Stuck' stuck out!
However they did show one of their older films that featured Lesley Connolly - I had the pleasure of working with her on North Edinburgh Arts 'Oyster Wars' and we had some great laughs. I have no doubt that we would have worked together again, but it wasn't to be - Lesley died suddenly at a party she held on the closing night of the show. Seeing her on the big screen brought back conflicting emotions - happy memories of the laughs we had on set but sadness that she died as young as she did.
Had to leave before the screening to get to the Playhouse to see 'South Pacific' matinee. Glad I made it - that's a musical that's stood the test of time. Memorable songs and an accomplished cast - great stuff!
Went along to see it for a second time at The Filmhouse, where it was screened with some of the latest Pilton Shorts. Those were of the more traditional variety - i.e. drugs and violence - so 'Stuck' stuck out!
However they did show one of their older films that featured Lesley Connolly - I had the pleasure of working with her on North Edinburgh Arts 'Oyster Wars' and we had some great laughs. I have no doubt that we would have worked together again, but it wasn't to be - Lesley died suddenly at a party she held on the closing night of the show. Seeing her on the big screen brought back conflicting emotions - happy memories of the laughs we had on set but sadness that she died as young as she did.
Had to leave before the screening to get to the Playhouse to see 'South Pacific' matinee. Glad I made it - that's a musical that's stood the test of time. Memorable songs and an accomplished cast - great stuff!
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