Recently I bought a Nite watch, and idly entered a competition on their website and I won 3rd prize:
One year’s subscription to Trail
RAB Tempur waterproof jacket
MSR Micro Rocket stove
One year’s supply of Granger’s waterproofing
Nite-glow keyring
Lifeventure scales.
My only other win ever was a spot prize at a dance when I was thirteen - it was a shaving set.
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Not good news on the knee: a few nights ago, in bed, I had muscular spasms in my calf and spent a sleepless night pondering the intricacies of neurosurgery, remembering scenes from a hospital thriller film in my childhood which scarred me for life - Green for Danger. Next morning, things seemed ok, and I walked four miles, but then spasms happened all over again that night.
So it was off to my gp - he is a keen walker and winter mountaineer, and looks upon my activities with good humour. His technique was interesting - he asked about my fears, and I confessed to my morbid forebodings of homicdal surgeons, and some other things, including my theory of there being a fine line between improvment or self destruction when pushing hard with exercises.
“There” he said,
“I ask patients these questions and then often find they give me the diagnosis”.
When I told him about the exercises I was encouraged to pursue aggressively by the physio, Dr. A. reckoned I had been overdoing it, perhaps stretching nerves (I didn't know you could do that, but it sure fits with what was happening to me). He suggested taking it easy and predicted things would settle down.
Well, he was right. I have been inert, but feeling indolent, and a bit guilty, for the last few days, but the muscles have stopped their convulsions.
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I watched Richard11 a few nights ago and realised it was the film I had seen in production at Whitesands Bay two days before the end of my Welsh Boundary walk last summer. Here is an extract from my journal
There was drama, literally, at Whitesands Bay. A film company was making a production of either Richard the Second (or the Third) - my two sources differed. As I arrived on the cliff top I encountered two people, the first being some sort of paparazzi who had found what coarse fishermen call "a good hole" well nestled into the long grass with camera and long lens overlooking the scene of the production on the beach. The second was an archetypal security, night club bouncer type who was trying to eject Paparazzi, but with seriously challenged verbal skill- these two combatants were really going at it as I slid past unnoticed.
The guy in the café a bit further on said the production had brought little extra business because the film company are almost self sufficient, and in fact they had been trying to prevent the public from visiting the bay.
I’m just going to watch the sequel now - Henry 1V Pt. 1...
... dammit! It's been cancelled because of the ****** tennis.
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Katie update:
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| I wonder? |
Mmm! Me too ?!?!?
ReplyDeleteAlas, you should have persisted with the telly. I was outraged that such an expensive enterprise as Henry IV Part 1 should be abruptly cancelled to bring us all the piffling (Women of England forgive me) women's doubles. Switching on later for News at 10 on BBC1 I found tennis there too. "Try BBC2," said Mrs LdP and lo! The Hollow Crown with superb performances from Jeremy Irons (the king) and Simon Russell Beale (Falstaff). I recommend you track it down because there was mention of it re-appearing later on one of the BBC's other channels, perhaps BBC4.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to have forgotten the plot of Green For Danger but I am unable to point out your error without revealing the ending. Not surprising, really, since we saw the film (definitely a film in those days, not a movie) in Hinderwell which would make you about seven or eight.
Incidentally the play you saw last week was Richard II - another excellent production concentrating on what historian Simon Schama (who provided a good TV crib a week ago on Shakespeare's history plays) "a weak king".
Sorry about the knee. But I did feel you were pushing yourself rather too hard. But who am I to talk?
Worry not! I recorded it.
ReplyDeleteI was spellbound by Richard 11. The extensive use of rhyming poetry was fascinating - it suited the king's character, but in contrast was used very cleverly elsewhere. As an uneducated ignoramus I have the advantage of not knowing the plot beforehand - you may be a bit like me being envious of somebody who has still got a hundred Munros to do.
I also have been watching Schama - it's a shame we can't have a bit more of this sort of thing on BBC 4 instead of endless programmes about pop bands and pop celebrities.
Green for Danger - you are right; I don't remember the plot but I seem to remember there was not a "homicidal surgeon" as such, but you have encouraged me to stretch the facts from time to time to suit my context, but perhaps we may talk about that rather than spoil it for somebody else.
I used to spend a lot of time kayak surfing at Witesands bay.
ReplyDeleteI was also banned from the carpark when I had a run in with the then carpark attendant. Happy days.
As you know I have every sympathy with you about your knee. Patience is surely NOT a virtue.
Welshpaddler - Join the club - my experience at Whitesands Bay was also blighted. Here is the rest of my journal for that day which continues from the extract on this post:
ReplyDelete"This had been an easy and pleasant day. The campsite was mediocre - I was on a slope, and the scruffy wc was paperless. I walked down to the car park area and public toilet where things were much better appointed.
My neighbours were a German family with a campervan tent combination, and it was their first campsite in England which made me embarrassed, so I assured them we have better sites than this."
re R2 - interestingly, Peter Ackroyd, in his 'brief lives' bio of G Chaucer, describes his reign as
ReplyDelete'a magnificent period (even though it ended in his forced abdication and murder) - a resplendent literary period, only to be equalled by that of Elizabeth in the late C16 - an age of masterpices such as the Wilton diptych, the religious works of Margey Kempe and Julian of Norwich . . . he had a fully conceived and almost theatrical sense of his own kingship - a court of ceremony and formal ritual, no longer a court of war, except in theory:
so similar but so unlike our dearly departed King Tony, who, I recall, was forcibly abdicated and pokered by those unruly northern thanes
as we are delving into the past, i recall your being involved in an ultimately victorious feat for a bottle of ? Haig ?
ReplyDeleteor have the waters closed over that one
Gimmer- I have not read Peter Ackroyd. As far as I remember there was no reference to contemporary literature in Richard 11, but the description of the court seems to figure. Having Wikipediaed Ackroyd he sounds to have some strangely individual theories about time and place - may give him a try.
ReplyDeleteThe other matter - I must be bad because my conscience had let that incident dim in my memory - less said I think - it may still be an open case on the police files?
If that was second prize you scooped [lucky you!] what was first - a bottle of Haig??
ReplyDeleteJohn P. - It was actually THIRD prize. If you Google NITE WATCHES you could enter the current competition yourself. There is a list of the prizes for the current competition which are similar to the one I entered - they are impressive. I have entered again.
ReplyDeleteDon't ask about the bottle of Haig.
Where are you off to next?
Preston climbing wall - how are you coping with this weather, a good time to be convalescing. Thank heavens for the tour on ITV4.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on Nite. Expecting to win the next prize!
JP - Good luck with Nite.
ReplyDeleteI'm still having some problems with the knee. I have an appointment with the surgeon on Wednesday, having being signed off by him and the physio earlier, I am not sure whether I am overdoing exercise or what.
I am watching Le Tour avidly every day - apart from the racing it is a fabulous scenic voyage round France - their weather seems to be a hell of lot better than ours.