The Art of Manipulation

Now readers of this blog will accept that I love an emotional romp and....it has been a while since I have had a cracking good one. Thanks to the producers of BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT, I, as millions of others seem to have done, nosedived blissfully into a true Hollywood moment on Saturday night.Every single person involved in this snippet enjoyed being wrung out to dry by an artful tv manipulation moment As we all watched the Ann Widdicombe-esque underdog -Susan Boyle belt out the specifically picked emotional highlight from Les Miserables (the shop worn middle aged heroine Fantine's swan song), the producers kept the emotionally charged musical score going to punctuate wonderfully Susan's surprise at being supported and the audience's shame fuelled hysterical reactions at her success.On reflection, it wasn't the obvious skill this unlikely contestant showed to a patronising audience that moved so much, I think it was the genuine, typically British and slightly dotty quality that Susan possessed that made people warm to her.A cracking piece of manipulative television

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Llanberis

I am feeling a little Bohemian today...hardly any sleep and the second lot of champagne in three days!.....how daring!
We loaded up the car with the welsh terriers and drove over to Llanberis in Snowdonia for lunch with a colleague and friend of Chris' Jo and her husband Nick.
They live in a picturesque converted chapel that nestles snugly amid the piles of slate and bracken high above the town,with their three dogs and 4 hens (some of my old buffs!)
The countryside in Snowdonia is typically beautiful and rather harsh for my taste, The cottages dotted almost inside the mountains do feel just a tad too isolated, especially as I do like conversations with passing locals, but it is, I'll admit, very, very scenic.
We had a lovely lunch, a bracing walk on the precarious mountains of slate and a tour of their allotments and land..........I must admit I was ever so slightly envious of their pond and orchard....
Home at 6pm, just in time to water the ducklings and doze on the couch

Below pic..(Centre Chris, far right Jo)

Osborn House,Wii play,Welly blossoms and sunburnt pigs

It's a mixed bag Sunday. Like today, yesterday was glorious, so after giving the dogs a good walk and stocking up the animals with food and water, we went to Llandudno for a walk around the shops. Chris treated me to lunch at Osborne House (above), which was lovely. We called down to Janet and Ned's in the evening. Ned's son and his girlfriend was visiting and had brought their Wii box thingy with them. Now I have absolutely no knowledge (or interest) in computer "games", but some of the physical balance games such as skiing and tightrope walking were incredibly clever and entertaining. Mind you anything can be fun after several glasses of champagne!

Today I have made the most of the weather, and typically am working nights tonight. The Church yard is quite pretty and natural looking this Easter Sunday, The council is responsible for the grass cutting maintenance, so unfortunately it will be give the usual "short back and sides" with the strimmer soon. The slightly scruffy old fashioned look , I think suits the place

The ducklings are all doing fine in the safety of the garden shed. All are putting on weight and have literally doubled in size in a week. Welly (above) is bright and seems happy enough after his close shave with death.

I will put some hens' eggs in the incubator in a week or so, the field is in need of some healthy young egg layers that will augment the older pensioners.

As I said, the weather has been quite beautiful and surprisingly hot. After digging through the medicine cupboard in the bathroom, I finally found an old bottle of sun cream, and gave Nora (who is quite bald on her back) a good creaming. She was quite put out by the whole experience and would not keep still for me to rub in the factor 30! I had to corner her with some pig food before I could massage it all in

Hillsborough 1989

If you mention the suburb of Hillsborough to people in a general conversation, the majority will think of the infamous disaster of 1989. Say the word Hillsborough to me and all I think of is the many happy years I experienced living in a Victorian terrace on Wynyard Road, which almost overlooks the football stadium.
I cannot believe that the 15th of April is the twenty year anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster; coincidentally it is also the twenty year anniversary of my first days in Sheffield.
I thank god, that as a first year student nurse, I was shielded from the aftermath of horrendous crush injuries caused when the Liverpudlian fans were funnelled through to the crowded terraces at Lepplings lane.
96 people died that day and hundreds were injured. The reputation of some Liverpool fans as well as a tawdry gutter press paper were tarnished forever...and the word Hillsborough became synonymous with misery and disaster in the minds of most British people.

I was glad that the tragedy didn't affect me that much on both a professional and personal level.
Cossetted in the nursing accommodation in the leafy suburb of Broomhill, we students still inhabited that selfish, indulgent unreal world of the newly educated and regularly socialised.
My second house, bought in Hillsborough in the mid 90's was a happy, positive home . It signified for me, independence, the cementing of life long friendships and the start of my relationship with Chris.
I am so lucky....when I think of Hillsborough, I only think of the very good times

"Too Much for One Heart" ~~ Lea Salonga

I remember seeing Lea Salonga in Miss Saigon when it opened in London years ago, This song was cut from the production in favour of a duet with Peter Polycarpou.
Salonga seems to be a bit of a hard lurvie but she certainly belts out this version

Good Friday

It has been a case of musical coops today as out of necessity I have had to move some of the hen population around. Blanche has suddenly become "unbroody" so she has joined the other hens and Mildred Pierce and one of the Andrews sisters (below) have been transferred into the maternity house. Both hens have been victims of a feather pecker and are looking a little ropey to say the least. Time out with some good food and rest should restore them to a more acceptable condition
The lame Bunny has been a victim of bullying also (this time by Roger and Pirrie the bantams) so she and coop mate Nonnie have been moved as well into their own little run (above)

This afternoon I have planted a strawberry bed, and several rows of cabbage seedlings.(below) Ralph the gentleman farmer has lent me some more chicken wire to keep the rabbits off the young plants. I am filthy and unkempt yet again, but have enjoyed the afternoon's activities.

Typical of a childhood bank holiday, we watched Ben Hur on tv whilst eating fish for tea!

Thanks Nige

Nige sent me this photo from today's meet

He said I looked as though I was enjoying an expresso on Paris' left bank

ps.What's happened to my hair??? I've gone all 1980's

Duplicity

Chris and I went to the Scala this afternoon for a 6pm showing of the corporate caper thriller Duplicity . There was only four of us in the cinema (just how I like it), and the movie was Ok in a forgettable, convoluted sort of way.
Julia Roberts looked her age and Clive Owen looked slightly weird (with his new Americanised teeth)....but the whole thing was fairly entertaining in an Ocean 11 sort of way.
I gave it a passable 7/10