Going Gently

I’ve seen it all before

Ok we had a fight at a glamorous party set in Venice at night

Lots of CGI face recognition shots at an airport

Facial masks that shouldn’t work as everyone knows they’re being used.

A vertical orient express coach reinacting the trailer-over- cliff sequence in Jurassic Park 2

The obligatory car chase through the Rome back streets

An over complicated but slick plot

A feature stiff Cruise doing his own stunts

A movie Nearly three hours long

It’s not a bad movie, it’s just a movie that we’ve all seen before and that fucking bored me.

Ok the set pieces were fun ( Venice looked as lovely as I remembered it ) and the obligatory Asian villain turned good ( Pom Klementieff) was great fun but the film lacked drama as the tight knit family IMF was alluded to rather than really shown .

And it’s the people that matter.

Ilsa ( the impressive Rebecca Ferguson ) was underused and clearly killed off to make way for new love interest and Cruise foil character Grace ( Hayley Atwell ) which is a shame.

Ferguson is a class act and has a warmth Mission Impossible so obviously needed.

I always liked what the franchise did with her….

Adding to this, Simon Pegg who used to show so much boyish charm and warmth in previous Missions is now a haggard old guy who is just irritating to watch in this update.

The franchise has run its course.

Of course if you like big scenes, on a big screen, with big music, big sounds and big rollercoaster feel, you will love this movie……but that’s a rollercoaster ride and NOT a proper movie experience

In the end

All this noise reminded me that apart from being good to look at, this movie is sadly rather vacuous

Baddie Esai Morales was a real dish btw

Moving On

klea

Several of the hospice staff are moving on to other things this week. Today we are all meeting for a beach party on West Shore. I will post some of the photos after I go later as I am writing this from last night's night shift.

Confused?

You will be.

I shall miss all three of the clinical staff that are leaving. Beth and Klea (who is Greek) are excellent nurses and will blossom as they move forward in their careers. Mandy, a previous spinal injury Physio is retiring

I have a soft spot for all of them.

when I was a ward manager, I could spy a good nurse from fifty yards and over they years became very adept at headhunting nurses with potential for my own ward.

After the beach party Im meeting Gorgeous Dave for Mission Impossible

Roger sirt of behaved himself

Funny Feeling Day

Each one of us should have something beautiful to experience everyday.

The older I get, the more I believe this.

Today it was this bit of mindfullness initiated by Jacob Collier

Humbling, extraordinary and profound.

I watched the video a few times, caught by the shared joy it captures

I feel a little lonely today.

Just a little

I’m not complaining, just observing

The weather is atrocious and at the last minute I said I’d cover night shift sickness tonight.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been spoilt with good weather and company

The video underlines company , and unity , and something shared

How great is that.

And it’s ok to miss that a little.

I’m not beating myself up with it.

As I type this I’ve seen a mark on the kitchen table, I’ve cleaned it now I have to scrub the whole thing,

I can see Albert marks on the wall near his window shelf, so I’ve bought paint on line to freshen things

The patio is sodden but the flowers look vibrant

I’ve photographed them in the rain

I had an argument with a friend too. I don’t like the fact the argument took place but I needed to stand up for myself too.

It’s a funny feeling day

Pamper Day

I’m coming down with a little bump today. Yesterday I was busy coming home, and when I got home, I was busy washing clothes, washing throws and shopping at the supermarket, where not only did I buy provisions and dog food for the week but filled the hamper ready for Flower Show in two weeks time. I have photographed it to publicise the show and to galvanise the TCA volunteers into helping then will put it safely in the hall

It’s the first day of the school holidays and The Storyhouse is nose to nipple with effing kids activities , films and plays. theatre Clwyd only has a comedy on Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet in 40 minutes which sounds dreadful, so I’ve not been tempted to go out.

Now this is good.

I’ve lived off being busy for a month now, so a day for me alone at home, is the order of the day.

So saying that, the dogs and I went to Dyserth for a walk.

It was pissing down and I loved it.

There is nothing better than getting that refreshing wet first thing in the morning.

My third best Walking Dead T shirt was steaming nicely when we got home and by 8 am I was planning my “Pamper Day” with the Mokka pot bubbling away on the stove.

Tidy cottage so that I have set the scene

Hot shower and shave after Roger and Mary showers

Moisturise and facepack ( an unused gift from Chic Eleanor from five years ago when my ex left) “ John you must attend to those little indulgences to keep your head above water!”

Fresh clothes

Catch up And Just Like That and The Great British Sewing Bee

Cry at The Repair Shop

Phone Call Catch up with Nige

Scrambled eggs on hot buttered toast

Bird box Barcelona and Brazilian Zombie Reality Z on Netflix

Hummus and low-fat nachos

Light fire if rain continues

Read another beautifully written few chapters of A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe a drama set around the Aberfan disaster.

Beans on toast for supper

Bliss

Keep Going

Such fun, Colin

The National Portrait Gallery

I’ve missed The National Portrait Gallery. For the last few years it’s been closed for renovations so my go too place for a quick mooch, coffee and think disappeared for what seemed like an age.

The gallery is open now.

Slicker.

Brighter and more airy.

I liked it

Marlene Dumas’ Amy Blue was a standout version of Amy Winehouse as was Colin Davidson’s Ed Sheeran.

I also slightly fell in love with Lady Colin Campbell by Giovanni Boldini who was the La Traviata of her day and in my minds eye the perfect Violetta.

We had a nice meal at Côte in St Martins Lane then ambled to the Duke of York’s to see the revival of The Pillowman with Lily Allen.

The Pillowman proved to be a dire, badly acted , gloomy affair which has a lot to say about Child abuse and man’s inhumanity to man .

Too much so.

Nu and I walked out, which was a shame

The train system is messy this morning.

I hope to be home lunchtime

Im going to take the dogs to be the beach

Shopping

It was joyful being back at the Royal Opera House, and La Traviata with its lavish first and second act sets, full of colour was a treat, especially as the Russian Kristina Mkhitaryan totally stole the show as Violetta. The audience went wild for her.

And quite rightly so.

She was stunning

Today is sunny and warm. Nu has things to do, and I want to shop, so after breakfast I walked up to Ealing Broadway and got the impressive Elizabeth Line straight into Bond Street and John Lewis.

I found a small cafe off Harewood Place to write the blog before indulging in a shop.

Im not a big shopper so IT IS an indulgence.

I’ve arranged to meet Nu at three for the National Portrait Gallery then an early supper in Covent Garden and theatre again to see The Pilllowman at the Duke of York’s

I’m looking over at the green of Hannover Square

And there are parakeets in the trees