Soggy Sunday

Greetings my moist minions...the misty rain of despair is falling across the land and the car decided that 7am on a Sunday morning would be a good time to conk out!

Sorry to say that meant letting down the lovely Sarah Julian at BBC Radio Nottingham, but she had a kind word for me broadcasting to the world (or that part of the world that was awake and within the stations broadcast area) that I was a 'lovely Humanist from Mansfield'. That cheered me up for a while, then a second cup of tea tipped me from suicidal to mere melancholia.

I was looking forward to reviewing the papers but instead I sit at home, the chocolate shadow at my feet, pondering my next move.

My mood lifted again when I spread some extra marmalade on my toast and got another cup of tea and sat down to watch Doctor Who. I had recorded it last night, and I must congratulate Mark Gatiss on his witty and scary tale, this really is what Doctor Who should be about, in my opinion.

I did not watch it last night as I was giving Red or Black a chance to impress - it failed. Likewise X Factor is becoming terribly predictable and the lack of real talent is evident.  Half decent singers with a nice back story might give Louis Walsh a lump in his throat, but it won't put money in the bank I fear.

I was beginning to think the evening would be a total wash out when the clock ticked around to 9.15pm and BBC2 came to the rescue with the John Wilson Orchestra and its Hooray For Hollywood concert, recorded at The Royal Albert Hall as part of this years Proms.

Two wonderful hours filled with great movie music, with me trying to sing along.  However, Dave the chocolate shadow did not approve of my singing and tried to sit on my face. Everyone's a critic!

This was middle class heaven, I managed to successfully assault and defeat a bottle of Pinot and whilst listening to the music I pictured the scene later in the year when Mrs B and I will be sitting in the Royal Concert Hall Nottingham, hearing the concert LIVE!

Talking of class, yesterday I got invited to the Chatsworth Country Fair, with a Members badge at my disposal. Some of the Members were straight out of the Country Life book of stereotypes, dressed in tweeds of varying colours, talking very loud about all sorts of rubbish and basically only stopping to draw breath as the Duke and Duchess passed by.

We ignored them as best we could, although their noise made hearing announcements through the loudspeakers impossible.

Dave enjoyed himself, he had an ice cream and we sat in the Members enclosure and watched the Scurry racing, the birds of prey display and then the Parade of Hounds...men in their red jackets with little trumpets tooting out the instructions to a pack of rascally Beagles, some mournful looking Blood Hounds and finally the Fox Hounds themselves.

The main parade ring was well fenced to keep them all in and there were a few gates to allow people access and egress and being a country lad myself I understand what gates are for. You open them, walk through and then close it behind you. Not these toffee nosed, loud mouthed, Rupert Bears - they walked through with champagne flutes in hand saying in a loud voice - 'fetch me a hound, NOW!'

The result, several beagles and hounds made their bid for freedom - they were eventually rounded up and the Rupert's went back to grab some more salmon sandwiches and a drop more champers.

That was yesterday, now for the rest of today -  Sunday stretches ahead of me.

Mrs B is visiting family and I will meet up with her later after a work related visit to Hardy Barn - no, I've never heard of it either!

Dave will want to go to the park at some point but unless the rain buggers off he'll not got me out of the door...it might have to be a marathon Murder, She Wrote day.

Enjoy your Sunday