odd things

I realised this morning that the Winter Paralympics have gone by without me watching a single second of it. I don't know what that tells you about me, and the lack of broadcasting coverage, but I found it disappointing and so thought I would mention it.

For some reason, over the weekend, I dug out my harmonica and had a little play with it. I didn't sound good (not surprisingly after never really getting the hang of it, and then leaving it in a drawer for years) but Mathew became very, very interested very, very quickly. Cue an evening of loud blasts on a mouth organ from a 7-year-old with no real musical ability, whose enthusiasm far outweighed his ability, resulting in a rather unhappy Philippa and a lot of unpleasant words aimed in my direction. Personally, I think we should encourage musical expression in our children and allow them space and time in the home to practice; but maybe that should only be applied after a few lessons, and with a less grating instrument.

I have been watching an old 1990s drama called "State of Play" that is available to view on the Channel 4 website. A 6-part series, written by the marvellous Paul Abbott, and starring a cast featuring such acting luminaries as Bill Nighy, James McAvoy, Kelly MacDonald, John Simm and Philip Glenister - all huge, respected stars in later years, but all in their early careers at that point, I would think. It's just brilliant. Exploring the murky mixture of politics, media and law enforcement, it cracks along at a brilliant pace and catches you out several times each episode with twists and turns and unexpected developments. And it's only 6 episodes long! And they're all an hour in length! No stretching out of the story to fill more space on streaming sites, no unnecessary filler to appease advertisers or egotistical actors, and no CGI! A welcome look back at the way TV used to be, when Britain was good at it. And probably the last decent thing that Channel 4 produced, when you look at the shite they peddle on us these days.

I'm enjoying it immensely, and please don't tell me the end, because I haven't got there yet...

RC 16-3-26