Grace Under Pressure 2

  The number one selling fragrance at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.  

  In the wake of the whooping the Americans received in the Ryder Cup, President Donald Trump has announced the biggliest tarriff in the history of civilisation on foreign golfers. Now why does that not surprise anyone?

  They say that everyday is a school day and today has been one of them. Surfing on the w.w.w. I came across a short clip featuring the world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk. In the interview someone asked him what was his motivation to keep doing what he does. As is common for him, he paused as he considered the question before offering his reply. 'It isn't motivation', he replied, 'or enthusiasm. Both of these things can be there one day and gone the next. What gets me through what I know I need to do is discipline. Sometimes it is the last thing in the world that I want to do and I can think of 1001 reasons why I shouldn't. Motivation and enthusiam are nowhere to be seen. But if I have discipline I know what I must do in order to move forward and become better'. At the moment I have neither motivation or enthusiasm. It is only the discipline of my calling that is keeping me going. Who would have thought that I had so much in common with such a knoc...

  So the second part of the cultural weekend involved a trip to the cinema to see a version of a stage musical. I know that seems a strange thing to do but just bear with.  Hamilton has been one of the 'must see' musicals ever since it first hit the stage back in 2015.The trouble is it has only ever toured the UK once, actually it is touring right now,  but prices are as astronomical as trying to get an Oasis ticket, and thats without Ticketmasters help. And whilst I might be 'down wi de boyz in da  hood' I'm not so sure the same could be said about TOM so gave the dates a miss when announced. So when the chance to go and see a recorded version of the show came up for a fraction of the cost, it was too good a deal to turn down. Indeed to quote one of the better known songs in the show i' wasn't gonna waste my shot! And what a good decision that turned out to be. It is I think one of the favourite things I have seen, even given that the type of music isn'...

This morning I had the opportunity to run my first park run in absolutly ages. This is mainly because when I am over at TOM's, there isn't one that's either near or enticing enough to get me to the starting line, never mind across the finish line. But as he was gracing me with a 'state visit' this weekend I thought I'd take the opportunity to go to my closest, and also the most undulating, Bestwood Village park run. Now tomorrow is the Robin Hood half marathon in Nottingham city and so a lot of the more 'serious' runners would have been saving themselves, and so numbers were down. But that didn't mean that my finishing position would be any higher. I did wonder given the amount that I have been running, okay I'm not at the Mo Fraah level, perhaps closer to the Mo Mowlam state, that I would find a mere 5km easier than usual. Sadly that went out of the window even before the first of two short sharp hills. Even trying to tag onto the tails of some ...

 

  Today TOM and I began what promises to be a weekend of cultural extravegance with a trip to the Nottingham Playhouse to see The last stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse featuring Maxine Peake in the title role and Samuel Barnett, playing all the supporting roles, be it a succession of distressed parents, conflicted gay people or strong-viewed women. With her strongly conservative Christian views, Mary Whitehouse became a house hold name in her opposition to blasphemy, pornography and homosexuality, whilst all the while claiming that she was just a a person who collected pebbles for a hobby.  Seen by some as a figure of fun, by others as a righteous moral crusader upholding family values,  she was also viewed by others as a monster who caused irreperable damage to the gay community. Her victorious blasphemy libel case against an article appearing in Gay News in 1977 had widespread and long lasting impications. Advertisers began to shun the paper causeing its eventual clo...

  In the midst of a month when all I seemed to have done is chase my own tail, this brought a moment of calm. Another from Jo Whiley's 7pm show on Radio 2, this is Matilda Finn Frances and a song called 'Favourite'. Just lovely.    

 

 

Back in the days of basking in the beautiful balmy Barbados weather, the lure of snaffling up another P&O cruise prove too difficult to ignore.  Especially given the amount of on board spending on offer. Since then however, with our last jolly on the all inclusive Marella having scored so highly, and the question of whether it was too early in the year to go on a 14 day jolly to the Norwegian fyjords in April, whether it was the right choice has begun to rasie it head. Especially when TOM made a blatent attempt to use up all my remaining holidays this year by 'suggesting' that we might also go to the Caribbean too. Now I know what you might be thinking, how does this vicar working only one hour per week, manage to have enough savings to splash the cash in this way. The simple answer is he doesn't. So we had to make a decision; stick with what we had booked or cancel it and see what else was available. In the end the warm weather won. After a short trip up the M1 to Bols...

 He is called the man of 1000 faces. Well by me at least. Welsh actor Micheal Sheen has graced our TV screens over the past few years wilth spell binding portrayals of major celebrity figures ranging from David Frost and Tony Blair through to Kenneth Williams and his wonderfully witty Brian Clough. Now in breaking news, in his latest role Sheen is to incarnate one of Wales' most famous figures. No he isn't going to cross gender and bring his very own version of Nessa to life. Nor is he going to go all mechanical and puff his way through the script as a live action remake of Ivor the engine. Indeed many in the valleys are disappointed that Sheen isn't performing at the more abstract end of his repertoire with a one man show based on Tom Jones's trousers. Instead Micheal Sheen is going to be inhabiting the shell of one of the nation's most beloved characters, one found within the pages of the most famous novel written by the playright Daffyd DeFoe, when he brings to l...

  Following my recent encounter with whatever strain of Covid is currently floating around I was concerned that my (non) athletic performance might be affected. I mean the next stage if my huffing and puffing attempts gets any worse would be to run attached to a ventilator. Thankfully my 72 hour brush with death doesn't appear to have done any harm judging from Wednesday nights 6 mile jolly with the Stonehills Runners. It's now just over two months until TOM and I jet off for a little winter sunshine (hopefully) to Benidorm where I will take part in the half marathon, whilst TOM does a sponsored wait. Now some of you might have worked out that a half marathon is another 7 miles further than my current 6 mile jollies. And althought I have run this distance in the past a concerted effort is required over the next 8 weeks to get some more milage in the legs, so I at least feel in shape on the start line. Possibly pear shaped. I have got a couple of longer runs booked into the diar...

 

  and the answer is....     

  I feel it's time...

  A sentence that goes, 'Hand on heart I am not a 'real' fan of Miranda', feels like it is the kind of sentence that needs several more sentences to explain it. So here goes.  Hand on heart I am not a 'real' fan of Miranda, mainly because it is not a program I have watched a great deal during its three series that contained 20 episodes and two Christmas specials. I suspect it was because it was simply on at the wrong time or clashed with something else.  It was, just to make clear, certainly nothing to do with not liking Miranda Hart as a person. Thought I'd better make that clear up front just to avoid yet another celebrity on line feud. I have caught odd shows from time to time,(mainly at TOM's who loves it) and have enjoyed it but my 'connection' with it only goes that far. All of which is a very long winded way of saying that I have just finished reading her autobiographical book, 'I haven't been entirely honest with you', which t...

    Now on first appearances an article of clothing that doesn't have all its constituent parts doesn't seem fit the bill as an essential wardrobe must-have. I mean who would buy a pair of trousers without the legs? But believe it or not such an item of clothing is one of fashions greatest gifts. As the temperature hovers in that uncomfortable non Golidilocks range of not really being summer or winter, many men of a certain age find it  too hot for a proper coat and yet a bit too cold for just a sweater.  Thankfully a solution is at hand, one that allows your core to feel all warm and snuggley, whilst providing an excercise workout for your arms which have to be waved around like a two bladed human windmill in order to feel any warmth in them at all.    Able to be worn in a variety of styles but mainly zipped all the way up, half way or not at all, it provides a virtual climate control system all for the simple effort of a short sharp tug.  So forge...

A currently out of work man from a grim northern town, desperate for a quick cash making scheme, is hoping that the 'painting' that has appeared overnight on his house is in fact a 'Banksey'.  Speaking to Grace Under Pressure's very critical art lover, the unnamed man described how he woke up this morning to discover the painting adorning his property. "I just knew straight away," he declared, "that it was the work of the anonymous culture subverting street artist we know as Banksey."  "He'd obvioulsy chosen my house to be the subject for his latest political protest painting, picturing the very essence of what it means to be English in these days of this cultural identity crisis. I've immeadiatly put my house up for sale at approximatly 4 x the current asking price for any property in the street due to its new heritage status." In a seperate interview to try and verify that this new image is indeed a 'Banksey', Grace Un...

Coughing, sneezing, aching, very heavy eyes, and just feeling sorry for myself. I am now one of three currently testing positive from the staff team with more expected to fall soon. Hopefully it doesn't last too long.

    Back on the last Bank Holiday a group of us got out early doors and explored a new run out in Farnsfield, a 6 mile undulating beauty under a coudless sky, followed by a scrump breakfast which just added to the joy.  So last night before the evenings become too dark to attempt such a run again, five fearless foot loose and fancy free runners repeated the occasion on a blustery, occasionally showery but ultimately glorious overcast evening. Despite the ups seeming steeper and the downs noticably shorter than the previou occasion, we had a blast and I managed to complete the jolly feeling stronger than a few weeks ago and a little bit quicker. So imagine my surprise this morning, after a dreaful nights sleep and walking up with a head like a bag of frogs, that I have tested positive for Covid!! It appears we might have an outbreak amongst the staff team as I am the second one to be struck down...so far. How unfortunate that it means I am going to have to miss synod on Sa...

 

  A 62 year old Hucknall resident is today struggling to grasp the consequences of failing to receive the national alert test alarm on his phone on Sunday.  The message which began with an ear spitting siren followed by a voiCe note from Private Fraser declaring  'We're doomed, doomed I tell ya' was supposed to be received by one and all and yet he didn't seem to be on the 'send to all' list 62 year old Gizza Tinkle isn't sure which side of the fortune cookie he is currently on. Did he not receive the message because he is already on the 'definitly will be saved' list after the powers that be decided he would be useful in a post-apocalyptic world. Or did he not receive the call because basically his carcas would serve humanity better as an irradiated snack post armageddon. Or it could even be that he actually had no idea where his phone was at 3pm on Sunday, whether it had any charge, never mind if it was switched on.     

 Okay you've waited long enough for an absolute banger. Waited so long in fact that I thought I'd treat you to two very different versions of the same song. So sit back and enjoy Suede with The Only Way I Can love You. I'm not the kind of person Who never feels uncertain So many ways to do what I do wrong My love has many faces Secret, vicious places And all of them are there for you   All day long I'll hide from the sun I'll feel like something's just begun And I'll love you The only way I can love you All day long I'll hesitate I'll turn off the light and stay awake And I'll love you The only way I can love you   And if I disappoint you Just know I wrote this for you Another way to do what I do wrong I pretend I don't adore you But I'd take a bullet for you Yes, it's a sweet and bitter love   All day long I'll hide from the sun I'll feel like something's just begun And I'll love you The only way I can love you All da...

  Grief stricken resident of Hucknall holds fashion vigil whilst wearing his favourite Georgio Armani outfit

Sorry about the late upload for all those of you who have been waiting since before it came light to read todays exciting upload, but I actually need to complete what I am writing about before I could actually write about it. And what I needed to complete was he Great Longstone Chase fell race. Situated just a few kms outside Bakewell this has become a regular little outing in my autumn running calendar with this being the 5th time I have entered it. It is one of the last evening races of the year due to the shortening availability of light, something I always need to be aware of with my expected finishing position. Hence the choice of sporting a vivid flourescent orange T shirt which drew several commenst from marshalls about ' being easy to spot' should i need the mountain rescue services. Normally this race draws a couple of what I chose to call my 'running nemesis's' but this year neither Elizabeth or Les made the start line. Instead the only recognisable face w...

  No, I am not referring to the third and final finale for Downton Abbey, even though TOM will be one of the first in line on 12th Sept when the film opens at cinemas. Unfortunatly I am talking about the end of a two year joint venture with Foodcycle. For the past couple of years Foodcycle have used the premises at Hucknall Central Methodist Church and offered a free three course meal to anyone from the local community who wanted to come along. This has averaged 35 people a week. People from all walks of life have been brought together, isolation and loneliness has been reduced, friendships made and barriers broken down. It has been a really great initiative to be involved in which unfortunatly due to the current economic climate will come to an end on 28th September. So to all the volunteer cooks and servers, the staff at Foodcycle and all those who have come along to enjoy food and fellowship, thank you for being part of such a wonderful experience .    

I almost went to the cinema on my own last night. And by that I don't mean that TOM and I had planned a joint jolly and then he had to pull out or that I had planned a solo venture and then he joined me. No, what I mean is that until a good 5 mins after the Pearl and Dean adverts and trailers had begun, I was the sole person in the entire cinema. And that my dear readers would have been cinema heaven. As it was I was eventully joined by 4 other people which didnt exactly help to fill out the 100 auditorium. And the reason for my outing was to see The Life of Chuck, a really thought provoking, life affirming film that posed all sorts of questions about what it really means to live, and to live life to its fullest. If you like a medetative movie that makes you think then go and see it. Now this was the first time I have been to my local ARC cinema, don't ask me why it has taken so long for someone who enjoys films a bot but better late than never. And what a treat. Big screens, g...

  Came across this just after I got back from walking my two Caminos. It is a song that sums up perfectly the ethos, the emotion, the joy, the cameraderie and the spirit of the Camino. This is Sir Oliver and 'The Way'. Enjoy  

  Well that's what it feel like. Apologies to my regular viewers, all 7 of you, but having blogged about my walking adventures in Spain, I just couldn't find the enthusiasm to put finger to keyboard again once I got back.  I'm not sure I've found said enthusiam now but thought that the start of September, the start of a new connexional year in the Methodist Church was as good a day as any to start. So here we are four months older but certainly not any wiser. I guess the big news is that over the summer I made the decision not to see  a further extension here in the Nottingham North East circuit. 8 years will be enough and time to move on pastures new for what I hope will be a final appointment for 5 years that will take me upto retirement. I am currently in the process of putting a profile form together and by mid October should receive notice of which circuits / churches are looking for a new minister. Fingers crossed by the end of November I should know where i will ...