Post 502. RANDOM THOUGHTS.

 IT'S BOAT RACE DAY

ON THE RIVER SLIME
First random thought: It is Cambridge/Oxford Boat Race day, and both crews deserve better than a shit filled river Thames upon which to fulfil their rowing dream. As I write, the Cambridge women have thrashed the Oxford women for the seventh time, so no change there. But nobody will be ceremoniously dumped into the river today: there are doctors among them who know better than to trust colleagues to the slime of the Thames. Oh, the Cambridge men won. too.
We glance at the race every year, but have never been to Cambridge and, other than visiting our daughter who taught at an Oxford school, the City of Dreaming Spires is little more more then backdrop to the Morse, Lewis, and Endeavour TV series to us. 
Second random thought: The clocks go forward an hour tonight. Well, that's April buggered up. 
Third random thought: We enjoyed The Mule, a film produced, directed, and starring Clint Eastwood. Whoever he plays, old Clint is watchable. When I first saw him he was Rowdy Yates In Rawhide. He was good. Then came The Man with No Name in the spaghetti westerns and the Dirty Harry films; all good. In 1971, with Play Misty For Me, he became a film director. He has gone on to become a better and better film director. And I like him even if he is an American.
Which is about it for this month. Mo and I are watching

a thriller set in New Zealand.

The box calls. 

Cheerio for now

Post 501. OUR LOCAL GENERAL PRACTICE.

 IS MOVING BACK TO TOWN.

LEAVING NO LOCAL DOCTOR HERE.
I have just received a letter from the GP Partners at the sole practice in Wootton Bridge telling me their rented (I thought it was owned by the NHS) surgery in the village is now in such a state of structural decline that it will probably have to be demolished and rebuilt. The Practice has been offered options for temporary accommodation to facilitate the undertaking of rectification works, but has concluded that the extensive work required would be too disruptive and a permanent relocation is the better option. The troublesome surgery (above) was erected only ten years or so ago, and I cannot help but ponder which bright planner of the time declared the site suitable for purpose? Whoever it was will not be unearthed. The buck never stops anywhere nowadays.
Oh, the customary local bigwigs have started to mutter dissent and will customarily be ignored.

The Island's Conservative MP, has become an openly testy interviewee on TV programmes debating the next general election. He understandably cares only about retaining a safe seat. 
TELEVISION.
We have been watching repeats from three series of ancient Inspector Lynley Mysteries on Drama. Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small were great as the thick aristocratic boss with the sharp working class assistant, and we enjoyed it. We have also been watching old episodes of Agatha Christie's Marple, starring Geraldine McEwan, and Vera, starring Brenda Blethyn. I thought I had given up on repeat repeats, but you can't stop watching truly watchable actors. We have also been directed to Whitstable Pearl and some episodes of The Brokenwood Mysteries (both on Drama) not previously seen by us, and all of it very watchable. We also watched Coma on Channel 5. Jason Watkins, Jonas Armstrong, and Claire Skinner were strong leads and David Bradley easily retained his position as the finest supporting actor in film or television anywhere. I dislike 'true crime' stories, so I found this mini series far too close to the truth. 

Everything else on television seems like one big PR exercise to convince me what a diverse (the 'in' word) country we now live in. I think divisive the more accurate word, but I'm an old grouch.

ON A MORE CHEERFUL NOTE:

THE LOVELY DOG, BUDDY.

Our late daughter Roz's much loved dog, Buddy, gives the lie to the theory that an animal who looks like him has to be a dangerous brute. Roz would have been fifty four on the twelth of this month: she died three years ago on the twelth of next month. She is never far from our thoughts. I republish the above picture as thanks to Sue and her family who, way back, sent it to show how he was settling in with them. I think he still has the same best pal and menagerie of interests.
Good for him. And you if you have kindly kept up with all this over the years.

That's it for now. Cheers.