Dogging in Newcastle

Excuse the misleading title, just I'm vaguely amused at the additional page hits I'll receive by randy Geordies googling hotspots for sordid public displays of making babies in their cars. I'm actually referring to greyhound racing that takes place four days a week in the East end of Newcastle..

Went for the first time ever last night after the wife received free complimentary tickets through work, and had a blast. A few friends, a few family and myself and the wife went dogging in Byker (I'm sorry, I'll stop it now). Throughly enjoyed the free pie and pies and a few jars, whilst having a few quid on the dog I fancied in each race. Had three winners out of twelve races, the best was the aptly titled 'Mags Gamble', so just came under break even - but made it far more enjoyable even if it was just for peanuts.

Shall certainly look into it again as was a relativity cheap night - entrance, fed and watered, and twelve singles and spent just over £20 - for me and the wife. Great nights entertainment. Shame a few of the lads opted out, but they're heavier gamblers than us lot who went, so will possibly have been worried about loss of wages. Could have had a better end to the evening for the wife too - she fell ill on the way home, and was in the driving seat at the time so covered the dash, herself and me in vom. Meant I had to drive from Gateshead to Durham slightly over the limit, but four pints of watered down Carlsberg (which is pishwasser anyway) led to no driving mishaps - it probably just added to the evenings entertainment.

Suggs - My Life Story in Words and Music

One of my childhood and, indeed, all-time heroes and idols took to the stage last night in Newcastle, doing the difficult job of being front-man of a one-man show. I wasn't sure what to expect, receiving the tickets for Christmas from the wife, and now sat in the stalls pondering if the Nutty Boys singer would cut it going alone. I needn't have worried. Suggs was amazing and lived up to all the hype and buzz in the newspapers. Recounting tales from his unusual adolescence, through teenage rebellion, the highs and lows of living with Madness and tv/radio career - plus searching for his personal history through a deceased bastard father. Suggs delivered the touching anecdotes with at times humility and emotion, and the funny ones (most) with working class cussing and hilarious comic timing that most professional comedians would kill for.

Personal highlights for me included the Madness tale, when dressed in full Police uniforms filming 'Shut Up', kicked the door in of where the Clash were recording in a faux raid. Illegal substances were promptly flushed down the toilet before the punks realised. Another was filling in centre stage for Oasis in Paris - after the headlining Mancs refused Madness to use the main stage before them, forcing them to use a smaller tent the day before, only to split up (the first time) allowing Suggsys boys to play in the Gallagher's place. Cue an excellent impersonation of Liam's Chimp-with-polio swagger and nasal Manc lilt. Madness brought the house down then, as Suggs did last night.

Also there were excellent renditions of his personal classic pop songs, which assisted the story telling and raised it from memoirs to a music hall extravaganza. Dangerman cover of Lola, solo song Cecilia, Baggy Trousers, Madness, Shut Up and the finale It Must Be Love were all sung to rapturous applause. Following the Labi Siffre love song, Suggs left to a standing ovation. Brilliance. Borrow, beg or steal the money to go an see this show. To coin a couple Madness album titles sums it up perfectly - Absolutely and Wonderful.

Feel Good Revolution

Kickers boots have gone hand-in-hand (or should that be feet-in-feet?) with most major youth cults throughout it's 40 odd year history, and the feel good revolution website charts this. The timeline brought to you by the brand itself is well worth a look, particularly the early football casuals of 1977s, acid house era of late 80s and Cool Britannia's 90s Britpop.

The Fishermans Friend

I'm not talking about horrible little lumps of aniseedy nastiness but a nice thick Aran jumper. Been a wonderfully mild Dec/Jan so far, indeed January has been very spring like, but nasty weather will be on it's way no doubt so delighted with this recent pickup. Had a M&S voucher burning a hole in my pocket since the end of October and thought I'd have missed any decent swag in sales, but got this smart winter warmer for £19 (from £50). From M&S Heritage collection, which is a modern retake on classic British heritage clobber, which had a good few thick jumpers - I took notice last autumn/winter - but this one stood out for me. Was over the moon it was in my size and cheap to boot. Another successful thrifty purchase.

The Navigators

Also known as the Ken Loach film you haven't seen, the 2001 film 'the Navigators' follows a group of track workers as they 'navigate' their way through life after the collapse of British rail in 1995. From the outset a bustling work room full of grizzled Yorkshiremen full of laughter, banter and camaraderie, are told their new company's mission statement - new terms like 'performance-related pay', 'efficiency' and 'unpaid holidays' are mentioned. It's a case of staying on under the new firm were BR agreements with workers and unions are void, take the redundancy cash and begin life as casual agency workers.

The film follows a key handful of these chaps. Loach used lesser known actors, the only 'names' so to speak are Steve Huison (the Full Monty, When Saturday Comes) and Tom Craig (Where the Heart Is - you know the one, he's a Sheff Wed fan in everything he's in), as to keep the authenticity and real life aspect of the film. The lads struggle on at the new firm as one by one their colleagues accept the redundancy package, and before long there is only a couple of them left. Those that stay are appalled by the 'flexible working' and extreme cost cutting at work, the economic problems with family life at home and the changing face of society.

In the end they all take their chance with agency work with varying success. In the end the over the top cost cutting by new railway companies are highlighted, leading to a heart breaking and deeply upsetting scene, that puts the rest of them in a deep moral predicament - do what is right or do what will keep them in work. An appalling situation that shows just how desperate the lads have become.

Hard hitting, sad but full of dry wit, the Navigators is not as important as 'Kes', not as acclaimed as 'Riff-Raff' and not as witty as 'Looking for Eric', but is still a very good piece of British film. Given good reviews, it was given even more kudos later in 2001 when Railtrack was folded by the Labour government, after cost-cutting and shady dealing had led to several high profile accidents, bringing the content in Loach's rail film real topicality, making it a critically acclaimed important piece of film making.

Festive Clobber Gifts (Recent Purchases)

A few Christmas gifts off the family for the wardrobe -

First up a plain Barbour shirt from me maw. Dark blue and white check, quite a chunky check too. Not the usual thin check most of my shirt choices have. Liking the lack of outer labelling, just a small discreet shield motif with no words on chest pocket.

Next up a nice smart Harris Tweed scarf. It's stiff, it's itchy and it smells of piss when wet, but what a cracking look. Brown/cream houndsteeth design from those Outer Hebrides hermits who weave the wool in their living room. Well documented that Casual Connoisseurs Harris Tweed scarves all sold out within a minute, but preferred this colourway direct from Harris Tweed - half the price of CC efforts at a low low £15. A gift from the wife, who thankfully has the same view on scarves as me - that you can never have too many...

Which is a good thing because the maw-in-law got me another one. A smart Paul Smithesque college scarf by House of Frasers Linea range. Not something I've ever bought from before, but in my humble opinion the likes of HoFs Linea and Howick are just like M&S - they provide good quality everyday clobber for a reasonable price. Anyway it's always been about design as opposed to the label for me (not strictly true when I was younger, but is now I'm more mature), so there.

Next something I been after for a good while but couldn't warrant it at full price. However found one on eBay BNWT and got him for £30. A Casual Connoisseur 'Beat-a-storm' MKII cagoule. Anyone reading this won't need telling they used the Peter Storm Cag as their template and made a pretty damn cool waterproof/windproof lightweight jacket. Deffo the best colourway of the second set of releases, although would have killed for a blue one of the original set. Still this looks the dogs on and the quality is far better than expected, fully lined in white rubbery waterproofing inside. Well done lads.

Finally another eBay purchase. Been on a downer about Stone Island recently and sold this jumper off. However felt lost without him being one of the original S.I. crew. So saw another one pop up on Bay and had to have it. Got for the same price as I sold it, he was one size bigger so a bit more comfy, plus in better nick than my old one so all in all a result. Pale green with marina stripes, and those of you film buffs may recognise it from Nick Love's Football Factory, as the knit on the 'nutter in a Stone Island jumper and a blade in my face' - but we'll not hold that against it.

This is England 88

This is England 88 finished last night and have to conclude there was three excellent episodes from Mr. Meadows. TIE86 was good but this time he quite rightly was the sole director (the first two episodes of 86 he lent out and weren't that good). BAFTA award winning Vicky McClure (Lol) was brilliant as she has been throughout the film/series, but for me Joe Gilgun (Woody) was outstanding. His witty, charming and endearing character was rightly put at the forefront of this installment, and Gilgun steals every scene he's in, be it funny, awkward or sad. He lives and breathes his character with some wonderful improvising going on, hilarious even when he's hurting - I mean that in a nice way. Makes you wish he was in the original film more, as his character is barely seen in the second half when Combo shows up. An amazing actor - Woody by name, not wooden in nature.

Unlike Thomas Turgoose (Shaun). He was good as a boy in the film but has failed to blossom as he's matured. I think Meadows has realised this too, as he was reduced to a few scenes in the third part last night. Hope I'm not being too harsh, but he looks clumsy delivering his lines and there always seems to be a big fuck off pause before he actually does say it. I'm pleased Meadows hasn't let nostalgia rule his storyline, as most of the gang take a back seat and McClure and Gilgun rightly act their arses off - good decision, awards in the bag.

Has to be said, the cameo of Stephen Graham's Combo in episode two was genius. Lol telling him sorry for what she said in the car back in the film and that she loved him was lovely. That was the moment in film for me that sparked off bad Combo, and although he was vindicated at the end of 86 for taking the wrap for Lol killing her dad, this moment of heart felt loving is something he deserved. He'll be out on parole in TIE90 I'm hoping. Hope it doesn't interfere with Lol and Woody as them being back together now looks a done deal. Magic.