An early start on Sunday & off to Dorchester on Thames for a potter. Pondered the wisdom of our decision as the heavens opened en route, however the skies cleared and the sun shone, in parts anyway. Got there so early the dandelions had’nt opened. Route started and ended by a homemade jam stall which is always a good sign. Saw lots of birds, including a willow warbler, linnet & female blackcap. Orange tip butterflies were drawn out by the sun and the skylarks were singing. Lots of archaeology passed on the way so everyone was happy. Ended with a pint of Youngs at one of the several hostelries Dorchester has to offer.
It seems I always give films 4 stars, I guess it is because I try to pick good films to watch and this one is no different.
It is played by the actor from Amelie and is about the early years of Coco Channel. It starts with her being abandoned at an orphange with her sister. Then moves on as the two of them work in a bar and attempt to work there way into society by dating the gentlemen who frequent the bar. Coco gets befriended by a rich aristocrat who at first tries to keep her a secret but eventually turns out to have a big heart and just want to look after her. An English wide boy who is trying to marry into money steals her heart and then gets a bit messy, but eventually Coco end up making clothes for the rich and end up fulfilling her ambitions.
This is a film about the famous Brain Clough and his rivalry with Reevie who takes over from Alf Ramsey as England manager when Alf is sacked. Reevie upsets Clough during a FA cup round match when Reevie snubs Clough. I am not sure if it was intentional or not, but Clough never forget and spends a few years working his way up the leagues with two teams (including Reevies old team), and trying to out do Reevie both on and off the pitch.
The film is set in the late 60’s early 70’s and the attention to detail is superb.
New film directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Set in the 70’s and based around 3 friends who seem to be stuck in a rut of going to work during the day and getting drunk and fighting at night.
One of them is ambitious and gets a job with am insurance company but is disillusioned by the reality and dishonesty of selling insurance, the second works in a metal workshop and has a bad relationship with his father, the third is a bit socially inept, but has a heart of gold. The three of them eventually plan to leave cemertry junction and see the world, but there lives are complicated and things get even more complicated when the insurance sales falls in love with the bosses daughter, who is engaged to his immediate manager.
The film is fairly predictable, but the story is great, the music is superb and there are some great comic moments. I score it 4 or out 5.
It shows the current position and status of planes over Europe. You can also add labels, see the current position of the volcanix ash cloud, and filter out any of the aircraft based on many parameters.
I regularly fly to Northern Ireland so I use it to check what it happening to those flight paths only, useful to see if the incoming plane is on time.
The weather looked good so Helen and I decided to catch up on some birding. We parked up at Wilstone reservoir car park and headed off toward the church to the north east. On the way we saw a couple of year firsts, Pied Wagtail and yellow wagtail (did I mention we had some birding catching up to do).
The sun was out but it was bitterly cold around the reservoir where there was nothing to stop the wind but once you were sheltered a bit it was pleasant. When we got to Tringford reservoir we headed to the hide/shelter, and on the way heard a very vocal bird but had trouble seeing it. We (well more I) had a few theories about what it was, after five minutes we got a quick look, it was a Blackcap but because it was so close it sounded like something bigger.
We then headed off toward Marsworth reservoir, and lo and behold what did we spy? A Sandwich Tern, I had noticed that one had been reported at Wilstone earlier, so when I noticed the bird in the distance I did have an inclination that it could be, but first had to satisfy myself that it was not just another Black-headed gull. Decide it was worth reporting to RBA not something that I have done very ofthen as it is usually me responding to the alerts not sending them out. Anyway we headed off to Bluebells Cafe for a bite to eat. I ordered a cheese and onion toasty (and thought a piece of cake might be in order later) and Helen order beans on toast and some chips. Turns out the cake would not be needed as there were enough chips for three.
Hawthorn close up
We then headed off back toward Marsworth reservoir and it was obvious that the Tern report had got though there were quite a few Birders about, one of them said that there was a Sandwich Tern about, I was happy to reply that I had called it in. The bloke said thanks for calling it in and that the Bucks birders would be happy because the edge of the reservoir was in Bucks, and usually the Terns congregate over Wilstone. We headed off back towards Wilstone, and passed LGRE the local Birding celebrity, he nodded as he passed not sure if he recognises me but whenever I have come across him he has always seemed friendly enough.
We took the longer route back and I got some pictures of colts foot which we found a big patch of near the end of the canal. We headed up over the hill and got a view of Wilstone neither of us had seen before, it was about the bridge over the empty Wendover arm. We popped into the hide at Wilstone and got great views of a Wren just outside the hut windows, but there was not much else about as the water levels were really high even the island were not showing.
We then fished off the walk we were both a bit tired over 6 miles done.
“The Informant” is a true story that parallels a mixture of “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Insider” — where real life Ph.D.s had done something extraordinary. Based on Kurt Eichenwald’s 2000 book, “The Informant” is the tale of Mark Whitacre (played by Matt Damon), an Ivy League Ph.D. who was a rising star at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in the early 1990s. Executively produced by George Clooney who has a history of sponsoring interesting films in the tough mainstream environment. Saying no mopre to give nowt away 🙂
