Encouraging signs

Clare went off to catch a train to Worcester yesterday afternoon, where she's staying overnight with Gail, then going with her to a community choir rehearsal in Cheltenham for a 'Carols and Capers' concert with folk rock ensemble Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band on 20th December. She came home two hours later, having discovered when she rang up to warn Gail of a delayed train that the rehearsal is Sunday afternoon. Somehow she'd booked it into her diary wrongly, ages ago.

The past few days have passed quietly, with walks to the shops and one around Pontcanna Fields, and another around Thompson's Park and Llandaff Fields, going twice my recent usual distance. This past few months, I've kept walking most days, though without making much extra effort, going only as far as I've felt inclined to, or comfortable with, in the light of my discomfort level. My recent daily bout of inflammation has diminished noticeably, judging by the frequency of dressing changes. This contributes to 'feeling better', as it means less tricky exertion and physical contortion to perform this task. Perhaps I'm a bit more skilled at doing this, and not so distressed at doing this, now I have developed an effective disciplined routine. One way or another, I believe more exercise does me good.

This evening, I watched the second part of the Gladbeck Hostage crisis, even though I'd read about its tragic ending. Presuming it faithfully represented the behaviour of mass media journalists and cameramen at the time, it really was shocking compared to nowadays, with complete disregard for Health and Safety, let alone competent handling of the public security situation. Mind you, today the burden risk taking on the part of photographers is much more widely spread with so many members of the public using their camera phones to capture film footage at close hand even before the media people are on the scene. The risks are higher too, as murderously minded criminals and hostage takers seem much more willing to kill or injure anyone recording or obstructing their evil deeds.

I wonder how we'll look back on this in thirty years from now? Bother, I'm unlikely to be here to find out. But so far, I haven't lost interest, neither has my sister June, who says much the same about taking an interest in all that's going on, despite ailments and complaints, she's up to speed with much that's going on in the news, via LBC Radio and TV programmes.
   

Contrasting crime stories

Friday slipped by in an unremarkable routine way. Apart from a few email and phone conversations, it was all maintenance tasks, learning to be patient with myself. In the evening I watched a bilingual English and French high speed conspiracy thriller 'The Take' (aka Bastille Day) on Film Four about a Parisian pickpocket and a CIA agent, whose only common ground was that both are American. It was pretty violent, packed with improbable set piece fight scenes. Not the best kind of pre-bedtime entertainment, plus there were several loose ends in the storyline which made the ending somewhat unsatisfactory, given the alleged far reaching nature of the conspiracy. Disappointing really.

Today was much the same, except for an evening walk down to Blackweir bridge at sunset. It was warm enough not to need a top coat and the sky was clear. The trees continue to change colour at a gentle pace, and everything looks lovely in the golden orange glow as the sun seems to linger over the horizon. It's dusk by seven now. Clocks go back next weekend, and for me what isn't the best time of year begins. Thankfully I can still make myself useful occasionally covering services in the Parish, though I'm content not to be as busy as I have been in the past - for now!

BBC Four's Euro-crimmie slot this evening brought us a two part dramatisation of a real-life hostage crisis in 1988, starting in Gladbeck in Germany's industrial Ruhrgebeit, ensuing in a chase into Holland and back to Cologne where it ended. The accent, pace and raucous nature of the dialogue made it had to follow so I had to rely entirely on the subtitles. It showed how different regional jurisdictions failed to play well together in a fast moving situation, which quickly got out of police control, dogged by live news media teams intervening and reporting live, even interviewing criminals on the run and their hostages. Presumably lessons were learned from this unfortunate experience, Could this still happen, I wonder? This was described as the darkest hour in the history of post War Germany's press industry, and resulted in some new guidelines being implemented to forestall such dangerous interference. It's a sobering reminder of the need for responsible limits to the notion of press freedom.

The way it was filmed seemed to be to be a little rough and ready making use of handheld camera shots on times, and the visual quality had a certain retro quality to it, the colour cast seemed more like eighties video, less over saturated than what we're used to nowadays. Apparently it was released this year on the thirtieth anniversary of the event, and may well serve as a focus for reflection and debate, assuming that as fact-based fiction it is true to the realities for the story it seeks to tell.

It certainly made for tense watching, more from the threat of violence than from any actual violence portrayed, in contrast to my previous night's viewing. Afterwards, I cheated and read up on the real life hostage situation, as I was curious to find out how it ended. At least now I know why certain minor characters appear early on, who seem unconnected to the main thrust of the plot. And it won't stop me watching next week, God willing.