THE BRITISH THREAD II

Hope the cream is an improvement.

I think American golf fans make too much silly noise, and we have started to copy that.

Have you ever heard the expression, when the upper classes are disparagingly referring to the game of golf, as "sergeants' polo"?

Ah, the British class system.

It is interesting to watch though.

The facial expressions on the players as they watch the flight of their shot has a purity to it which cannot be got past. That of a persona gripped by the shameless lust of fame and fortune and willing the happy bounce of fate. Fergie does it good as well.

Crated Spitfire aircraft buried in Burma

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17710598

This could be interesting. A new/resurrected Spitfire wing?

She now could be charged with perverting the course of justice, according to The Independent.

How the heck did Barcelona manage to lose that match?

Chelsea seem to be on a roll right now, but at the moment I'm more concerned with the top of the Championship. If we beat Middlesborough on Saturday we're promoted, and if Reading slip up we can still get top spot.

I'll worry about Chelsea when we're in the Premiership.

Chelsea were heroic and had a bit of luck.

A quite funny thing happened to me just a little while ago.

I was watching BBC 2's The 70s on the i-player system and I was concentrating intently because the sound wasn't easy to hear, leaning forward near the screen like you do with computer screens, and there was a scene showing British holidaymakers playing very sloppy water polo and at one point the ball came straight into the camera lens.

Would you believe it--I headed it as if aiming at the far corner of the net just out of reach of the goalie's despairing fingertips. Just like I have seen Harry Rednapp and Sir Alex do when one of their players gets such a chance. A reflex action.

I can understand better now why they miss so many. At that speed it's not easy to get the exact adjustment right.

It's an interesting series and well worth watching. It maintained that all we wanted in the 70s, us self improvers, under Ted Heath's new, modern, managerial style were foreign holidays, a manicured lawn, a colour TV, central heating and a Ford Cortina.

And that an island subsisting on a pie and a pint was dying out. As if there is anything better to eat in this whole world than pies and any other drink to match a pint of beer.

We could wear make-up though as compensation. Have a blow-wave in the uni-sex salon.

The part about T-Rex and Mr Bowie was quite educational.

Guess which of the Likely Lads I identified with.

Have you got a thing for Brigit Forsyth?

I have never heard of the person.

I thought you liked the likely lads. She played Thelma who married Bob.

In that case I was very much into her. I knew quite a few of the type who were managing chaps like Bob. Some quite well.

It was all an act you know. They're not really like that.

I also saw on BBC2 i-player the Newsnight interview with EL James who is the author of the online publishing sensation Fifty Shades of Grey.

She claimed to have "no idea" why her book was so popular. Riding crop ****. BDSM.

The interviewer at one point asked her whether we are being dragged into a position where what he had called "beyond the call of duty" becomes normal.

An interesting question which wasn't answered.

They didn't seem to use Hyde Park as one of the start points to the London Marathon this time.

Does anyone know why?

Newspapers (and wikipedia: "With neighbouring Greenwich Park, Blackheath is also well known as the start point of the London Marathon") say, Blackheath has always been the start point (actually three different points) of the London Marathon.

Yes, thanks, three different points, and Hyde Park has always been the main one, as far as I know.

Still, I might be wrong about that.

It's just exhibitionism with deep breathing being tried out. Hoping to be on TV and the neighbours all talking about it. And, assuming they have got sponsors, to display their deep compassion for the underprivileged.

The trick for the production crew is to give everybody their 5 seconds of fame. All being recorded in thousands of family archives.

I bet the local kids know better than to knock on your door asking to be sponsored.

I never said anything was wrong with making an exhibition of yourself with deep breathing being tried out and hoping to be on TV and the neighbours all talking about it. Nor did I say there is anything wrong in displaying compassion for the underprivileged.

Actually, there are no local lids near enough who would make the effort.

Okay--there's a race up front. The chaps beat the girls by about 3 miles.

The horde following looked like wallies.