Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in East and South West London, Surrey and Northamptonshire.

Next week is week 400, for a while I had thought that once that milestone was reached the blog would come to an end. But recent thinking is this could just be a new start, a regeneration of an old possibly tired format (or is that just me). I will speak more about what will happen in next weeks ramble, now on to Week 399 of this blog…..

First another Chewie the Hamster update. After recently being unwell, he is healthy happy and back to his normal unsociable self, which is just the way we love him.

Now This…..

Looking outside it really could be spring in London, the temperature is not as low as normal (of course I don’t know this officially, sadly I do not have any contact with Michael Fish who could advise me). In the garden flowers/plants starting to grow/bud. There also appears to be a lot more birds on the feeders. Admittedly I am lucky because as a rule I don’t feel the cold like so many friends and family, for me spring really does feel like it has sprung.

This feeling continued when I visited Kew Gardens with a friend for the third time in the last couple of years. Each time I wish I lived nearer because volunteering or even working in a paid job might be a possibility. I am not a gardener but have over the last two years I have developed an interest in getting soil under my finger nails (yes I really have stopped biting them again since end of October last year) and developed a healthy Monty Don fixation. It really is a favourite place to visit.

The day before my visit the annual festival of Orchids from Costa Rica opened. Hundreds of people flowed through the glass house every hour gazing in awe at the beautiful flowers of all size from this Central American paradise, as well as art installations inspired by the country. At the end of the of the festival there was of course a gift shop, selling extremely overpriced merch (as young people say these days). But for me what was interesting were very short filmed retrospective about the artist (one is Costa Rican) who’s pieces are dotted around the glasshouse. But more interesting was a video of Carlos Andres Alvarado Quesada the President of Costa Rica talking about the exhibition and his country. Towards the end he gestures towards the camera and welcomes us the viewers with a warm smile to visit his homeland. I wonder what the boarder officials at Juan Santamaria International Airport would say if I said that I had arrived because of an invitation from the president. I somehow suspect I would be on the next flight back to Heathrow.

I really had a great day at Kew and look forward to another very soon. Out side there were plenty of plants and flowers starting to show there heads, very soon the place will be bathed in colour, I must visit soon.

And Now For Something Completely Different……

Over the last 399 weeks one subject I talk about a lot in this blog is creativity. When I recently visited my storage I found lots of note pads full of unfinished scripts and stories. These last 10 or so years I have written a number of short films which I dreamed could one day be made. Back in 2017 a friend adapted one of my fave scripts into a audio play, I will post a link when I have it. Since last November I have been working on how I could film the script.
A couple of weeks ago I woke up from a dream and had to make notes straight away because it was a full story. The dream featured actor Imedla Staunton who would of course be impossible to cast, but there really was a fully formed idea in the dream. The script is in the process of being written, I have spoken to friends asking if they would appear and also know exactly where I want to film this. All of a sudden I find myself actively in pre-production of 2 short films. The second idea will be a lot quicker to produce and will be attempted first. I will keep you informed over the coming months as to any progress there may be.

And Finally……

While at Kew gardens I heard a child say said to its mum (I assume it was the mother, I of course don’t know that), “if you cant hear me speaking, I am talking to myself”.

My Mid-Life Crisis conts……

This Week I Watched……

“24”, (S1, “Midnight to 1am)(1am to 2am)(2am to 3am)(3am to 4am)(4am to 5am). “Babylon 5”, (S1, ep 17). “Blackadder II” (ep 6, “Chains”, TX: 20/02/86). “Blake’s 7”, (SD, ep 4). “Cheaters”, (S1, ep 1 to ep 18). “Chosen”, (S1, ep 1). “Click”, (TX: 05/02/22). “Dads Army”, (S4, ep 1 to ep 13, Crimbo Special, “Battle Of Giants”, TX: 27/12/71)(DVD extra, “We Are The Boys – James Beck”)(S5, ep 1 to ep 8)(“The Coward Revue (Dads Army Segment)”, TX: 20/01/69). “Death In Paradise”, (S11, ep 6, TX: 11/02/22). “Disenchantment”, (Part 4, ep 1 to ep 2). “How Its Made”, (S28, ep 4, TX: 19/09/16)(ep 5, TX: 07/10/16). “Lexx” (S2, ep 19). “Love Hurts”, (S1, ep 1 to ep 3). “Raising Dion”, (S1 ep 1 & ep 2). “Stargate Atlantis”, (S4, ep 13 & ep 14). “Starstruck”, (S2, ep 1 & ep 2). “Sisypmus: The Myth”, (S1, ep 3 & ep 4). “Snowpiercer”, (S3, ep 3). “The Actual Movement Of The Earth Around The Sun”, (Facebook/ The Secrets Of The Universe)(TX: 20/03/21). “The Apprentice”, (S16, ep 6, TX: 10/02/22). “The Apprentice: You’re Fired”, (S16, ep 6, TX: 10/02/22). “The Curse”, (S1, ep 1 to ep 3). “The Graham Norton Show”, (S29, ep 18, TX: 11/02/22). “The Weakest Link”, (S14 (S1 of Revival), ep 10, TX: 29/01/22)(ep 11, TX: 05/02/22). “The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window”, (S1, ep 3 & ep 4). “VERY Gay TV Show Tweets! – Joe Lycett”, (Facebook/Joe Lycett)(TX: 05/02/22). “Walking Dead World Beyond”, (S2, ep 9). “Watch Blue Origins NS-19 Launch And Land From Inside The Capsule”, (Youtube/CNET)(TX: 06/02/22). “You”, (S3, ep 5 to ep 10).

Doctor Who Watched This Week……

“The Chase”, (S2, Prod Code R). Ep 5, “The Death Of Doctor Who”, (TX: 19/06/65). Ep 6, “The Planet Of Decision”, (TX: 26/06/65).

“The Time Meddler”, (S2, Prod Code S). Ep 1, “The Watcher”, (TX: 03/0/65). Ep 2, “The Meddling Monk”, (TX: 10/07/65). Ep 3, “A Battle Of Wits”, (TX:17/07/65). Ep 4, “Checkmate”, (TX: 24/07/65).

This Week I Have Listened To……

“Coronavirus Global Update”, (BBC World Service/Sounds)(05/02/22)(06/02/22)(07/02/22) (08/02/22)(09/02/22)(10/02/22)(11/02/22). “Clinton Baptiste All -New Paranormal Podcast Trailer”, (09/02/22). “Clinton Baptiste Paranormal Podcast”, (S3, ep 6, 07/02/22). “Doctor Who – Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels – Happy Times And Places”, (30.5, “The Of Death”, 07/02/22)(30.6, 11/02/22). “Mystery Hour”, (LBC, 10/02/22). “NASA: Houston We HaveSeeds A Podcast”, (ep 231, 11/02/22). “Nick Abbot Whole Show”, (LBC, 05/02/22)(06/02/22)(10/02/22). “Rob Beckett And Josh Widdecombe Parenting Hell”, (S4, ep 5, 08/02/22)(ep 6, 11/02/22). “Screw It We’re Just Gonna Talk About The Beatles”, (ep 10, 16/05/17)(ep 11, 23/03/17)(ep 12, 30/03/17). “Space And Things”, (STP27, 04/03/21)(STP76, 10/02/22). “Smersh Pod – Smersh Side Special – Meteor”, (17/02/18). “Star Trek Universe”, (07/04/21)(09/02/22). “The All New Angelos And Barry Podcast”, (10/02/22). “The Audio Guide To Babylon 5”, (ep 64, 16/10/16). “The Friendship Onion”, (S1 ep 39, 08/02/22). “The Incomparable”, (The Incomparable)(ep 601, 11/01/22). “The Nick Abbot Habit”, (07/02/22). “The Space Above Us”, (ep 151, 06/02/22). “Tripodcast”, (ep 6, Pt 2, 05/02/22). “WTB”, (S4, ep 2 (ep 62), 11/02/22). “What’s Your Problem With Nick Abbot And Carol Mcgiffin”, (ep 103, 06/02/22). “Wolf And Owl”, (ep 59, 11/02/22).

“Morrissey”, “Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine”, “Death In Vegas”, “Dodgy”, “Echo And The Bunnymen”, “Embrace”, “Lush”, “Manic Street Preachers”, “Placebo”, “Shed Seven”, “Sleeper”, “Stereophonics”, “Suede”, “Texas”, “The Bluetones”, “The Cardigans”, “The Charlatans”, “The Cult”, “The Cure”, “The House Of Love”, “The La’s”, “The Sisters Of Mercy (ft Ofra Haza)”, “The Wannadies”, “The Wombats”, “The XX”.