As 2008 comes to end, let’s spare a thought for Dominic Fisher (aka Praguetory) who appears to have had a rather sad and lonely Christmas: ‘Birmingham’s Kinda Quiet These Days,’ he laments as he presents four images of a quite dead Birmingham city centre. Exif data reveals this image was taken at 13.36 on 25 December 2008.
That’s right, poor sad Dominic Fisher (who blogs anonymously as Praguetory) spent lunchtime on Christmas Day wandering around the empty shopping malls of Birmingham, wondering where all the people had gone while clicking away on his Nikon D80.
Paul’s Organic Nut Roast is rather expensive (I don’t want to admit how much I handed over at Unicorn, Chorlton’s co-operative organic supermarket) but it was Christmas Eve and choice was limited.
Anyway. It was Christmas and Christmas is a time for indulgence.
Paul’s Organic Nut Roast is rather good. It looks a bit small, but once served seems to expand to cover the plate. Fairly crumbly and moist this as a superior roast. And it cooks in just fifteen minutes.
Too often support acts simply don’t fit with the main act, being somebody the record company wants to promote or who just needs some exposure or work.
But Richard Fleishman did fit in warning up for Elton John, with whom he co-wrote the last song. That said, he doesn’t quite do it for of. There’s something odd about a teenager singing so nostalgicly.
Jonathan Ross isn’t my cup of tea, but my mum thinks he adorable and if visiting on a weekend, we expect to be treated to his chat show on a Friday night and to have his radio show on in the background on Saturday morning). This is despite her tendency to flinch at any hint of swearing and say, ‘people don’t really use that language in the real world’. I think she sees him as a totally harmless but very cheeky little school boy. His suspension was quite upsetting, so she’ll be pleased he’s soon to come back.
Anyway. Ross deserves full marks for winding up the Daily Mail by boasting of how he’s enjoying his suspension. ‘What a twit,’ says the Mail, but we know they’re seething.
A generous plate of fluffy scrambled eggs at the Abergeldie is the perfect way to prepare for a morning’s Christmas shopping. And a bargain at just £2.10 (mug of tea 80p).
The Abergeldie has updated its menu (and posted a favourable Guardian review everywhere) since I last mentioned them and there is now a veggie breakfast. Sadly, it’s a bit disappointing even at £3.95. Just an English without the meat.
Looking over the menu for inspiration, I spotted some grilled halloumi. Add that to the mix and the job is done; an Abergeldie veggie breakfast true to the cafe’s Greek heritage.
I only watched the results programme for X-Factor this year. It came after the excellent Girls Aloud Party, so I was in the mood for some quality pop. I was left very disappointed.
Beyonce’s performance with eventual winner Alexandra Burke left me cringing as the two divas desperately tried to blast each other off the stage; Beyonce obviously couldn’t allow herself to be upstaged by a mere talent show contestant, while that talent show contestant was desperate to prove herself. It sounded like someone had slammed a couple of cats’ tails in a car door and driven off.
Having said that, people who like this sort of thing will find that Alexandra Burke is the sort of thing they like. But I don’t think there’s room for another diva. It’s not so, much that Alexandra can’t deliver, but that there is clearly a great shortage of writers of over the top ballads. So far they’ve found just six songs fit to be singles for previous winner Leona Lewis.
Greater Manchester has said no to a congestion charge which is disappointing, not so much because I think pricing poorer people off the road is a good thing, but because it is also a no to a £3billion investment in the city’s public transport which has to be paid for somehow. On balance, it was good deal.
Manchester will now remain the country’s second most congested city and the fourth most congested in Europe.
Or will it? A no vote cannot be the end of the matter. Eventually, something will have to be done, but it’s likely to be far more modest and real improvements will not be felt for many more years.
Meanwhile, the Irish are to be asked to vote again on the Lisbon Treaty, because their no could not be the end of that debate. The EU needs to be reformed. The Irish didn’t like the Lisbon Treaty as first proposed, so inevitably they’ll have to make their minds up over a revised proposal… or leave the EU.
Referenda may be democratic, but they are the route to moribund government and that can’t be good for anyone.
I’m no fan of the Wombats and had hoped their short flirtation with fame had come to an end. But I do reckon they deserve some credit for attempting to revive proper Christmas records, in the tradition of Slade or Wizzard, with Is this Christmas?. Yeah, it’s still feeble student pop, but it must beat anything that might come out of X-Factor.
I’m sure the whole gym shuddered in horror this morning as Britney Spear’s Womanizer came on. It’s not just an embarrassingly bad record that makes you wonder if Britney knows what a womaniser is.
And don’t think about changing gyms as the chances are that wherever you go, Gym Screen Media is there already. They call themselves a ‘captive audience network’… scary or what?
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As 2008 comes to end, let’s spare a thought for Dominic Fisher (aka Praguetory) who appears to have had a rather sad and lonely Christmas: ‘Birmingham’s Kinda Quiet These Days,’ he laments as he presents four images of a quite dead Birmingham city centre. Exif data reveals this image was taken at 13.36 on 25 December 2008.
