It’s the 1st of April and the 8th day of lockdown. The world is contracting in on itself and and the familiar places are becoming a little too familiar. So what better time than now to rank Bungles..?
Ranking Bungles
It’s Quiet, Too Quiet…
So my daily constitutional took me as far as a bridge over the M1.
And gosh, was it quiet! I’ve driven this part of the M1 on Christmas day and it was never as quiet as this.
Petrol just 102.7p a Litre
I’m sure you’ll forgive my lack of commentary on the current crisis but – even on my most arrogant days – I don’t LARP as an epidemiologist.
I do, however, know when things have started to get weird. And 102.7 pence a litre for petrol is very weird indeed. I wonder how long until it’s back into double digits?
Yorkshire Wildlife Park Expansion – Spring Notes
And back to Yorkshire Wildlife Park for another trip to visit the animals and to see the progress on their new expansion since last summer. Wherever possible, I have attempted to identify the elements shown from the various maps and presentations that are available on the internet however this is just a best-guess effort on my part.
Given the current circumstances, it’s likely to be my last trip for a while.
Maps
The current park is located in the upper left. The new area is being constructed in the lower right.
A map of the new area of the park. The majority of pictures will be from around the areas marked ‘A:A’ and ‘B:B’.
Netflix killed the video shop
Bath’s last remaining video rental shop.
I do like the idea of running a video/dvd rental shop in what is – essentially – the foyer to a small cinema.
Ribbleribbleribbleribble…
A time-lapse of a snowy Ribblehead Viaduct from earlier this week. I really wish I’d had the time to bunk off for a few hours and visit the tops in the snow.
P-p-p-p-p-p Pancake Day!
I suspect that one has to be of a certain age to fully enjoy this classic 80s masterpiece.
Alas, from what I’ve seen on Youtube, the rest of Maid Marian and Her Merry Men hasn’t retained quite the same level of charm.
http://http.cat
Recent Films
Notes on films I’ve recently watched.
1917
Seen at the cinema. Very good but not quite on a par with 2017’s Dunkirk. Like all of these faux-low-cut films, I found myself distracted by looking for the seams between shots. Oddly, I found Cumberbatch’s depressed and nihilistic ‘Colonel Mackenzie’ the most affecting character; what must have it been like to know that you were going to order a good number of the men under your command to their deaths and that the only uncertainly was if it was going to be this week or next?
Bladerunner 2049
A home rewatch. Still very good and, out of the two Bladerunner films, my preferred one. The Harrison Ford segment still creeps up and surprises me by its presence. Better on a huge screen.
Cats
Seen at the cinema. A terrible film – disjointed, oddly paced and full of mushy, uncanny-valley visuals. If I squint really hard I can just about understand why someone might enjoy the stage musical but, having seen the film version, I am in no hurry to see it on the boards.
Jojo rabbit
Seen at the cinema. A well constructed dark comedy with a number of brave turns. As with ‘Under the Skin’ and ‘Lost in Translation’, Scarlett Johansson shows she can do far more than just stand around in a catsuit. It’s probably one that would survive the transition to a small screen without much loss.
Flash Gordon
A home rewatch of a cult classic. Still campy, cheesy fun with an excellent soundtrack. This is probably the first time I’ve seen it sober this millennium.
Masters of the Universe
A home rewatch. Better than I expected but still very much a product of it’s time – it’s certainly not high art. Both Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella ham it up well. I suspect that there’s a fun drinking game to be paired with it.
Poison of Choice
Well, I’ve managed to find myself a new poison of choice…
Meet Delirium Black Barrel Aged – specifically the 11.8% variant that comes on tap at Elsecar’s Maison Du Biere. It’s a lovely, heavy dark beer with hints of fruit, vanilla, and Bourbon.
And it’s a very dangerous drink for a school night…