House moving, though I still haven’t yet, has occupied just about all my spare time for weeks now. My site has been a bit neglected so far in December even though there has been much to write about.
Here’s a quick round up of some of the things I thought I might write about individually and haven’t got around to. First up is F1.
The 2016 Formula One season finished a few weeks ago and throughout this year’s championship, I was firmly supporting Hamilton. During the last race in Abu Dhabi, I was really hoping to see Rosberg’s engine fail or for him to be swamped by his competitors. Neither happened, Rosberg won the drivers’ championship and I was a bit miffed.
Later though I’ll admit some grudging respect for Rosberg; he retired days later, which no one expected, and in doing so binned some big/easy money for years to come. I also found out that he is multilingual and therefore bright beyond Hamilton – he had his plan, he stuck to it, he avoided the media, the mind games and ended up on top.
Having achieved his goal, Rosberg walked away from the money and the glamour in order to prioritise time with his family. He dug deep, worked hard, was remarkably consistent and I am now willing to admit that he earned his luck as opposed to just getting lucky. I wish him well for the future and will look forward to seeing Hamilton back on top in 2017.
From F1 to car fun
Continuing the motoring theme for the moment, “The Grand Tour” has been available for a month or so now and I am delighted to see Clarkson, Hammond and May back on the silver screen. I have watched four of the five episodes so far and can report that I love it.
Episode one was terrific, episode two was a bit patchy, episodes three and four (set in Whitby) were great. I didn’t appreciate how much I had missed the trio. Top Gear was good fun in the absence of The Grand Tour but it has an insurmountable challenge to better it.
I’ll admit though that I am bored by the dying celebrities.
From dying to Dyer
I enjoy watching “Who do you think you are?” and the new BBC run of this series started with Danny Dyer. The actor reminds me so much of my cousin, Paul, that despite the fact I hate Eastenders, I was interested to follow Danny’s journey of discovery. And blimey, what a discovery it was. Danny’s bloodline is directly descended from Edward the Third.
Danny, a no airs and graces type, was seen interacting with his gentrified distant relations and it was a pleasure to watch some worlds collide. When Dyer’s family tree reached Thomas Cromwell, there was no doubting he was into something spectacular.
Not since Matthew Pinsent has there been a WDYTYA with an outcome so amazingly cool.
From royalty to the bottom of the pit
Equally compelling was the two part BBC documentary called “The Last Miners”. The BBC followed the miners responsible for overseeing the final days of the last operational deep coal mine in the UK - Kellingley Colliery. Danny Dyer’s WDYTYA experience evidenced worlds within worlds and so did TLM. I couldn’t think of a job and a lifestyle less related to my own than a coal miner’s but I found myself warming to the guys. Whilst I know nothing about pit work, I do know how looming redundancy feels and what it’s like to have to stop working with people that you have known for years.
From coal to China
Guy Martin is currently residing in my bedroom. I probably should add that it’s not that he’s lodging, or entertaining Mrs Baldwin…rather that I am reading his autobiography (and when I am not reading, it rests on my bedside unit).
I bought a copy after watching “Our Guy in China” because I wanted to better understand where this totally down to earth, unaffected by celebrity and seemingly thoroughly likeable chap came from. It’s a good read too, no pussy-footing around, no evidence of royal connections just hard work, commitment and achievement.
Watching the final episode in the Channel Four three part documentary saw Guy break a record for cycling across a miserable stretch of China. His bike didn’t even have gears. Incredible.
From daring to dancing
And that brings me to “Strictly”.
This series has been the best of the lot. I predicted (well that might be overcooking it) in early November that Ore Oduba would win and blow me down, I was right. I watched the final in awe of the celebrities and all that they had achieved since the series started.
I am not sure what I’d be less suited to, coal mining or dancing…
…but my inclination is that I’d make a better miner.
And coming firmly back to earth
To end this tenuously connected stream of words is Planet Earth 2. If you didn’t watch it, you missed a treat – stunning cinematography, spectacular locations, important messages - what a fantastic documentary series…
…no other words required. Well except for “more please”.
Unfortunately, aside from WDYTYA and TGT, everything else has now finished.
A bit like 2016 and indeed this post.
Bye for now.
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Here’s a quick round up of some of the things I thought I might write about individually and haven’t got around to. First up is F1.
The 2016 Formula One season finished a few weeks ago and throughout this year’s championship, I was firmly supporting Hamilton. During the last race in Abu Dhabi, I was really hoping to see Rosberg’s engine fail or for him to be swamped by his competitors. Neither happened, Rosberg won the drivers’ championship and I was a bit miffed.
Later though I’ll admit some grudging respect for Rosberg; he retired days later, which no one expected, and in doing so binned some big/easy money for years to come. I also found out that he is multilingual and therefore bright beyond Hamilton – he had his plan, he stuck to it, he avoided the media, the mind games and ended up on top.
Having achieved his goal, Rosberg walked away from the money and the glamour in order to prioritise time with his family. He dug deep, worked hard, was remarkably consistent and I am now willing to admit that he earned his luck as opposed to just getting lucky. I wish him well for the future and will look forward to seeing Hamilton back on top in 2017.
From F1 to car fun
Continuing the motoring theme for the moment, “The Grand Tour” has been available for a month or so now and I am delighted to see Clarkson, Hammond and May back on the silver screen. I have watched four of the five episodes so far and can report that I love it.
Episode one was terrific, episode two was a bit patchy, episodes three and four (set in Whitby) were great. I didn’t appreciate how much I had missed the trio. Top Gear was good fun in the absence of The Grand Tour but it has an insurmountable challenge to better it.
I’ll admit though that I am bored by the dying celebrities.
From dying to Dyer
I enjoy watching “Who do you think you are?” and the new BBC run of this series started with Danny Dyer. The actor reminds me so much of my cousin, Paul, that despite the fact I hate Eastenders, I was interested to follow Danny’s journey of discovery. And blimey, what a discovery it was. Danny’s bloodline is directly descended from Edward the Third.
Danny, a no airs and graces type, was seen interacting with his gentrified distant relations and it was a pleasure to watch some worlds collide. When Dyer’s family tree reached Thomas Cromwell, there was no doubting he was into something spectacular.
Not since Matthew Pinsent has there been a WDYTYA with an outcome so amazingly cool.
From royalty to the bottom of the pit
Equally compelling was the two part BBC documentary called “The Last Miners”. The BBC followed the miners responsible for overseeing the final days of the last operational deep coal mine in the UK - Kellingley Colliery. Danny Dyer’s WDYTYA experience evidenced worlds within worlds and so did TLM. I couldn’t think of a job and a lifestyle less related to my own than a coal miner’s but I found myself warming to the guys. Whilst I know nothing about pit work, I do know how looming redundancy feels and what it’s like to have to stop working with people that you have known for years.
From coal to China
Guy Martin is currently residing in my bedroom. I probably should add that it’s not that he’s lodging, or entertaining Mrs Baldwin…rather that I am reading his autobiography (and when I am not reading, it rests on my bedside unit).
I bought a copy after watching “Our Guy in China” because I wanted to better understand where this totally down to earth, unaffected by celebrity and seemingly thoroughly likeable chap came from. It’s a good read too, no pussy-footing around, no evidence of royal connections just hard work, commitment and achievement.
Watching the final episode in the Channel Four three part documentary saw Guy break a record for cycling across a miserable stretch of China. His bike didn’t even have gears. Incredible.
From daring to dancing
And that brings me to “Strictly”.
This series has been the best of the lot. I predicted (well that might be overcooking it) in early November that Ore Oduba would win and blow me down, I was right. I watched the final in awe of the celebrities and all that they had achieved since the series started.
I am not sure what I’d be less suited to, coal mining or dancing…
…but my inclination is that I’d make a better miner.
And coming firmly back to earth
To end this tenuously connected stream of words is Planet Earth 2. If you didn’t watch it, you missed a treat – stunning cinematography, spectacular locations, important messages - what a fantastic documentary series…
…no other words required. Well except for “more please”.
Unfortunately, aside from WDYTYA and TGT, everything else has now finished.
A bit like 2016 and indeed this post.
Bye for now.
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