Odds 'n' Sods
Ken Russell ? Visionary film maker or chauvinistic, randy pervert ?
I remember watching Delius - Song of Summer as a kid. It was part of the "Monitor" arts documentary series on BBC in 1966/67 or 68. "In D Fenby" I remember very well. Years later of course the phrase was regurgitated on one of Kate Bush's albums during a song, funnily enough, about Delius.
As an eighteen year old I went to see "The Devils" at the local flea pit. I was completely mesmerised by the entire thing. From the opening shots of a decaying corpse on a wheel outside the medieval town, through the, graphically sexual, images of 'casting out devils', to the final scenes of Olivier Reed being burnt at the stake, I thought the entire thing was a masterpiece. A few years earlier I had been equally impressed with 'Women in Love'. 'The Boyfriend' (starring Lesley Hornsby aka Twiggy) was another triumph.
A few years later and Ken was 'scrapheaped'. All over. Reduced to self financing videos that were increasingly - or so it seemed - shadows of his former glories.
These days, apart from the Delius and Women in Love, I think the rest of his stuff is simplistic, gratuitously sexual and very much up his own arse. So, who's right ? The young, eager for fantasy worlds I could escape to, wide-eyed 16 year-old or this cynical bag of flab fast approaching his 50th year ?
I've been reading Bill Nelson's on line diaries over the past few days. Actually I've been cleaning the house, cooking meals, shopping, working and nurse-maiding while Dearest is incapacitated. But, prior to bed I've been getting to know the ex Be Bop Deluxe frontman.
I have to say this Bill: For crying out loud - stop moaning all the time and thank your lucky stars that you make a very decent living out of your music and art. Some of us would sell our souls to have spent a life creating so much beauty.
I'm off to the City of Manchester Stadium tomorrow with higher-than-ten John - the Oldham Athletic fan from Barnsley. To clear up any misunderstanding he has lived in Oldham for about 25 to 30 years and has adopted Latics as his second club.
For the record, the reason he has the prefix 'higher-than-a-ten' is because that is the name of the Thursday night quiz team he is a member of. Why 'higher-than-a-ten' ? Well because after the quiz the landlord runs a 'Play your cards right' session. John's team always go 'higher -than-a-ten' when the cards are turned. Incidentally they also go 'lower-than-a-five'.
Before then I've got a shitload of domestic chores to deal with. Women of the World - have major surgery to let your partner know just how hard you work. I have to admit that, although I thought I was doing my bit by cooking at least 5 or 6 times a week and washing up pretty much all of the time, I now realise just what goes into running a household. I feel suitably ashamed.
I wish I could get Dearest to adopt Peter's approach to housework - but somehow I doubt it.
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