Role Play

After a late night out it proves useful that the clocks go back this weekend. I think they actually went back before we got to bed, so I’m not sure whether we can say we had an extra hour in bed or not.

When we’re all finally up, Doggo and I go fetch the Sunday paper while MD and L go on the park. We used to then meet up on the park but now we’re all getting older, it takes longer for us to fetch the paper and MD can’t keep going as long on the park. Today, despite leaving first we don’t make it to the park and bump into them on their way home.

In the afternoon I head over to watch the Veteran’s Cycling Championships at Derby Velodrome. They’re all older than me... and they’re all faster than me...

In evening we’re at Broadway with Daughter and several police role play scripts.

Armando Iannucci’s ‘Death of Stalin’, adapted from a graphic novel, shows the aftershocks of Josef Stalin’s (Adrian Mcloughlin) death in 1953 through decidedly British and comedic eyes. Indeed the Central Committee of the Communist Party is portrayed as about as well run as the worst of the worst of British’s Councils back in the 1970s, only more violent. 

The film opens before Stalin’s death with the authorities having to restage a piano concerto because Stalin has asked for a recording of it after the fact. So rather than tell Stalin it’s not possible, the producer (Paddy Considine) forces the orchestra and the audience to stay put while they do it all over again. This involves bribing the pianist (Olga Kurylenko) and finding a new conductor, who turns up in his dressing gown.

Then Stalin has the audacity to die which causes chaos. For a start they can’t summon a competent doctor to confirm his death or to ascertain the cause of it because Stalin has imprisoned or executed them all.

Meanwhile the jockeying to succeed him has already begun. Georgi Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor) temporarily and controversially assumes control but he will have to battle to hold onto the leadership as Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) and Vyacheslav Molotov (Michael Palin) state their cases. While Khrushchev is the semi-decent reformer and tries to take a more measured path to the top job, Molotov would remove anyone who got in his way. His approach is mild though compared with Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale), who is the head of the secret police, but he doesn’t have many supporters and is messily executed for treason. 

The only people to say anything good about Stalin, perhaps not surprisingly, are his daughter, Svetlana (Andrea Riseborough) and his hot-headed son, Vasily (Rupert Friend). Things then liven up further when Marshal Zhukov (Jason Isaacs) turns up. Nothing portrays this more as a British spoof that Zhukov who appears to be a Yorkshireman with a very broad accent.

Depending on how good your knowledge of Russian history is it can be difficult to follow everything as the film is more focussed on it’s comedic angle than about walking you through the history. Although it is still informative in this way and appears to be highly accurate. You just might have to hit Wikipedia to fill in the gaps.

Although very well acted, I’m not sure the film is actually that funny and, for me, the history of it is easily the most fascinating aspect. An out and out drama might have been more effective but then would anybody else have watched it.

(Sunday 29^th October)

Off The Pace

The clocks go back this morning so this gives us an extra hour in bed to mentally prepare ourselves or otherwise for today’s Sheffield 10k. This is a different Sheffield 10k to the Great Run organised one and is run by Run For All, they of the Jane Tomlinson Foundation, and it’s sponsored by Asda.

These folk also organised the Sheffield Half which I ran earlier this year and the course takes the same route out along Ecclesall Road but then instead of disappearing up a big hill into the Peak District it skirts around Endcliffe Park before return back along Ecclesall Road.

Despite the omission of the ‘Peak District’ this is still a seriously undulating route and a real challenge. Although the biggest challenge of all is keeping up with the 45 min pacer which shouldn’t really have been a problem for me considering my current form.

The pacer, however, sticks to his 4:30 per km pace with metronomic precision even on the kilometres that are completely uphill. This means that his initial group of around 30 runners is gradually reduced attritionally to, well, probably nothing. I'm guessing here as I hung on longer than most but couldn’t stay the distance either.

The inverse of this is that when the course starts heading downhill later on he is hamstrung by his 4:30 pace meaning most of us catch him and pass him. I finish in 44:55, so who needs dodgy pacers. Perhaps we should have paced him?

After I have finished, I notice there is no queue at the massage tent which is a rare thing indeed. I quickly go and get my rucksack back from the baggage area, which works seamlessly this time, then I sign up for a session on my calves. I must say that I get outstanding service from Sheffield Hallam’s physiotherapy department who supply a girl for each leg and it’s well worth the £2 charity donation I give them.

Just a word for the goodie bag which was excellent and weighed down with snackie things.

On the way home we detour via Kennelgate where we attempt to solve the ‘can’t see the dog ball in the dark problem’ without success. They don’t have either a flashing or glow in the dark dog ball. 

Then we head off to Leamington for meet Son and his gf for a meal in the White Horse. I like the Horse but their food menu veers annoyingly from arty to burgery without having much in between. The saving grace is always their Sunday lunches but we are told today that they have none left.

Son tells us he is handing in his notice at his job. That'll keep L busy. Now she will be busy job hunting for both Son and Daughter.

(Sunday 30^th October)

The Near Miss Project

On the bike today and it’s a very nice morning for it. The advantage of the clocks change is that not only was it not dark this morning, it was sunny as well.

Today I am tasked with keeping a record of my cycling and more specifically any incidents that happen. It’s rather fetchingly called the ‘Near Miss Project’.

They ask for any incidents that cause avoiding action to be taken but also any interactions with other road users that cause worry or annoyance. Blimey, really? I could fill a book. Daily. I list just three.

1. The pedestrian who stepped off the curb into my path without looking in Spondon. No avoiding actions taken. In fact the opposite because I did try to run him down because he was so bloody annoying. This happens most days.

2. The car that pulled out of a side road in front of me in Risley. It was far from life threatening and I’m sure he saw me but naturally expected me to slow down to avoid hitting him, which obviously I did. I’m not sure he’d have pulled the same stunt to a car driver. This also happens most days.

3. The guy in the big SUV Noddy mobile who deliberately blocked me all the way up Derby Road as we both sat in the traffic jam. He drove millimetres from the curb despite the fact he had about six feet on the other side. I’m assuming it was deliberate because nobody can be that bad a driver accidentally.

They also asked for any incidents that involved road conditions or infrastructure, including potholes. It goes without saying that there are far too many of these to list but perhaps because I know where they all are they don’t really count anyway.

In the League Cup, Derby come from 2-0 down to win 5-2 at Fulham and make the quarter finals. Wa-Hey.

(Tuesday 28^th October)