The God of Tarmac

Monday brings Derby’s Championship Play Off Semi Final 2nd Leg with Fulham and I pay for a Sky TV game for first time ever. Which I do through Now TV. I say ‘first time ever’ but I did buy a game through them once before for the Hull Play Off game two years ago but I was so disgusted after the first leg defeat that I never used it. I though perhaps I’d still have the unused credit on my account but no, it had expired.

After their negative performance in the 1^st leg, Derby are far too positive in the 2^nd Leg and lose 2-0. A fair result though, Fulham are a much better side than Derby. It would have been a travesty if we’d gone up, our team should have finished mid-table at best.

On Tuesday I’m on the bike and in the evening at dog training while L and Daughter go to the ballet, to which I was invited. It’s a Matthew Bourne ballet of Cinderella who did the Edward Scissorhands thing I saw years ago but this is a screening at the Savoy Cinema. Which is all a bit middle class for Lenton.

On Wednesday night I am out with my friend from school and surprisingly one of the other chaps, who used to join us, turns up unexpectedly. The first time for a year or more. We have a couple in the Alexandra before going to the Brunswick for food.

There is no tennis on Thursday as my opponent has no transport. I cycle though as I also do on Friday.

As I hit Coventry Lane in Bramcote on Friday, I realise that it has been resurfaced and not with stone chippings. It is as smooth as a smooth thing. All hail the God of Tarmac and the thing is they’ve done all this since yesterday. Wow.

On the way home the road through Stapleford is closed and cordoned off because of an accident but they let me through and don’t make me cycle the long way round.

The boys seem to be coping with begin left loose together or rather MD is surviving the experience. We hade been worried about ruining MD’s days by leaving the Lad loose but he doesn’t look too beaten up when we get home. All four ears remain present and correct. Whenever we walk them and MD barks at something the Lad gives him a nip. Things are improving though because I think MD is learning not to cross the Puppy. 

The Lad is probably also too busy during the day to attack MD. He seems to be a hoarder and his pastime when we’re out seems to be collecting a pile of things in the hall from dog toys to tea towels, dish cloths etc but I have no idea where he got L’s strappy top from.

(Friday 18^th May)

Bring On The Westies

I found out last night whilst checking their website that Nottingham’s smallest and in fact the world’s smallest (check the Guinness Book of Records) cinema is no more. The Screen Room, in Hockley and just across the road from our favourite cinematic haunt Broadway, had been closed over Christmas but now will not be reopening.



I'm on their mailing list but they didn't tell me, either that, or they tucked it away at the bottom of their last email and I didn’t see it. Well, at least I suppose it was a fitting low key end for a low key sort of place. The cinema was a mere 15ft by 15ft, had one screen and just 21 seats. Because of its size, the projector was behind the screen, unlike in a conventional cinema.

Once a porn cinema it opened in its current guise in September 2002 and showed mainly independent films and was great for catching things you'd missed at Broadway. You could though book absolutely any film you liked if you rented the whole place out.

According to the manager there, their nine year lease had simply come to an end and they chose not to renew it. ‘Time to move on!’ their website says. They leave the place on their own terms and debt free. So if anyone fancies taking it on, despite its smallness, it appears to be a going concern.

The Screen Room is survived by several local independent cinemas. The four screen Broadway of course, Derby Road’s traditional Savoy, Belper’s Ritz and Derby's new Quad.

Oh and if you’re missing an umbrella, give them a call, apparently they have at least thirty of them in lost property.

The place will be missed.

L is out an age with the boys this morning. I think she’s giving them a good long walk but she returns complaining of Doggo dragging his paws... sniff, sniff, sniff, goodness knows what he sniffs at but it must smell good. MD of course was just looking for something to yap at. Bless him. He’ll be in top vocal form for his return to training tonight.

Vocals aside his training goes well, all I need to do is find an event for him, after having had to miss yesterdays event. I need to make the most of it because we’ll be transferring from Collies to Westies soon, so I’m told. I don’t much fancy agility training a Westie.

L is out on the razz in Derby and we pick her up on the way home.

(Monday 24th January)