I’ve just got around to taking a procrastination test after putting it off for more important tasks (removing belly button fluff, watching YouTube vids, researching the history of Doileys).

When you get an opportunity, you can take it here, but first you need to sharpen your pencils and arrange your DVDs into zen tantric order.

(I scored a rather respectable 25%, although I may have lied, of course!)

Hat tip: Ian Lidster and Stosyth Parish Council (wherever that is) for the Tuit.

We went to see Peter Kay at Manchester Palace today.

Alighting in Piccadilly Gardens, we were pleased to see they are gardens again, although the grass was fenced off to give it a chance. There was also this tree-like sculpture…

And these rather public Gents toilets! (Saturday specials?)

The show was in Manchester Palace theatre, a very large 1891 two balcony variety house (currently 1998 seats) and the better of the two sisters (paired with the Opera House a short walk away).

I snapped these interval & after-show shots to show the scale of the place. A bit shaky without a tripod but that would have been an invitation to be evicted!



The show was very funny and Peter Kay made some great ad-libs. On being asked if he’d direct the show, he paused and said…”I’ve just bought an allotment…”.

Well recommended and the Springtime for Hitler song & dance routine is cringe makingly hysterical!

Bradford University school of lifelong learning and development are running a Civic and Community event today.

Gypsies and Travellers have been resident in the UK for over 500 years. What do we really know about these communities who have been our neighbours for so long?

Programme
09.45 Registration
10.00 Brief History of Gypsies and Travellers including who are they?
10.30 Question and answer session
11.00 Break
11.30 Gypsy and Traveller Culture
12.30 Quiz
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Answers and comments
14.45 Do Mang Mandi DVD
15.00 Break
15.15 Travellers today
16.00 Question and answer session
16.30 End

I think “Do Mang Mandi” means “You tell me” but there isn’t much on Google.

I’m not going to the event, I’m not that interested and it all sounds horribly politically correct.

My own experience of Gypsies/travellers is reasonably benign, limited to being sold lucky heather and being in a car that was kicked by a drunken one after a Councillor got out to read an lamppost enforcement notice.

I’ve heard some horror stories though, including from senior police officers.

(I was once at a public meeting where a District Commander was forcefully making a point that illegal action would not be tolerated. She referred to them as Gypsies throughout and had actively encouraged the farmer whose field they were trespassing in to get his tractor and muck spreader out. She was berated by some lefty Councillor for her callousness and how the problem was with her, not them. She replied that she didn’t care what trendy name, label or excuse was used, criminal behaviour made them criminals and they needed to be dealt with firmly).

I loved that show, I used to watch it religiously during the 80s, live if I was a dirty stopin, or I’d set the V2000 video recorder and watch it when I got back.

It has been released on DVD and I was expecting it any day. However, I just checked “where’s my stuff?” and it was wrapped up with some other orders that won’t go for a few weeks yet. (Now remedied!)

Here are some snippets from Saturday night live: