Shooting Stars

Fantastic to see Shooting Stars return to our TV screens last night after more than a decade, even if it was just a one-off special. Brilliant to see that it is still as funny today as it was when it first appeared. It gave me an opportunity to introduce Reeves and Mortimer to the kids both whom are too young to have remember it first time around. If you missed it, you can see the documentary here, and the all new show here.

Wii - first impressions

Games consoles have been a part of my life for a long time. Starting with a ‘Pong’ machine from Woolworths back in the late 1970s, through a Sinclair ZX81, Commodore 64, various Sega and Nintendo machines (including the Sega Saturn which remains my all time favourite), and more recently the Playstation 1 and 2, a gaming PC and an Xbox 360. I’ve also had various handhelds. Bearing that in mind, getting hold of a Wii was really only a matter of time. And now I have one, thanks to my wife’s thoughtfulness and a birthday.

There’s plenty out there on the web about the Wii and how it differs from other games machines. Plenty about how it is re-defining the gaming experience. And it is. It’s the first machine that has really appealed to a broad market - kids and adults alike. To the extent that I’ve heard of plans to make them available in retirement homes as exercise for the residents. It seems the only market segment it doesn’t appeal to is the (mostly male) late teenage group, who often seem to prefer photo-realistic graphics.

My first impressions of the Wii? It’s different. It’s fun. Everybody wants to play it. And it’s harder to master than you’d expect. Don’t let the childish, primitive graphics of some games fool you. Success requires skill, dexterity and perseverance. So far I’ve tried Wii Sport and Wii Play, Super Mario Karts, Emergency Hero, Super Mario Galaxy, and NiGHTS. The two Mario games are excellent and will be getting further attention. NiGHTS will as well simply because I remember playing the earlier version on the Saturn. And the others I’ll probably dip into now and then. On the way from Play.com and eBay are Tomb Raider and The Bigs (baseball). And having spent 10 minutes playing a table tennis game I shall be bidding for that too.

So, it seems I’m hooked.

Dee Dee Bridgewater

I've been interested in most kinds of fusion and cross over music for quite some time. From Buena Vista inspired albums like Rhythms Del Mundo, through Salsa Celtica, Paul Simon's Graceland, Gloria Estefan's Mi Tierra and many others. So I was delighted to be given Dee Dee Bridgewater's Red Earth album. Dee Dee is a long established jazz singer, however, Red Earth represents a new direction for her, fusing western jazz influences and african inspired rythms, tones and harmonies. It's a very interesting experience. Most of the african musicians are from Mali, whose musical tradition I'd not explored before. Which made the recording fresh and new. It's exciting and original music and some of the tracks feel as much influenced by the asian scene as the african one. It's an album that deserves to be listened to, not as background music, but as a performance. Enjoy.

Territoriality

Technology has allowed us to become flexible workers. It has released us from our fixed desks. It has turned work from somewhere we go, to something we do. And those of us (and I include myself) who have embraced this new way have reaped real benefits in terms of productivity and work life balance. This is been proven through many pieces of research. However, human nature doesn’t give in that easily. During recent office moves at the work place I go to most, I was surprised about how territorial people can still be and I was given a sharp reminder that even in organisations which are truly world leaders in flexible working, it is far too easy to overlook the seemingly fundamental human need for security, stability and territory. Making the transition from office based to fully flexible requires coaching, support and a little time. It doesn't always happen naturally.

Everyone Loves A Bargain!

I’ve noticed a trend for Google searches for products to return links to voucher sites such as My Voucher Codes. What will happen when everyone is using these voucher sites to get a better deal from retailers? Where will the canny internet shopper go then? And how will online retailers be able to differentiate themselves? Until then, don’t buy anything – either online or in the real world without checking for vouchers first.

Avenue Q

I finally managed to get to see Avenue Q at the Noel Coward theatre. Brilliant, irreverent fun involving puppets and actors sharing the stage to tell a modern tale in a unique way. Very clever, uproariously funny and with some touching moments, this is well worth getting see before it closes in March. I saw a Friday afternoon matinee which started at a very sensible 5.00pm. Tickets via Lastminute.com were not much more than the price of a West End cinema seat. It’s very rude in places so probably not suitable for kids – especially the puppet sex scene (yes really!) which is probably one of the funniest things you will have seen for a long time. Enjoy!

Joseph

Oh dear! I bought tickets for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat at the Adelphi Theatre in London’s West End some months ago. I remember seeing it way back with Jason Donovan in the lead role and when it was revived as part of the ‘Any Dream Will Do’ TV talent show, I thought it deserved a further viewing. How wrong I was.

The production was mediocre, too many trivial attempts at humour gave it a panto-esque feel, and I’m sorry to report that Lee Mead – the TV show winner playing the part of Joseph – was very disappointing. His acting (such as he needed to do) was not great and his signing was very odd – nasal and flat. His phrasing of the songs had all the hallmarks of someone who has been in the role too long. Perhaps that’s why he’s being replaced by Gareth Gates shortly. Jenna Lee-James playing the narrator had a better singing voice – pretty good actually – but her extreme facial expressions were really off putting.

Of course, the audience loved it. A mix of kids and West End virgins almost guaranteed a standing ovation. How disappointing. If only they’d seen the revival of Evita at the very same theatre just a couple of years ago they’d have realised how very good Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Time Rice actually were.

Edinburgh

Aaliyah once said, “Age ain’t nothing but a number”. Having reached a significant milestone – involving a ‘5’ and an ‘0’ – I have to tell you I feel no different to when I was in my forties, thirties, twenties even! In fact, I feel healthier, fitter and happier now than I've felt for a long time!

To celebrate, I was treated to a long weekend in Edinburgh. We stayed at the Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street, a hotel which I used to stay at regularly many years back when I was a frequent visitor to Edinburgh. It’s where I wanted to go. I remember it as being a wonderfully Scottish hotel, all tartan, Thistle and wood-fire warm. Of course it’s changed hands since I was last there, and is now a Rocco Forte hotel. The décor has changed and is all trendy beige and chocolate, which is a little disappointing for a hotel in the heart of a great Scottish city and which very much forms part of the backdrop of the landscape. One thing that hasn’t changed though is the standard of service. It is truly outstanding. Just the right attention to detail, without being overbearing. The Number One restaurant is proud of its Michelin Star, and it’s easy to see why. Exceptional cooking, well served – by a surprisingly young staff.

I thoroughly enjoyed being a tourist for the weekend. We took a bus tour, spent time on the Royal Yacht Britannia out at Leith and trudged up the Royal Mile to spend an afternoon at Edinburgh Castle. All well worth a visit. It’s a wonderful place at Christmas.

My abiding memory of Edinburgh is the skyline at night. Standing on Princes Street, looking out towards Old Town, has to be one of the best cityscapes in Europe.

Get there if you can. And if you live there, don’t take it for granted.