Wednesday 8 April 2009

The Last Legion and electricals

This has been a useful kind of day, Tuesday 30th October, 2007, without achieving much. I have made some progress and had a enjoyable afternoon at the pictures. It was another gloriously sunny Autumn morning but cold so I coughed a little on the walk into town for the papers and DVD. On return I decided to tackle the removal of the existing light fixture in the day room which has taken a year for me to decided what to do and how to do it. I have always been apprehensive about tackling electric fittings even when the whole supply is turned off at the mains. Now I am also apprehensive at working at ceiling height using steps when on my own which is all the time, and reluctant to enlist the help of neighbours. I am also hesitant about employing someone and feel I should be able to continue to do such things myself if I take care. It was therefore something of an achievement to remove the five feet long fitment this morning and as expected the next step will be fill the four screw holes and repaint until trace oft her old fitting has been removed. I did see an inexpensive fan light at B Q and will look what Argos has to offer. Why don't I do it now, after a cup of tea or coffee. I am in need of a revival after a siesta although the evening meal comprised two salad filled rolls and a few dates after a return from the pictures treat of olives, feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes and two slice of thick squares of toast.

At the supermarket I decided on buy a loaf for toasts. An expenditure of 54 pence, the electricity and the spread against paying £7-£8 for the toast of varying quality at a cafĂ©. However this takes no account of the different experiences, one the ability to have toast as I like when I like or to be able to use a little time relaxing with a newspaper. My problem was not costs but potential waste as usually the bread hardened before it was used. Now what about the freezer he thinks and ration one load over two weeks. Do it now. It was only on reaching the supermarket after the pictures that I remembered I had left my credit card on the desk having paid the outstanding balance by phone earlier in the day. This limited the purchases so I will do another trip tomorrow when buy the light fixture, 10% discount for oldies Wednesday at B and Q. I did invest in a pizza with a filled crust of the kind advertised at enormous cost at a specialist restaurant or take away. This one was of a good size on a special offer of 2 for the price of one at under £3.

The picture, the Last Legion, was unexpected not because it was about the last days of Rome when the Goths pillaged or the recreation of the Ninth Legion at a recreation of the Hadrian's wall, which was the reason for going to see the film as I live a few yards away from its supply fort and barracks, but because of the neat twist in suggesting how the Arthurian Legend came into being. There is no attempt to present an authentic piece of Roman Britannic history and I do not intend to spoil the fun. The film is about the fate of the last Roman Emperor Romulus who is betrayed but escapes from imprisonment on the fortress island of Capri by his guards, who is assisted by a Muslim warrior from Constantinople who is not as he seems to be. Look up Aswaraya Rai the star of 40 Hindi, Tamil, and English films as well as winning an international contest in 1994 and was a co star of Bride and Prejudice. Romulus and co make for England where they hope to find the Ninth Legion which did exist and did disappear from history and where the film suggests that it was sent to Britain, and forgotten and unpaid by the Empire, they became farmers keeping out of the way of Vortigern, the Southern king, and described as the worst King of Britain, in legend, for it is uncertain if he existed despite references in Gilda's and Bede. He has previously featured in TV series and also as a fictional location as Lake Vortigern in an episode of Dr Who. The TV series was about Merlin. I kept thinking that Vortigern was a reincarnation of Jack Palance in Hawk the Slayer. The film concludes with the revelation that Arthur, he who became king, is the son of Romulus who married a local lass and became a peace loving King of Britain assisted by his magic sword and trusted keeper of the sword and its powers. Well I did say it was fun with Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley and the special one.

And the rest of day was a failure eating too much, working too little creating nothing, falling asleep during films without interest, but did I also watch Spooks last night or the night before? This continued the themes of American secret service double dealing, and a secret world influencing and changing organisation for the good, or is it and the problem of Iran and its nuclear intentions, plus how to break the tagging control order which is the subject of today's consideration by the Law Lords.

(It has to be noted 18 months later the light fitment has not been replaced. It was but could not be correctly fitted and twice refitted and both fell and broke so I ended removing the fitment and then finding that the wiring was so old I could not fit something simpler with confidence. There. Further problems arose when other work was being done on the house so I have coped with table lights and battery lights since.

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