Mike Causey – Wrecclesham and Rowledge
Waverley Borough CouncillorArchive for Leisure
No, Prime Minister
There are so many things I loved about last night. The drive from home in Wrecclesham to Chichester Festival Theatre was lovely. The light was just right, such that the visibility as I rose above the landscape having climbed the hills behind Uppark was of that amazing crystal clarity that makes the fields and trees and rolling countryside seem to leap towards oneself. Thankfully I managed to stay on the road and yet couldn’t resist a sideways glance one or twice at places I could easily spend hours exploring.
Then, on approaching the town I was struck by the beauty, history, and cleanliness of the villages I was passing through. This didn’t change as I entered the outskirts of Chichester itself and enjoyed the lovely cricket pitch and welcoming boulevard. I even found the somewhat angular and probably 1970s architecture of the theatre a nice sight, situated as is in open parkland.
What I didn’t enjoy was the way in which the playwrights of the new ‘Yes, Prime Minister’ production have seen fit to introduce crude and base humour into this national treasure of a show, presumably because they couldn’t think of anything better, or, that they believe the modern audience will only laugh if the jokes are about under-age sex with illegal immigrants. Seriously, I’m not joking.
In fact, I’m pretty incensed. Do the authors really believe that they have the right to diminish with such a pathetic plot, the national treasure that is naive Jim Hacker and his conniving civil servants?
I’m appalled that they really think that such awful imagery that is essentially “statutory rape” in the words of the character Bernard, is funny. It isn’t. And, although it’s not scientific, I’m pretty certain I felt a certain unease, and certainly a lessening of laughter, during the period of the play when this became the sole focus.
There were some redeeming moments: namely the first 20 minutes, the 10 minutes of BBC-bashing in the middle (with a wonderful script full of brilliantly pithy scathing remarks), and the last 5 minutes. But it was all dragged down into rude mediocrity by the incessant focus of sexual misdemeanour. Why oh why did they have to do that?
Two Things
About the Farnham Herald:
1. The front page article about Farnham Leisure Centre and its failure to reimburse members both for inconvenience and for non-availability of facilities: I agree that the leisure centre should be fair to its members. Stating that other leisure centres are available in towns nearby simply (a) show no sense of customer service and (b) ignores the difficulties and/or expense of travelling elsewhere in the borough – both the time and money either on public transport or private, could be prohibitive. If not reimburse, couldn’t the centre extend members subscription free for a couple of months? The example given is of this exact tactic: but only after some negotiation. A defence that there is a complaints procedure shows a mindset that does not give customer service a primary position, but simply adds on process to tackle it afterwards. A bad model.
I know not how (or not) my councillors colleagues involved in this have been able to influence the decision, but it’s not right. I’ll be writing to them to find out if I’m missing something.
2. Secondly though, I’m annoyed with the Farnham Herald in general. In an age when accessibility to information absolutely must include good online capability and, during economic circumstances that are hugely challenging to the continued existence of local news outlet, why is it that the Herald cannot produce a free online edition? Up to now, their website has given about two sentences of each story and then informed the reader to buy the paper. Now I notice that one can indeed access an online edition, but, have to pay for it! To me this doesn’t make sense, although I admit that not everyone (ahem… Rupert Murdoch) believes in free online news content.
Sport is…
Our MP Jeremy Hunt writes on ConservativeHome today about the potential for a sporting legacy in our nation, that will lift our pride and community identity.
SOS (Surrey Open Studios)
A fantastic time at the Farnham Pottery as it’s the first day of Surrey Open Studios for 2009.
Both West Street Potters and the Sculpture Workshop are open, and there’s a great buzz about the place. Perfect weather, and most of our tables outside in the sun: a great recipe for a busy day.
Johnny would be pleased
Good news for Farnham Rubgy Club as their planned move to Monkton Lane – and a pitch that doesn’t get waterlogged – is finally approved.
Their most famous son, Johnny Wilkinson, will be delighted I’m sure.
Owl, Woodpecker, Butterfly, Dragonfly, Maze
Yes, you guessed it – a walk in Alice Holt this afternoon. Beautitful weather, and lovely to see so many families out and about enjoying themselves, creating their own entertainment and exercise.
The provision for children there is amazing with so many lovely and playful sculptures around, which are in actual fact play areas to climbed on, jumped off, and generally used for fun. Must go back soon.
