Goodbye Dearest Holly (book review)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0907633021/qid=1125524326/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_11_1/202-1025626-8554246

Everyone remembers the summer of 2002 for all the wrong reasons - the disappearance of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the discovery of the bodies and the subsequent arrest of Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr.

3 years on, reading this was a fairly surreal experience for me. Normally I can't wait to get stuck into my next novel - I hoard books like you wouldn't believe, saving my favourite authors' latest offerings for my next beach holiday. The reason I love reading so much is, I believe, I can always identify with the protagonists in some way and always want the best possible outcome for them. Escapism - that's all it boils down to. As an aspiring novelist, that's exactly what I want to create for my prospective readers.

This was very different kind of reading for me. I knew that the protagonists were real, and that there was no happy ending (there is a section at the end that explains what happens to their son Oliver but that's about it). There was no point rooting for them.

The book explains in agonising detail everything the Wells family went through, and instead of getting involved, I felt myself trying to distance myself from their experiences. Had I actually dwelled upon the fact that these people actually DID go through all this and that lovely little girl in the pictures actually IS the girl who died at the hands of a paedophile the system so catastrophically failed to root out, I believe I would have broken down in tears too many times to enable me to finish reading.

But don't let that put you off trying - this is a story that deserves to be heard. For me, most poignant is the family's wish not to be treated any different from anyone else - Kevin talks about how people crossed the street when he and Nicola walked through Soham after the tragic event and how people went silent in the queue for the aeroplane as they were about to embark on a holiday to Gran Canaria. There is a message here - sometimes it is best not to treat people any differently. I remember how I returned to work nearly nine years ago when my mother had died - the people who made it easiest were the ones who made me feel that while I had their sympathy, I was important to have around and it was good to see me.

At the end of the day, there's nothing you can say to a bereaved person to make them feel better, so just let them know you care.

Anyway, on a very different note entirely, I recall how I reacted angrily at the time at how Ian Huntley was being treated by the prison system and that, as I seem to remember saying, "there's only one place he should be sent, and it's called the gallows". Not everyone agreed with me.

I have changed my stance since then. In the meantime I have read Jeffrey Archer's excellent prison diaries (volumes I, II & III) and now know what happens to paedophiles and sex offenders in British prisons.

Execution would have been far too merciful for Ian Huntley.

Something for the weekend..

One of the downsides to working shifts is that you don't get all that many weekends off - you are at the mercy of the roster. And when you do, you often end up not doing very much at all, as people tend to write you off socially, assuming you will be in work. And it's sod's law that if I do get invited anywhere I am working, and there is nothing going on when I have a weekend off.

This weekend, thankfully, proved rather different.

On Saturday I went out for a meal with Fahim and Maxine from the gym, and their friend Dave (who I had already met at parties and other events). We went to the Swindon Rendezvous, a vastly underrated Chinese restaurant in Swindon town centre. For those of you that haven't been, I highly recommend it. The food is superb, better than a lot of Chinese restaurants I have been to, and the service is second to none, fast and efficient whilst remaining extremely friendly. At no point were we made to feel rushed in any way. The Swindon Rendezvous also offers excellent value for money - you can take advantage of the "all you can eat buffet" which will cost you £18 at the weekend and £15 on weeknights. All in all, an excellent venue for a work do, night out with friends, or something more romantic..

On the subject of things romantic, I had a cinema ticket for Sunday morning to see a preview of the highly acclaimed "The 40-year old virgin". This was a special showing for UGC unlimited cardholders.

The film was highly enjoyable but did not quite meet my expectations, especially as it has achieved an average vote of 7.9 out of 10 on imdb.com. For me the film took too long to get going, used too many clichés (drunk girl throwing up over the protagonist, protagonist attracts nubile yet mentally deranged girl) and the makers didn't seem to know which way to go with the humour - it was somewhere between gross-out and the more subtle, melancholic humour of Sideways. Either would be fine with me, but I had the feeling the producers weren't really sure what sort of film they were making.

In the afternoon I ventured into Bath with my current lodger, Hannes, who is doing a work placement at BP in Swindon, and his friend Julia (pronounced You-lia). I always enjoy a trip to Bath - these days I usually go there to meet up with my friend Pete for a drink, but the aim this time was to show Hannes and Julia the sights. So as well as doing a quick bit of shopping I showed them Pulteney Bridge, the Abbey, the Roman Baths (being impecunious students they chose not to pay the entrance fee and so didn't go in), the Royal Crescent and the Botanical Gardens (one of Bath's lesser known attractions and somewhere I regularly used to go for Sunday afternoon walks with my parents).

When they had had enough of sightseeing I took them for what I hoped would be a special treat: a burger from Schwartz Bros, next to the theatre. Unfortunately Julia's meal didn't go down too well - something Hannes put down to too much beer the night before.

I had anticipated that we would spend the evening in Bath and visit some of my favourite pubs that I have been frequenting for the best part of the last 20 years - the Crystal palace, the Huntsman, the Roundhouse, and some of the newer ones such as the All Bar One. Unfortunately Hannes and Julia were not in the mood for drinking after a late night the previous day and so our day in Bath ended earlier than expected. Had I brought a good book or a paper I would have been tempted to stay in Bath without them, but alas this was not the case!

There was one surprise remaining however - in the lounge at the station was a man bearing an uncanny resemblance to the actor Bill Nighy. I was tempted to approach him but felt that if it was indeed the famous thespian, it would be politic to respect his privacy. I like to think that if I ever achieve fame and fortune (it could still happen!!) people might do the same for me..

A Captain's Innings (or three)

What a fantastic series the Ashes is turning out to be. Australia running away with victory in the first test at Lords, then England coming back strongly to level the series at Edgbaston, denying the aussies an historic win in the process. Yet, in the first two tests, no batsman on either side had scored a century..

With the series level at 1-1 there was everything to play for in the third test at Old Trafford. I think many people forgot that from the players' perspectives, there were also reputations at stake in this all-important encounter.

Michael Vaughan, the England captain, so dominant in the previous series between these two sides, had looked horribly out of form in the series thus far, clean bowled three times in four innings. With a player of his class however, you always know that another great innings is just around the corner. And so it proved at Old Trafford, as he notched up 166 runs to help England to a first innings total of 444, putting them in the box seat.

Another England captain, the future one, Andrew Strauss, was another player who, so far in the series, had been unable to reproduce the serene form that gave him one of the most prolific starts to a test career by an England batsman. It seemed he was in thrall to the great Australian leg-spinner, Shane Warne. In the second innings however, he survived a nasty blow to the head and a cut ear to record his first century against the old enemy, enable England to declare, and dispel any doubts about his ability to cut it against the best bowler the world has ever seen.

Whilst these two magnificient knocks would normally be contenders for the man of the match award, the greatest innings of the series was still to come. Australia were set a world record 423 to win, needing 399 of these on the last day. There were only two likely outcomes - a draw (the most likely) or an England victory, if they could take all 10 Australian wickets in three sessions.

In the end England came tantalisingly close to pulling off an amazing win and going 2-1 up in the series. As it was, they were denied victory largely by one of the greatest innings from a captain when it was needed most. Ricky Ponting will return to his homeland with a scar on his right cheek to remind him of this tour, and still could return home without the Ashes. To add to his woes, there were rumours of mutiny within the Australian camp and of a heated argument between himself and Shane Warne, also regarded by many as the best captain Australian never had. However he was resolutley determined not to lose his grip on the urn just yet, and scored 156 runs off 411 balls in a Mike Atherton-esque innings, surviving seven hours at the crease and withstanding the fiercest pace attack in world cricket at the moment. Brian Lara may hold the world record for most runs scored in an innings, but in the context of its importance to a side, this was as good as it gets.

Will it prove in vain? Can England still win the Ashes? With Vaughan and Strauss back in form, I wouldn't bet against it. But only a fool would write this Australian team off just yet and another knock or two like that from the touring captain and the nation's dream could be put on hold for a couple of years at least.

First race

Yesterday was quite an important day for me - it was the day I took part in, and completed, my first competitive road race - the Pinewood 10k, at Bourton, just outside Swindon.
When you consider that about 18 months ago I would have struggled to run 10 minutes on a treadmill, this is no mean feat. I gradually built up the distance and time I can run over the course of roughly a year, and in May this year I started having training sessions with Anthony Davis, one of the personal trainers at my gym in West Swindon. He has been excellent - he sets realistic and achievable goals, offers sage advice and whilst he demands 100% commitment and effort - and rightly so - is fun to train with.
Whilst I have run up to 10 miles in training, yesterday's event was daunting, to say the least. I met Anthony, Gary and Dave (two of his other clients) at the gym and we made our way to the race venue. On the way I was struck by the number of cars heading to the venue - I didn't realise running would be this popular. As we limbered up I noticed people of all different shapes and sizes, ages, male and female. I can only assume they also come from varying walks of life, such is the universal appeal of running.
Soon enough the start time arrived and we all made our way to the line. Anthony, an elite athlete, made sure he was at the front. I sort of moseyed to the middle of the crowd, as that was where I anticipated finishing. The horn sounded and we were off. As I set off I tried to remember all the things I had learnt over the last few months - stay in control of your breathing, stay upright, knees up etc.
For the first half of the race, however, it seemed that all my hard work and preparation could be in vain, at least as far as this race was concerned. I experienced something I had not felt in training - shin splints. It was agony. I wasn't so much running as hobbling round. I stopped and tried to massage them but to no avail. In the end the only thing that kept me going was that I was damned if I was going to end up telling people I had to pull out. Not on my first race.
Thankfully, the pain eventually subsided and after about 6km I started to feel good again. At this point a kind lady proffered me a glass of water, which proved very welcome. After 8km I started to up the ante and managed to pick off a few people who had previously overtaken me. With 9km I tried to pick up the pace a bit more and with 400m to go I started sprinting for the line. Anthony was there to cheer me on and make sure I used up whatever I had left in the tank. As I passed the finishing post I noticed I had finished in 58 minutes 7 seconds. So despite the pain I had achieved my goal of finishing in less than an hour.
To quote my father, who once wrote the following about me in my school report as a riposte to a low grade from my PE teacher: "He's no Seb Coe but he does try!"
As I watched the remaining runners pass the finishing line I made a point of picking out an older gentleman who I had noticed struggling in the final stretch and shaking his hand. I regard running as a long-term project - and if I'm still going at his age, I'll be very happy.
And so home - as I say, Anthony offers sound advice and a few days before the race he told me to put some of my favourite beer in the fridge to look forward to when the going gets tough during the race. I needed no reminding of this and after a soak in the bath settled back with a few ales and enjoyed another tantalising afternoon's cricket. It had been a great day.

Here we go..

Well I suppose it had to happen..I too have joined the masses and created my own blog. If nothing else it helped to kill the last hour of a fairly uneventful day at work..

Not really sure what I'm going to do with my blog - I guess I'll just make it up as I go along (story of my life really). If nobody else reads it, at least it will be useful regular writing practice for me. Those of you who do read it, I hope to regale you with tales from my little world, my insights on life and current events, reviews of film, theatre and books, as well as a running commentary of the fortunes of the English Cricket Team. I just hope I haven't put you all off already..