CHRISTMAS DAY 2009

Nanna, Grandad, Uncle Pand, Katy Paul and Dawn went out to the Wolds Village at Bainton for their Christmas lunch leaving poor old Dougal behind.

HO HO HO BONE

Look what I got for Xmas. A big red Ho Ho Ho bone !!

AVATAR, THE BOX & LAW ABIDING CITIZEN

Avatar is the big Xmas movie and it certainly lives up to expectations. The story centres on a paraplegic marine despatched to the planet Pandora on a unique mission. He becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. An oscar possibility and rated 9/10
The Box : A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who know that opening it and pushing a button will grant them a million dollars and kill someone they dont know. Watchable and rated 6.5/10

Law Abiding Citizen : A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the District Attorney and others involved in the deal. 18 certificate. Good film. Plenty of action and rated 7.5/10

A SNOWY SATURDAY

A lot of snow has fallen in the Driffield area over the past few days but I like the snow. I jump about and play in it like a spring lamb !! Shame a lot of others don't ! Grandad spent this morning cleaning part of our drive and the cars but seemed to be fighting a losing battle. I managed to see a ginger cat walking down the road so I gave chase for a minute or so. Fun comes in small doses. I finally got a reasonable walk this afternoon. Nanna has been at Santa's Grotto. Grandad was playing Father Xmas yesterday. Tuesday and Wednesday will see an end to the Grotto this year. Then its Xmas.

HUMPTY DUMPTY

An early visit this year to see York's traditional pantomime. An excellent and very colourful show. If one is super critical it wasn't quite as good as last years Dick Turpin which was superb. However, Berwick Kaler sets such a high standard it is always going to be difficult to get better and better. No complaints though, everyone enjoyed it so here's to next year's already !!

CHARITY STALL

Nanna helping on the Marie Curie Cancer Care stall in Driffield Market yesterday which ran all day through to late night shopping. The stall raised £264 for the charity.

SANTA'S GROTTO

Santa arrived on his sleigh last Saturday to be greeted by a small crowd and characters from the Alice in Wonderland pantomime. He took up his position in the Grotto where he will be on Saturdays and Sundays until 20th December. Grandad did the initial sessions as Santa which then goes on to a rota for the following weekends. Over 30 visitors came to the Grotto during the first weekend.

CHILDREN IN NEED

Dawn's fundraising efforts totalled £77-26. Well done Dawn and others who helped.

2012, THE INFORMANT AND HARRY BROWN

2012 : An epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. Watchable, long and slightly disappointing. Some good effects. Would rate at 6.5/10.

The Informant : The U.S. Government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president turned informant Mark Whitacre. Rated 7.5/10

Harry Brown : An elderly ex-serviceman and widower looks to avenge his best friends murder by doling out his own form of justice. Michael Caine stars. Excellent film - wouldn't fault it and well recommended. Rated 9/10

SCROOGE

Nanna and Grandad went to Hull last night to watch Scrooge starring Tommy Steele . He was a big "pop" star in the fifties and sixties and is now in his seventies but still plays a good Ebenezer Scrooge. A first class show.

I went for a good walk this morning and managed to get on a bus !! Thats a first. There we were walking by a bus stop when the bus came along, door opened and on gets Dougal. Had to get off - no ticket.

HALLOWEEN 2009

Katy and Paul had a Halloween party for some of their friends and a couple of Dawn's friends together with Nanna, Grandad and Uncle Pando. Yes Dougal had an invite too but I was a bit scared of the fireworks noise all around.

A SELECTION OF FILMS

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus : A travelling theatre company gives its audience much more than they were expecting. Difficult to follow. Needs watching at least twice. Rated 5/10
Up : A man ties thousands of balloons to his house and sets out to fulfil his dream of seeing the wilds of South America. In 3-D. Rated 8.5/10

Love Happens : A widower, whose book about coping with loss turns him into a best selling self help guru, falls for a woman who attends one of his seminars. Rated 6/10

Saw 6 : Special Agent Strahm is dead and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw's legacy. Great for "Saw" fans. Grandad seen it twice already. Rated 7.5/10

Fantastic Mr. Fox : Angry farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with a sly fox, look to get rid of their opponent and his family. Good but "something" missing. Rated 7/10

SCHOOL TRIP

Dawn goes off on her school trip to Carlton Lodge near Thirsk. It's a sort of "activity" two days !

SCOTTISH HOLIDAY

After last year's unfortunate problem with Grandad's back everything went well this year and we all enjoyed a busy week in Dunkeld (about 15 miles north of Perth) at Simon and Karen's timeshare lodge. Nanna and Grandad paid four visits to Pitlochry Festival theatre to see four different plays. Several visits to The Taybank for traditional stovies or burgers. Plenty of walking especially from Pitlochry to Edradour Distillery and around The Hermitage along and round the River Braan falls. In a garden where red squirrels can be seen. In fact a very busy week all round. Simon, Karen and the boys paid a visit last Saturday for more walking and then a meal out. There are lots of deer around the Hilton estate in Dunkeld and I was not allowed off the lead for fear of chasing them and/or rabbits. As if I would.......................???

EVEN MORE FILM REVIEWS

Sorority Row : Good old "slasher" horror. A group of sorority sisters try to cover up the death of their house sister after a prank goes wrong, only to be stalked by a serial killer. Rated 6.5/10

Whiteout : A U.S. Marshall tracks a killer in Antarctica as the sun is about to set for six months. Rated 7/10

The Thing : A 1982 classic digitally updated . Scientists in the Antarctic are confronted by a shape shifting alien that assumes the appearance of the people that it kills. Limited showing. Rated 8.5/10

Julie & Julia : Meryl Streep stars in Julia Child's story of her start into the cooking profession which is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book. An excellent easy watchable film. Rated 9/10

Dorian Gray : A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty eternally but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all. Rated 6.5/10

LETS GET PHYSICAL

Dancing to excerpts from "Lord of the Dance", "A Chorus Line" and "Mamma Mia !" Nanna played her part in the Wolds U3A bi-ennial Lets Get Physical day last Thursday.

ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN.............

One giant leap for Dougal..............straight into the canal !!!!! As the canal looked all green maybe I thought it was grass ? Alas it was algae !! YUK !! Cost me another bath when I got home. Nearly dark by the time I was cleaned up. Luckily Nanna had me on the lead so she dragged me to safety.

FILM REVIEWS

1) Moon - Astronaut Sam Bell is alone on the dark side of the moon working alongside his computer GERTY harvesting a resource to help Earth's demand. Acclaimed by critics but slightly disappointing. Rated 6/10

2) The Time Traveler's Wife - Drama about a Chicago librarian with a gene that causes him to involuntarily time travel and the complications it brings for his marriage. Rated 7/10
3) The Final Destination - After a teenager's premonition of a deadly race car crash saves some lives, Death sets out to collect those who evaded their end. The fourth in the "Final Destination" franchise. Reasonable watching if you like that sort of thing (and Grandad does). Rated 6.5/10
4) Inglorious Basterds - A group of Jewish/American soldiers known as the "Basterds" spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and killing Nazis. Well rated 8/10

5) Orphan - A husband and wife who recently lost their baby adopt a 9 year girl, Esther, who is not nearly as innocent as she claims to be. Good horror. Rated 7/10