Life.

    One, I always sign my e-mails as 'life', its easy and after all, 'That's what it's all about, Alfie'.' Two, I usually post roughly once a week and seldom know in advance what to write about. I have seen many fall by the wayside; to blog continuously over say, five years takes a lot of time and effort. So today's effort, for better or worse.

    My life is sometimes dull in the extreme. Up to yesterday nothing. The only thing that caught my eye were the ten most used words top of the English Speaking Media Internet, whatever that means. And the fact that five out of the ten I did not recognise.

            Kummerspect         Haboob        3Q       Trustafarians      The Other (99)

How very strange, what's that all about?

    Then I noticed perhaps my life is not as bad as I thought. I went to see 'A Murder is Announced (Agatha Christie) at the local theatre (I do reviews in exchange for free tickets for a local free paper) Very, long winded it was and dated (3 hours) but shouldn't moan, as they say, beggers can't be choosers. (The leading man, Dean Gaffney crashed his car on his way home, not wearing his seatbelt, naughty boy.)

    Saw a preview of Cloud Atlas another night, courtesy of The Times newspaper vouchers. ( Us old uns aren't totally daft you know.) Very clever, very long, another three hour session. At both sessions I had lost the plot, literally after no more than fifteen minutes. Quite worrying, is it me; on second thoughts, don't tell me! Also went to see Derby County perform, they won 3-0 so not a bad week, all in all. 

    Two more events caught the eye. Better they had not happened. Shocking, tragic, horrific but for once I choose not to ignore. A middle aged man was to stand trial accused of sexual offences against a horse (pony). He was this week found dead at home. By chance I know much detail concerning this particular case; I wish I didn't. In a way this man's life was all over the moment he was caught and sent for trial. I am not going to dwell on the case. Suffice to say this man had to be very, very disturbed. I expressed compassion for this man and his plight; note, compassion not sympathy. I found no-one who agreed with me. And I do not even claim to be a Christian. Is there no-one out there who felt for this man. Oh, and please spare me the Biblical quotations.

    You will here much concerning Derby in the next weeks. Mick Philpott and his wife are in court accused of the manslaughter of their six children. He lived in a semi detached house; with his wife; with his children; plus his mistress, her childen by him and one other. All six children perished in a fire allegedly started by Michael Philpott his wife and one other. Again the bare bones of the case. On occasions like this Derby is indeed a small town and everyone allegedly knows everything; sometimes it is very close to home in more ways than one.

Sometimes nothing seems to happen in our little lives and we almost crave excitement. Beware, life can deliver in ways we did not visualise. 21st century Derby, I wonder what my grandchildren will think when they too are old and grey.