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Red side of Manchester in mourning after Liverpool mauling

Sunday 5 March, 2023

The darkest of night is descending on Manchester United supporters. A few yours ago a great humiliation to its team took place at Anfield, home of its greatest rivals, Liverpool.
The run up had been spectacularly successful. In the space of two weeks the team had won a tight European knockout match against Barcelona, another of the sport’s glamour teams. A week ago United triumphed winning the Caraboa cup, the old league cup now renamed after its new sponsors, a high-energy sports drink.
A year ago, Liverpool was competing with Manchester City for for ranking of most successful and strongest team in Europe.
Manchester United was continuing a slump in form that had persisted like some terminal malady since the glorious era under super-manager Alex Ferguson.
But this season was to see a remarkable shift in success for the leading premiership teams. Liverpool plummeted until even charismatic manager Jurgen Klopp appeared a shadow of his previous self at inquests after the most recent loss. 
Manchester City had acquired a phenomenal  goal scorer smashing all records for the club. 
After a shaky start, Manchester United under new manager Van Hag rediscovered the lost art of defence. An out-of-form striker Marcus Rashford rediscovered his mojo. New signings were justifying their eye-watering contracts. New heroes were emerging as precocious youths, or as the returning successes of the recent World Cup.
And to add the the surprises, Arsenal had taken the lead in the Premiership and retained it since the
Early weeks of the season. 
During the week, the clash against Liverpool began to build up headlines. Former stars of Liverpool and United were back in the spotlight allowed to reminisce over past glories and to predict a result. The rediscovered pundits were mostly anticipating a United victory, disregarding the famous intimidating nature of Anfield stadium, fans, and team. 

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This podcast is from The Double Houdini, a book about chess, but written for players of all strengths and for non chess players.

The story is a lightly fictionalised one about the struggles of a chess club, The East Cheadle Chess Club to survive relegation of both its teams in the East Cheshire Chess League.

The author and relator of the story has had a run of games in which he made blunders and managed to win. Then the night arrived when the two teams played one another.

The chapter relates what happened after the author played another losing move against the club secretary Dave the Power ... 

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Wednesday March 1st 2023

Two different stories this week seem to have overlapping messages. I have been reading the thriller Whistle Blower by TV journalist Robert Peston. Then today 
a media scoop arrives from journalist Isobel Oakeshott, and published in the Daily Telegraph.

Peston describes the grubby world of the political journalist in a fictionalised way which clearly draws on his extensive experience as a lobby correspondent based in Westminster. He describes the skulduggery involved as journalists compete for scoops from leaks and rumours within a charmed inner circle. 

A comparison between the two stories helps us understand the complex issues of ethics in whistleblowing and the revealing a scoop claiming public interest offered at the expense of dubious or downright dishonest practices ... 

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At 30.30 in the afternoon of February, 27 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stands alongside Ursula van der Leyden, the EU President at a hotel in Windsor. He announces a political breakthrough of historic importance to assembled journalists and a worldwide television audience. 

I retain my audio notes and immediate reactions without editing.

The PM introduces the arrival of a replacement to the Northern Ireland protocol with an appropriate marketing label for history, the Windsor framework. It has been rumoured that any successful outcome of the talks with the EU will be presented with a suitably historic name. The location in Windsor has led to speculation that the king will be identified with the outcome, although of course, the Monarch makes no such action without clear instructions from Parliament. 

The prime minister talking rather quickly (sign of nerves?) hails success in resolving negotiations that arguably have extended from the result of the Brexit referendum through the period where Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his oven ready deal, which would ‘get Brexit done’.

However, the deal was far from oven ready and resulted in the DUP party, triggering a suspension of the northern Ireland Parliament at Stormont which has remained ever since. 

The initial statement empathised the success in the negotiations with the EU in reaching agreement on their future trade relationships. President van der Leyden confirmed this was the case demonstrating her comfort dealing with major political issues. She was also able to indicate more specifically where progress has been made to ensure parity in trade movements in medicines and foodstuffs. 

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The political and twitter talking point of the week was the result of a statement in the House of Commons by environmental secretary, Terese Coffey. She was dealing with a shortage of fresh fruit and particularly of tomatoes in many English supermarkets.
Photographs of empty shelves in supermarkets appeared on Twitter, various explanations being offered.
 Curiously, the BBC carefully avoided mention that Brexit might have contributed to the shortages. Terese Coffey’s statement brought a Twitter storm of exceptional proportions.
A sample of the Twitter wit and wisdom follows ...

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William Thompson has coached and played sports to the highest levels, from fencing to football. He is interviewed shortly after a strenuous  tennis session in the luxurious players lounge at the Northern Tennis Club, Didsbury where he is always willing to share his wisdom.

TR

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This is a dark day. Outside, grey Manchester skies loom over damp pavements.
Inside, my own mood is equally dark.

Yesterday evening, I was preparing to eat a meal whipped up from an ancient can of beans and a residual piece of gammon I discovered lurking at the back of the freezer.
A phone call from acting captain John, Reed, of East Cheshire chess Club. Are you playing tonight? he asked. I avoided a sarcastic answer such as ‘no I’m cooking my dinner’. My surprise was genuine. I don’t think so I said.
You should be, we are playing at Stockport. John sounded weary rather than head-banging angry.

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Guardian journalist Phillipa Kelly carried out interviews with 100 centenarians. The summary of her results reported recently offers excellent material for a research study. 

Her article has the title  ‘100 tips for a life well-lived’

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/18/100-centenarians-100-tips-for-a-life-well-lived

Shortly after I started reading the article, I had that feeling which accompanies everyday creativity. There is something very interesting being reported. The information would make the basis for a study of creativity. I begun the task in the hope of finding how creativity may play a part in well-being.

My working notes are provided for such a study. They are very much in research notebook form

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I am recovering my composure after a close encounter I had with an angry man this morning. It took place outside the deli in Lapwing Lane, where the Didsbury, philosophical and literary society meets, to discuss such issues as the nature of time, the doubts cast on string theory, and the ethics of pulling off a single banana, leaving an incomplete hand for other fresh-fruit purchasers.
I was leaving for the short journey across the road to the Northern Tennis club, where I intended to partake of, a not very vigorous session on the treadmill in the gym. But I noticed that an aging BMW had parked rather close to my offside and the driver was also preparing to leave. I helpfully thought I would move out first, but in reversing became aware that I was very close to striking his drivers side wing mirror. The driver had noticed the fact as well and seem to be shouting something that did not seem terribly friendly at me ... 

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I could see Dr Glycol was in a good mood. His eyes shone behind his prescription glasses as he was leaving  the fresh fruit shop.

Progress he said. Progress for all consumers of fresh fruit.  My  experiments are confined to raspberries and blueberries at present, but they seem likely to apply other soft fruit as well.

I was impressed. This year, raspberries in particular seem to turn squiggy in the time it takes for me to walk home from the shop... 

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