Land of hope and glory

Really it's no wonder we built a massive empire and struck fear into the hearts of our enemies. A trip to Howarth then on to Hebden Bridge yesterday (Easter Monday) revealed England to be what most foreigners have no doubt long suspected: full of absolute nutters. This first clip is of the annual Duck race in Hebden. I think that the clip, although short, and poorly framed with bobbing blue rinses in the foreground, captures the thrill of the race and the tension as onlookers of Donald vies with Daffy and four or five thousand other (probably unnamed) little plastic fellows for a taste of glory. A doping scandal marred the event though, unfortunately.

Some pictures of last year's event can be found here: http://www.hebdenbridge.co.uk/photos/duckrace-2007/index.html

I had something to say about it two years ago too. I think I was more cynical then. http://neverred.blogspot.com/2007/04/duck-race.html

The second clip shows a group of Morris Dancers proving that street dance isn't something invented in Compton, LA. This lot were outside the station, in a car park. I had to do Morris dancing when I was at school. It's likely to form the basis of my new Dave Peltzer style memoir.

In Bruges

Just this second got in from a one night only showing of 'In Bruges' at Hebden Bridge's quirky old local cinema. Everything about the experience was mind blowing. No big buckets of pop corn; instead you can take a mug of fair trade cocoa in. I know it sounds a bit fluffy and middle class but it beats the hell out of having to tolerate crunching, rustling, muttering, whispering youth.

That top film has just bumped whatever was top of my all time top ten off the top of the list. (Not often I get to use the word 'top' 4 times in one sentence)It's impossible to describe without making it sound pretty crap so I won't bother but, to paraphrase Shrek, it's layered like an onion and a sodding big one at that. The trailer gives a tiny flavour but don't watch it if you haven't seen it and you're the kind of person who doesn't read the blurb on books because you spend the first 150 pages waiting for the bit alluded to.