Bodyguard

I know everybody's talking about Bodyguard, the BBC Sunday night show, but I'm afraid I can't join in with the discussion because I haven't seen it.

I fear I may be the only person in the country who hasn't, but I just didn't get around to watching it.

Perhaps at this point I should also confess that I'm not watching Killing Eve, and I've never seen a single episode of Downton Abbey or Game Of Thrones either.  But as I'm not a TV critic, I don't suppose that really matters.

Getting back to Bodyguard, I'm not sure how, or why, but I started watching Eight Go Rallying: The Road to Saigon which clashed with it in real time, at least I think it did, and then I never got round to seeing it on iPlayer.

Eight Go Rallying was quite good actually, but it didn't quite generate the same amount of interest and discussion around the nation's water coolers as the fictional Home Secretary's fictional personal protection officer - Noel Edmonds is perhaps disappointed that he lost that particular battle.  He came out with some one-liners that were certainly worthy of the nation's attention.

I have been watching Michael Palin in North Korea though, but again this doesn't seem to be making people want to talk non-stop about it, while others shield their eyes and ears and shout 'No spoilers!  I'm watching it on catch up!!'

In a way though, it must be greatly reassuring for the BBC that they have produced a show which has captured the country's attention in such a fashion and caused so much group discussion. 

With the endless competition from satellite, cable and online providers, it must be getting increasingly difficult to win market share of programming.

It's even been reported that 'the Bodyguard effect' has caused a spike in interest for jobs in that field, but having seen a picture of the actor, Richard Madden, bloodied and bruised wrapped in a blanket, I'm not entirely sure why!

Scroll-free September

There was a call for people to go social-media-free for a month with 'Scroll-free September'.

Along the same lines as Dry January and Stoptober, I think the idea is that after a month not doing something, you tend not to go back to doing it the same as you did before. 

So could you, or are you trying to, go social-media-free for a whole month?

I gave this some serious thought - I had an enforced absence from all means of electronic communication for a week when the lightning took out mine, and most of my area's, broadband at the start of the school summer holidays.

While this was a massive inconvenience - I work from home, after all - it did take me back to a gentler time, a time before we relied totally on our PCs for all our information, and were at the beck and call of e-mails.

There was no Facebook!  Or Twitter!  I remained blissfully unaware of all the things that I normally find on there - admittedly, sometimes useful information like road closures - but there was no negativity, no complaining about dog poo, or youngsters misbehaving, no pictures of dog poo or pictures of stray dogs, and no photos of people's dinners etc.

Admittedly, I'm fairly new to social media in the great scheme of things - I lived for over forty years without it - but one thing I'm yet to understand, and probably never will, is some people's constant need to share every aspect of their lives for all and sundry to see.

I'm a believer in sharing important news with your nearest and dearest, either in person, on the phone or by text; I figure that nobody else is really that interested.

But could I give it up completely for a whole month?  Sadly no, as that's how I find out about what's going on where I live, the good as well as the bad.

I do limit my use though, and choose not to receive notifications.  I've also been trialling 'social-media-free Sundays' (my own creation!), perhaps worth a try if you're also trying to cut down.

You cannot be serious!

Now I like to think of myself as a reasonably patient person - although my nearest and dearest may sometimes disagree.

But lately, as I get older, I feel that I'm told information that makes me want to shout, in a John McEnroe-type way, 'You cannot be serious!'.

As this is happening with startling regularity, I feel the need to share.

Firstly, and I'm sure I'm not alone here, absolutely everything that's gone on with Northamptonshire County Council, and continues to do so. 

The fact that funds were spent on purchasing a hospitality box at the Saints' Rugby ground was - raises eyebrows as far up forehead as physically possible - surprising, to say the least.

And why weren't we all invited to the B17 flypast at Grafton Underwood?  I like to see vintage aircraft as much as the next person.  I'm also very partial to cheese, and wonder what exactly was on the council's £250 cheese board?

Moving on, I was enjoying a quiet coffee outside a café when the chap at the table next to mine returned to his family to inform them that he'd ordered breakfast, but he was having to eat fried egg on toast as his preferred option of scrambled egg was unavailable because, and I quote, 'the lady who does the scrambled eggs isn't here today'.

Seriously, what?  How is that even possible?  It was a café, serving breakfasts, from a menu that clearly stated 'scrambled eggs', it did not say that 'scrambled eggs only available if Denise is here'!

Then I went to my Doctor's surgery and our usual receptionist wasn't there.  I successfully renewed prescriptions, but asked to book my annual asthma review and flu jab.

This was obviously a request too far for the replacement receptionist, as I was told that she didn't know how to do this and that I'd have to ring the main branch surgery.

Without being harsh, how can you be a Doctor's receptionist and not know how to book appointments?! 

So, what did I do?  Despite my exasperation, I simply replied 'OK, thanks', and thought I'll call back next week. I'm just hoping our usual receptionist returns!