Cartoon Time.

Just Finished Reading: The Maze Runner by James Dashner (FP: 2010)

Thomas (played by Dylan O’Brien in the 2014 movie adaptation) wakes up hurtling towards and unknown future and, heavily disorientated, emerges into the Glade surrounded by a large number of young men. He has just become the latest member of the Gladers, a Greenie until the next boy arrives in another 4 weeks. This is how it’s been every month for the last 2 years. Each month another face, supplies and no clue as to what they are doing there or who sent them – short of an invented name: The Creators. Slowly over the next few days Thomas is shown around the Glade, introduced to its leading lights and is told the Rules that keep everything ticking along. Everyone has a job, no matter who they are, everyone has a profession that suits the abilities of the person and the needs of the collective – Farmer, Cook, Builder, Runner. The Runners are the elite – their task to ‘run the Maze’, that seemingly endless and ever changing conundrum surrounding the Glade, in order to find a way out. After 2 years they’re still looking, still mapping, still hoping. But they everything starts to change. Acting on impulse Thomas enters the Maze to help two Runners and is forced to spend the night in a territory no one is expected to survive it. For at night, when the Maze doors close, creatures called Grievers patrol its corridors looking for the lost, the injured and the foolish. Then only days later, rather than the expected weeks, a second person arrives – the first girl, Teresa (played by Kaya Scodelario) – with a message. She is the last Glader, ever….

I missed this when it came out at the Cinema and only caught up with it many months later on cheap DVD. Despite its rather sparse storyline and young cast (only 3-4 of whom I recognised) I thought that it was more than reasonable for what it was – fairly inventive, reasonably acted and with an intriguing backstory. It was much lower key that the other teen franchises we’d known previously (Hunger Games and Divergent – to say nothing of Twilight) so it made a nice change of pace. So when I saw the whole series of 4 books on offer in my local chain bookshop I picked all four of them up.

Inevitably there are differences between the book and the movie – after all they’re very different genres. The characters are largely the same except there’s a lot more back story in the book that had to be cut from the movie to save time. Thomas is essentially identical in both book and movie but I preferred the book Teresa to the film version as the book girl was much more of a hero(ine) than her movie sidekick version. She was also a lot ballsier in the book which made me smile quite a bit. Thankfully they dropped the telepathy from the book and it never made it into the film. I really couldn’t see any point in that! The Grievers where much the same in both book and film except that in the book they were more slug like and in the film essentially spiders. Both were still pretty scary though. I can imagine younger readers in particular having nightmares about them! The Maze and the way out where broadly similar as was the ending in both movie/book. Most of the middle – probably cut to save time and simplify things – was rather different in the book as we learned far more about WICKED and why the kids where in the Maze in the first place so the book ended up making far more sense than the movie ever did. I wasn’t hugely impressed by the movie sequel but I’ll be reading the book (and the other two) at some point. A reasonable book and a reasonable adaptation.  

I think we all need a copy of this book!

Merry Christmas 2016! Have fun, hug a loved one and say a heartfelt thanks for the gifts!

Starting to get a bit…. Messy.

Brexit: British expats sue EU's Juncker over talks.

British expats living in the EU are suing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker over his order to prevent informal Brexit discussions. Mr Juncker insists there can be no negotiations until the UK triggers Article 50 - the withdrawal process. The expat group wants immediate talks about the implications of Brexit for Britons living in other EU countries. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has pledged to trigger Article 50 by the end of March. But she also called for "preparatory work" with EU governments - before the official negotiations - to help smooth the process of UK withdrawal. The non-profit association Fair Deal for Expats has issued a legal challenge against Mr Juncker at the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The group alleges that his "presidential order" concerning Brexit discussions is an "unlawful gagging order" which "must be annulled immediately". Croft Solicitors, representing the expats in the case, told the BBC that "there is no such thing as a presidential order" in the European Commission. Mr Juncker and some other European politicians have warned against an "a la carte" deal for the UK which might encourage other EU members to cherry-pick EU policies, unravelling the rulebook.

Business leaders plead against 'hard' Brexit.

A group of major business lobby groups have written an open letter urging the government to preserve barrier free trade with Europe. The letter is signed by leaders of the CBI and manufacturers' body the EEF. It says the way in which the UK leaves the EU and on what terms is critical for jobs and investment in the UK. It says defaulting to trading by World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules would leave 90% of UK goods trade with the EU subject to new tariffs. The letter says that would mean 20% in extra costs for the UK's food and drink industry and 10% for car producers. These significant costs would affect British exporters and importers, as well as those in their supply chains, it adds. "We respect the result of the referendum, but the government must make sure that the terms of the deal to leave ensure stability, prosperity and improved living standards," the groups write. "Every credible study that has been conducted has shown that [the] WTO option would do serious and lasting damage to the UK economy and those of our trading partners." The letter calls for the government to "give certainty to business by immediately ruling this option out under any circumstances".

Brexit: MPs should vote on talks, says Labour's Starmer.

MPs should vote on the terms of Brexit negotiations, Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has said. Sir Keir told the BBC the referendum result "has to be accepted" but accused the PM of trying to "manoeuvre without any scrutiny" on how to achieve it. It follows reports of a cross-party move including Labour's Ed Miliband and Lib Dem Nick Clegg to seek a stronger role for the Commons on Brexit. The government intends to trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017. Article 50 is the official process for exiting the EU and could take up to two years. At the Conservative Party conference, Prime Minister Theresa May said the government would strike a deal with the EU as a "sovereign, independent" UK but her speech has raised concerns among some that the UK is headed for a "hard Brexit" - without unfettered access to the single market. Sir Keir, who returned to Labour's front bench last week in a reshuffle following Jeremy Corbyn's re-election as Labour leader, told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "The referendum is clear and has to be accepted and we can't have a re-run of the question that was put to the country earlier this year. But, and it's a big but, there has to be democratic grip of the process and at the moment what the prime minister's trying to do is to manoeuvre without any scrutiny in Parliament and that's why the terms on which we're going to negotiate absolutely have to be put to a vote in the House. Because if we can't get the opening terms right we'll never get the right result," Sir Keir said.

Government has 'no plans' for royal yacht for Brexit trade talks.

There are "no plans" to commission a royal yacht to spearhead the UK's post-Brexit trade talks, a minister says. Mark Garnier said he would welcome a costed business proposal but it was "very unlikely" taxpayers' money would be spent investigating the scheme. Several Tory MPs have called for a new, publicly-owned yacht or for the last one, Britannia, to be brought back. Mr Garnier ruled out recommissioning Britannia, which was taken out of service in 1997. "Clearly it's well past its active life," he said. The old yacht, used to transport the royal family and to promote UK trade and industry, was turned into a floating tourist attraction in Leith, Edinburgh. Conservative MP Jake Berry, who has led the royal yacht campaign in Parliament, secured a debate on his plan in Westminster Hall. "I believe if Brexit is going to mean successful Brexit, it should also mean the return of our royal yacht," he said.

Pound falls further against the euro and the dollar.

The pound has extended its losses against both the dollar and the euro in late trading on Tuesday. Against the dollar it has fallen more than 2%, at one point dropping below $1.21, while against the euro it fell below €1.10. Sterling has now fallen about 19% against the dollar since the UK's vote to leave the European Union, to lows not seen since 1985. One analyst said it was "trading like an emerging market currency". At one point the pound hit $1.2088 against the dollar on Tuesday evening and against the euro it touched €1.0939. The pound is at its lowest level since Friday's flash crash, when it tumbled to around $1.18 before recovering. Neil Wilson from ETX Capital said the mood around the pound had been extremely negative in recent days and that it was "now trading like an emerging market currency." He also said comments by a senior Bank of England official had not helped. Michael Saunders, a member of the Bank's interest rate-setting committee, said earlier that the pound could still "fall further", but that the recent sharp drop was not an immediate cause for concern. Earlier in the day, some traders had said sterling came under pressure from reports that US banks Citi and Morgan Stanley could move staff out of London, adding to worries about foreign investment leaving the UK. "It really isn't terribly complicated. If we are outside the EU and we don't have what would be a stable and long-term commitment to access the single market then a lot of the things we do today in London, we'd have to do inside the EU 27," said Rob Rooney, chief executive of Morgan Stanley International. Traders also pointed to leaked documents, warning that a withdrawal from the EU single market could cost the Treasury more than £66bn a year, as a reason for the drop.

All details above from BBC News website.

[Well, the PM Teresa May has called for unity in the country post-Brexit in her Christmas address. In other words, you lost, we won, deal with it. To which my response is the tried and tested two finger salute. I may be forced to accept the decision of the Referendum (stupid as it was) but I won’t accept that it’s a good decision (which it blatantly isn’t) and I’ll continue to argue against it even after Article 50 is enacted next Spring. Oh, and I’m looking forward to the repeated use of ‘I told you so’ after every economic fuck up caused by the decision to leave the largest internal market we have (or had) privileged access to.]

Just Finished Reading: 1066 – A New History of the Norman Conquest by Peter Rex (FP: 2009)

The Battle of Hastings in October 1066 – a mere 950 years ago – is arguably the most important battle to take place on British soil and (at least in my opinion) can be ranked with the Battle of Britain in 1940 in significance. If either battle had gone the other way the whole world would (again arguably) be a very different place. But, as the author rightly reminds us 1066 was the year of THREE battles rather than just one.

Any change of leadership in a country is potentially troubling especially in an age of powerful monarchs. Smooth transitions, when they happened, were normally through close kin or by agreement long before the event. Less than smooth transitions were the result of a lack of a direct heir or, worse, where a number of possible contenders for the throne exist and who are willing to prove their claim at the point of a sword. This was, it was claimed by the Normans at the time and by later Norman historians, the situation in 1066 after the death of Edward the Confessor. Despite naming Harold Godwinson as his legal heir rival claims from Norway and Normandy had to be dealt with. First came an invasion from Harald Hardrada, victorious when he met English forces at the Battle of Fulford then beaten roundly by Harald Godwinson at Stamford Bridge. Then, just as Harold was catching his breath Duke William of Normandy (who the author amusingly refers to by his earlier nickname of ‘the Bastard’ throughout his narrative) arrived off the south coast and landed his forces unopposed. Racing back from his earlier victory Harold gathered men on route and met William in Battle not far from Hastings. After an epic 9 hour battle, which was apparently a very close run thing, the English shield wall collapsed and Harald lay dead. With a single stroke (of luck?) William had not only defeated the English army but had also eliminated most of the potential leaders of any fightback.

Of course we learnt this well-trodden tale in school history class. We learnt a little of the controversy regarding the succession – who promised what to who - briefly discussed the battle itself (along with the much talked about feinted retreats) and then moved on to consolidation, castle building and the Doomsday Book. What we tended not to do it talk about what happened next which is often the most interesting bit. Now, even after all this time emotions surrounding the battle and 1066 in general can run rather hot. Even today there are those in the history profession who call each other names over which side they ‘support’. This author is most definitely not a Norman apologist. No reading between the lines is required to understand who he feels lost the war and who the illegitimate successor was. The language the author uses is most instructive and very modern. The deposing of Harald and his replacement by William was ‘regime change’, those in the upper echelons of Saxon society who accommodated to the new reality (mostly members of the Clergy) were ‘collaborators’, the Saxons who fought and rebelled for the next ten years were ‘insurgents’ or simply ‘resistance fighters’ not unlike the French Resistance under German occupation. One of the most famous, and most effective, was Hereward (wrongly called ‘the Wake’) who became a very painful thorn in William’s side for a considerable time.

All this, and more, was covered in the final 2/3 of the book dealing with the inevitable aftermath of invasion a defeat at the hands of the Normans who did not take any opposition to their rule lightly. Any resistance, and rebellion or uprising was crushed with terrible consequences for the people or area involved. A northern rising was dealt with so severely – the Harrowing of the North – that it took generations to recover anything like the productivity it once had and became a lawless wasteland for decades. The Normans were determined to hold what they had taken no matter the cost to the local population. I guess that this generally doesn’t get taught to children in school because they certainly don’t want to teach too much about rebellion unsuccessful or not. Nor do they want to delegitimise (even superficially) the idea of Monarchy or royal succession. After all where would such thinking possibly end?

This is a book full of information regarding the lead up to the battle, the battle itself (in quite graphic detail) and, more importantly, what happened next. I found it to be very well told and, despite reading several books on the subject and era before, I learnt new stuff too – which I always enjoy doing. One fact which particularly struck me was that the word ‘Murder’ came from the Norman French for killing by stealthy means and they had to introduce the word into English law because so many Norman’s were being killed in out of the way places or simply ‘disappeared’ as they went about their business. Whole villages were heavily fined in an attempt to stamp out the practice which took years to subside. Whatever else you can say about the Saxon population they certainly didn’t just roll over once the battle was over. Overall an excellent read for anyone interested in the period and I’ll be following this up with more from the author and from others on this most famous battle.

...and the Shortest Day draws to a close. LONGER days ahead [does Snoopy Dance!]

Cartoon Time.