An Algolian Christmas: Doctor Who disappoints, but Wallace and Gromit rule supreme

I wasn't expecting much from Dr Who this year, what with Russell T Davies clearly running out of ideas and giving up the ghost after his bug eyed french spouting Doctor bites the dust next Christmas. It was also clear that the episode was going to involve his lame version of the Cybermen, who have sucked ass in every one of his stories, becoming nothing more than the Daleks, but a little dumber (complete with "Delete" scream, in place of "Exterminate")

Suffice to say, I was not surprised by the result.

Just as with the "will he regenerate?" white elephant at the end of the last series of the Doctor's travels through campspace, the cebtral gimmick of the "Next Doctor" was neither interesting nor exciting. I knew Tennant was around for three more specials, I knew David Morrissey was not going to be involved in them. The vain hope I had after five minutes (when it became clear that this Doctor had no recollection of Tennant's) was that this doctor would turn out to be not the next one, but the first one.

Think for a moment about how cool that would have been...

Apart from a couple of funny little moments (like the watch gag and being pulled around through the window of a warehouse) that occurred in the first ten minutes of the episode the whole thing felt like a sleepwalk through a basic baddies vs goodies plot with no depth and probably the laziest script written for Dr Who so far and probably even Torchwood - containing inexplicable unnatural plot explanations (as you know a personal hatred of mine) an obvious and stupid enemy, an even siller big giant robot thing that we combat using a Balloon which was introduced earlier in another wretched scene of setups for later.

Ack... being a Spurs fan I am used to disappointments, but the continued failure of the Christmas special format is particularly galling since it is crucial to the survival of the show that it remains as dear to the hearts of the watching public as ever.

Another christmas institution, though one more consistent, is the occasional visits of Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit. Their escapades in dramatic contrast to those of the trenchcoated wand waver are never less than thoroughly enchanting and enthralling, and this year's instalment kept up the astonishing quality standards Aardman have set themselves.

It was a truly brilliant and frequently hilarious way to spend half an hour in the company of what must be the best double act around now that Vic and Bob, Eric and Ernie et al are now infrequent visitors at best to our living rooms.

Even better was the fact we got to see the feature length W&G adventure earlier in the day after our game of Shadows over Camelot had finished.

Ah yes, Shadows over Camelot. Well.... it's a game of cooperation mostly, in which the knights of the round table pit themselves against the forces of evil (read; a nasty black deck of cards) and try and create good in the world. The catch with Shadows is, one of the knights may well be a traitor and suspicion reigns supreme as everyone watches what everyone else is doing in an attempt to expose the turncoat. That's the theory anyway. What happened with our motley band of miscreants is that, quoting Monty Python along the way, King Arthur (me) was killed in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy a siege engine aimed at Camelot's pristine walls and the poor remaining knights had to go on without him. Thing is, once I was gone they did a lot better without me and despite several dark moments when all seemed lost the forces of good emerged triumphant to find that there was never a traitor in this particular set of players.

Anyway.... good fun times had by all I hope.

I trust your Christmas (or Pine Tree Presents day) was as pleasant and that you enjoyed all you did.

Happy New Year to all and sundry.

A
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I am returned!

Back from Holiday now, folks, and ready for more writings and general silliness.

The rest of the posts from Cornwall got saved as drafts, for some reason, so I'll be re-jigging them before posting them on the relevant days.

Movies I saw while away were only Stardust and God Morning Vietnam, both of which had more than the usual amount of suckitude (Stardust, unlike Princess Bride, does not stand up as well to second watching).

Yesterday I celebrated my return to the land of noone smiling at each other, pushing each other out of the way, and generally pretending everyone doesn't exist by watching Sideways, a fantastic movie that has led me to draft a post on the subject of good and bad movie endings, coming later tonight.

It'll be a long days work on the blog for me, but I hope it is satisfactory.

A
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In which Algo follows the signposts to the Lost Garden

Pretty much a photo post for Heligan.

The Lost Gardens Of Heligan may well just be one of my favourite places in the whole world.

They were pretty much overgrown when it was discovered back in the early 90s and the folks at the trust have done a great job of putting the place back together.

I'll write in more detail about it when I've finished the book, but for now have some photographs that will hopefully explain for me. We got a really good day for it too.

Me and Mrs Algo went a little away from the main tourist routs up to the top of the nearby Tregillick Hill and look back over the gardens from distance.

I really recommend it as a magical place to visit (though the wasps in the cafe are clearly third generation cream tea stealers). Like the Eden Project, the sheer amount of life really hits you full in the face, though here it is more like being surrounded by the older generation (many of the plants are "overmature" and not long for this world now) so excellent but different. Yay!
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In which Algo has a birthday, and gets two presents

Well... maybe more, but the main cool bits were my trip into Pentewan by bike, I haven't ridden a bike for a while and it was cool to get back in the saddle (literally) and I had great fun splashing through puddles and generally larking about, though this particular bike had toe loops on it, which I have never had on any bike I have ever owned so a couple of close calls as my usual technique of getting off a bike was rendered dangerous, if not impossible, by the fact my toes were essentially strapped to the pedals.

A word on cornish names - "PEN" (post return edit: this means "head" as in "Penbeachy" or "Pengiving") and "TRE" can basically be put in front of any two syllable and you'd get a Cornish place name, so watch out for Penalgo soon.

Anyway, I had a much better day today since I can see!!! I can also breathe which is not to be sniffed at either. We spent the morning rearranging the tent into its new home and setting up our new sleeping space just outside the caravan, which means our nightly trudge up the hill is now no more (thank goodness for that!) It feels like we did much more than three or four times, but that's all it was.

Pentewan beach is half taken up with a private caravan park's beach but a quick trip around the first head and we found a pile of ex-cliffside rocks and a lot of little rock pools with attendant sea anememones and some fish etc.

Have a holiday snap!
Anyhoo.. evening time we went to Truro and had an excellent meal at a restaurant not far from the Cathedral - Mussels and Duck. Wow it's great being near the sea. The only mussels I get in London are either out of a jar or £25 a helping.

Sweet.

Thanks to all for your messages of Birthday greetings. Had a great one thanks.

A
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In which Algo has a cold, and meets a man with seven wives

While I was going to St Ives,
I was feeling just half alive,
Alive because I could sort of see,
Dead because the flu had me.


Bloody great timing this, in one of the most beautiful parts of the country and I can barely see because my eyes are full of snot. And my nose, and my brain. Today we went to St Ives. For me it consisted of a trip to the Chemists for some Beechams All in One liquid (I do not apologise for the plug - it really is a magic potion).

We realised halfway around the eden project that we didn';t have a camera, and today I was too zonged to even bring my phone.

Ah well... we did have a barbecue this evening but I was shivering through it. Bloody cold. Good news though! We are moving pitches on saturday so maybe we can stay in the warm after that.

It's not the tents fault I got a cold. I blame the cornish folks - I reckon they poisoned me.

Off for more All In One now and bed. Hopefully this is the worst day of it.

A
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In which algo visits paradise, and finds something to moan about.

Firstly let me apologise for the last post being all subject and no body. I will correct it on my return.

Secondly, let me update you all as to where i am right now. Our original plan was to set up the algolian expedition in the awning of the in law's caravan. It appears that someone up there reads my blog amd is angry, since a torrent of rain turned the awning area into swamp, you can barely walk on it let alone set up camp. Initially we were booked into a local self catering apartment as a gesture of apology from the in laws. This was a n unnecessarily charitable move on their part amd since guilt was ahead of reason we declined this offer and have instead spent the princely sum of £14.98 on a full tent and a pitch up on the hill (where all the swamp creating water came from) is ours! The tent came from asda of all places but is bizarrely not awful.. It is warm and dry.

anyhoo... Today we visited the eden project. I am utterly blown away by the rainforest biome. Thing is by doing that first we rendered the second biome a total letdown. Shame.

The thing i want to moan about is that for some reason around this second biome (mediterranean themed) they had some moronic artist show on... In full fecking view and ruining the natural feel and look of the place. Loking at the description of these installation is always good for a chuckle, and apparently these featurless blobs are 'an expression of mankinds guilt and anguish' over our desruction of animal species and plant ecosystems. Great! I really need some puffed up scribbler to express my concern for me. I bet that was his maserati i saw in the car park too. Wonder if it runs on biofuel?

Apart from that little blot on the landscape the place is an absolutely wonderful concept and hits you full in the face with a whole load of pure LIFE And you don't need an artist to help you feel deeply moved at the sight.

A
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Jealousy.

Thought i'd post standing, as i am, knee deep in the sea with the dogs running round my feet and nothing to do tomorrow except see the eden project. Feel jealous!
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Training

On the train to cornwall, which is a four hour trip and there are hundreds of kids here, with about one adult to five children. Thing is that since they're all different families they've split themselves around the carriage so they are incapable of controlling their noisy kids. Hey, parenting ain't easy, but if me and mrs algo are capable of prebooking seats surely other adults can, especially if it means parents are separated from their kids and can't control them!
Ah well never mind. How is everyone else?
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