The Unorthodox Website Blog

I couldn’t resist sending the above seasonal/political greeting to a few friends, etc. who I felt wouldn’t be offended. The idea came when I told a vicar I know who invited me to a Carol service followed by a Christmas lunch that the service wasn’t really my cup of tea if I was expected to sing about jolly angels around a manger, and three wise men from the East – commenting ‘presumably not Marx, Engels and Lenin?’ Fortunately this vicar, whose views seem to be slightly to the right of Attila the Hun on some issues, and extremely liberal on others, can take a joke.

But there is a serious point behind my joke Xmas message. These three men were wise, in my opinion. But not infallible, that’s the point.

Well I’ve been waiting for it for about 56 years, ever since I first saw 3D films at the Saturday Morning Pictures in the early 1950s. But John Logie Baird, TV pioneer, demonstrated full color, 3D and hi-definition TV on huge screens back in the 1930s and 1940s, so the so-called 3D revolution has been an awful long time coming. In fact 3D was invented back in the 19th century, but has never really taken off.

Channel 4 recently had a 3D week, but although I had a selection of 3D glasses (red and green, red and blue and clear lens ones) I couldn’t really see much of a 3D effect even with the red and blue glasses deemed suitable for TV. There was a slight effect, but nothing to get excited about.

By far the best 3D is that seen thru the clear glasses issued at Imax cinemas.

The sensible thing to do is to make a Will, but many people don’t do this for various reasons, or just put it off indefinitely until it is too late. I have come across several cases among friends and family where, Will or no Will, inheritance rights have caused major problems and difficulties. It seems to me the law could do with a review.

I have become aware of three major problem areas regarding inheritance: where parents owning a home die but where one adult offspring, often unmarried, is still living in the family home; where one partner of a married couple (or of a couple with a civil partnership) dies and there are no children; and where one partner of  an unmarried couple (gay or straight) where there are no children dies.

Take the first case, that of the family home.

Just back from the Rhythm Riot! rock’n'roll Weekender at Pontin’s Holiday Center, Camber Sands on the windswept, rainy East Sussex coast.

A crowd of friends were there, including many ‘Woodies’ (members of Keith Woods’ social club for recycled teenagers) and one of the original Teddy-boys, Breathless Dan Coffey who was responsible in the 1960s for introducing us to so many previously in Europe unknown Sun artists and others and for bringing over loads of those yellow-label Sun 45s.

I’d seen all the American acts before, but biggest surprise to me was Big Jay McNeely who not only plays great tenor sax, but has a great rockin’ singing voice, at 83 knockin’ spots off other legendary rockers younger than himself.

Barrence Whitfield on at 2 am that Friday nite did little for me I’m afraid, as his act seemed to mainly consist of screaming into the microphone, and most of his numbers sounded the same.

That seems to be the message from the public transport organizations at this time of year. The very day everybody in the country badly needs public transport, it is taken off!

Christmas Day is the time families and friends like to meet up, party and have a few drinks. This means even for those with cars, driving is a no-no. So visiting at Xmas means either remaining teetotal, or staying overnite at least two nites, often three as most national railways stop running for two days.

This situation is unique to Britain, and only came about in the last 20 years or so. Before that transport ran on Xmas Day and Boxing Day. Since it stopped many is the time I’ve been unable to visit my mother on Xmas Day, and she’s had to spend it all on her own, not having room to put me up (not even a sofa).

Above: flags of the two Cypriot republics

After a gap of over 11 years I returned to my father’s country of Cyprus for a week’s holiday. The changes during that time are quite enormous.

Whereas in 1998 it was not possible for Greek-Cypriots to visit the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, and Turkish-Cypriots could only get into the Greek-Cypriot Republic of Cyprus thru the Pergamos checkpoint via Pyla village and the British base at Dhekelia, now there is freedom of movement thruout the whole island for everybody, including Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Passport/visa controls at the various checkpoints on the Green Line are minimal.

This is a great improvement on the previous situation since the events of 1974 divided the island. When I visited both sides in 1977 (I have a British passport and an Anglicized surname, so was allowed to cross) there was no contact between Turkish and Greek Cypriots on the island.