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Before I was interrupted by a woman using her mobile on the train, I finished watching Million Dollar Baby on the laptop, probably the most depressing film I’ve watched since Angela’s Ashes but well acted and strangely enjoyable. Clint Eastwood plays Frankie Dunn – a retired boxer turned coach and gym owner, with no direct family (you never find out why his daughter doesn’t speak to him anymore). He’s a daily visitor to the local Catholic Church where he asks daft questions of the angry priest there, but again you never get to the detail of his issues. He’s also learning to speak ‘Gaelic’ but yet again, that seems a bit odd and isn’t explained in full, presumably he’s interested in his ancestral roots. (more…)

I’m always irritated by people who have conversations on their mobile phone whilst on the train. I’ll sit happily with those quietly updating partners on an ETA but not full blown discussions that we all have to listen to. Today, the lady opposite me was so loud that I could hear every word over the music on my head phones. As I had no choice but to listen, I thought I’d just jot down what she was saying and blog it. Not quite as good as the time I heard a salesman describe his entire sales pitch for Great Ormond Street hospital and his minimum acceptable price, or the time I heard somebody talking about confidentially making fifty staff redundant at a Natwest in Peterboro, but anyway… (more…)