The Big TV Event Of The Year

I refer of course to show six of A League Of Their Own on Sky1 and Sky1 HD tonight at 9pm. The series is delicately balanced with Freddie Flintoff's team just ahead at the moment but I'm expecting a late sprint from Jamie Redknapp and John Bishop. Tonight Jimmy Carr and Karen Pickering join the teams and it promises to be a lot of fun. Son Paul, who devised this show, has been very unlucky with Liverpool's run in the Europa League taking away the target Thursday audience. But surely they'll be back in their droves tonight when the competition is....



Three blokes in suits, I'm feeling sleepy already. It must be great being the Lib Dem candidate. You can promise whatever you want in the comfort of knowing that there is no way that you are going to have a majority and will never have to do what you suggested. I'm surprised that they haven't included something really outrageous in their manifesto like two weeks in Benidorm for all pensioners instead of the fuel payment, increasing the speed limit to 100mph on motorways and abolishing tax on fuel and booze. Cast iron vote winners all.



And speaking of Benidorm, we've been invited to go and visit family out there when we retire. I'm looking forward to it so much. It will be nice to experience the relaxation of a cup of coffee in the cool shade in the knowledge that work is over. Until then we'll just have to dream.



We managed to catch Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchants' directorial film debut "Cemetery Junction " last night before it is savaged by the critics. I'm pretty certain that it will be described as predictable and sentimental but we loved it. OK so it does use stereotypes but so what! As the film's young heroes are settling into their working lives in 1973 (exactly when I was 19 and putting on a suit and heading for Barclays), the film was pure nostalgia for me and for Marion and I think that Gervais and Merchant captured the era beautifully. The rose tinted slightly washed out technicolour filming added to the sense of time and I loved the Black Tie Insurance dinner that played an important part in the plot.The spirit of this was captured perfectly (cue CEDA do next week).The racism and anti-feminism of the time was spot on and the soundtrack a perfect wallow in the sounds of the seventies. A very attractive cast of unknowns play the main roles and there are a few good jokes too. "Why does Noddy wear a hat with bells on?".I'm sure that the film will be panned by the critics but those of a certain age will definitely enjoy it.

And speaking of jokes. Who said that the Germans don't have a sense of humour?

Short Term Loans Advertised On TV

I could hardly believe what I was seeing last night whilst I was watching Five. It wasn't the building suppliers in "Cowboy Builders" giving away stuff when asked very nicely by ex page 3 girl Melinda Messenger. No, it was during the ad breaks when a short term loan website (which shall remain nameless for now)was advertised. The advert explained how simple it was to borrow a few quid to tide you over for a short time. And the money would be in your account in fifteen minutes. Now I can see that being very useful. But if you looked closely at the screenshot from the website there was a very interesting figure "Typical Apr 2689%". Now I don't know what you think but didn't such lenders used to be referred to as loan sharks? If you visit the website you will find the lenders' explanation as to why the rate is so high but there is no escaping the fact that if you borrow the maximum £400 for the maximum thirty days you will pay £125.48 in interest and charges. If you borrowed the same sum on a bank overdraft at say 12% you would pay £3.94. That makes the web site's charges 31 times the going rate.Even at a ridiculous 34% credit card rate it would only cost you £11.17. The site hides behind a ridiculous explanation for their charges but there's no escaping the fact that this is exploitation pure and simple. If you really need a few pounds to tide you over until pay day this has to be the very last resort. Please don't be taken in. There is no justification whatsoever for these rates. And as for FIVE? Shame on you for accepting their money.



I'm into my third day of my stint in solitary now. I'm not sure that I will last eight months but at least Dave Wilson and Gavin are getting the opportunity to learn the ropes in the office and I hear that they have already picked up a fair deal. We've got a Dealer Newsletter going out this week so yesterday I spent a few hours sticking labels on envelopes. I've got a few thousand more to do today and then there's a big pile of filing so I've got a really exciting week ahead of me.



This week's Orange Wednesday cinema trip is to the new Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant film "Cemetery Junction". The newspaper reviews won't be out until Friday but I caught a radio one on "Front Row" last night and Mark Lawson was not exactly gushing. Comparisons with Richard Curtis were made. I know that Curtis' films are very unpopular with the broadsheet critics but I'm one of those lowbrow people who enjoy a bit of sentimentality (as anyone who has read my novel will know).So I'm quite looking forward to it. Not expecting a lot as their directing experience is in TV but it may be a laugh. The other choice was "Whip It" starring Drew Barrymore but after feeling like a granddad in "Kick Ass" last week we'll give that one a miss until next week.




As soon as I saw it, I thought that the cover of the Labour Manifesto had echoes of Chairman Mao and I wasn't alone as a number of newspapers made the same comparison.This is not a political comment, merely an observation. As usual the Guardian's ace cartoonist Steve Bell made a perfect parody. I can't reproduce it without permission but you can check it out by clicking here

When I tidied out my desk the other day I fond hundreds of business cards. I always thought they might come in useful one day. I might have a try at this. And if you are one of the fifty people that I actually gave one to in the last twenty years, congratulations, you may have a collector's item. And no it doesn't have my mobile number on it.