Drink with me...

I succeeded in disgusting First Born on Friday night. I had very kindly taken her and her nana to The Lowry Theatre in Salford to see Les Miserables. As the galleries were open later we got there early to see the Lowrys. I had forgotten that the Spencer Tunick exhibition was on, and FB couldn't hide her disgust at seeing lots of imperfect naked bodies. The photographs were very clever - you couldn't help looking! There were 2 particulary disturbing photos of naked people squashed into and up against the windows of a double decker bus. I like seeing local places in television programmes etc, and it was odd seeing places I recognised, such as Castlefield arches, and a park with the Hilton in the distance.

We didn't stay long as we then went to see the best performance I'd seen of Les Miserables. I'd got tickets for the front row of the circle. I wasn't sure how a new theatre would compare to the Palace, where I saw it last time, but it was brilliant. The sound was incredible, and I thought it was better than when I saw it with the same cast in January (I suppose they have become more used to each other). John Owen Jones is a wonderful Jean Valjean, and Earl Carpenter a great Javert. Nana was very impressed by Gareth Gates who played Marius. It must have been good - I cried throughout the whole of Act 2. Getting out of the car park after took a while, but we had a great night out.

This week Jack Straw announced that he would be stepping down from the front bench in October, to make room for new people in the shadow cabinet (and write his memoirs!). He will remain MP for Blackburn. Jack is someone I have a soft spot for. Born in Essex, he is a past President of the National Union of Students. He later qualified as a barrister and practised criminal law. In 1977 he was selected to stand for Parliament in Blackburn, after Barbara Castle decided not to stand again. He was selected in 1979, appointed to the front bench in 1980, and was promoted to the shadow cabinet in 1987. Since then he has been Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons. In 1998 he was made an Honourary Vice President of Blackburn Rovers by Jack Walker. Jack's (Straw, not Walker) father Walter was imprisoned in 1939 during part of World War 2 for being a conscientious objector. By far Jack Straw's finest hour though was in April 1985. He went to King George's Hall in Blackburn to take part in a Billy Bragg gig. While he was back stage he was talking to 2 young girls who were supporting Billy. They told him how they had got sacked from their part time jobs for fulfilling their dreams of appearing on stage in front of a huge audience at a sold-out gig. Jack listened attentively and took notes when they described how their boss at The Rover's Return nightclub in Blackburn had given them an ultimatum. Yes, they could have the night off work, but if they did they mustn't turn up again. He vowed to take up their plight as such atrocities just couldn't be allowed to occur on his patch. Luckily for the girls, they had already secured another part time job, and also put up posters in all the 'wrong areas' advertising the vacant positions at The Rovers Return. Jack Straw, thank you and I raise my glass to you! I am proud to have been sacked for such a good cause, and had lots of fun imagining my ex-boss getting a strongly worded letter, or even an ear-bashing from you. Thinking of all the 'undesirables' turning up looking for work also raised a smile.