Nouvelle Vague

To the Guildhall cinema last night for some 1960s French new wave cinema, Godard’s Bande a Part. Ninety minutes of style and exquisite and quirky characterisation flew by. The plot was secondary; a series of set-pieces kept one interested. The dance scene (see above) was a rare treat of Gallic cool.

I am aware that this is oldish news but I am delighted that the young prince James Simpson-Daniel has signed an extension to his contract and will be with the city until at least 2009. I recall the first few times I saw the nipper play in cherry and white and, in particular, a damp night at Oxstalls when the fledging teen Sinbad wore a ten and mesmerised with an array of silken skills that had those assembled gasping in admiration. All our young stars are now signed up for the foreseeable and I am heartened by the good sense of sorting out all the business now and not at the fag end of the season when one needs the players’ minds to be concentrated firmly on rugby football and not off-field politics. I salute Dean Ryan’s intelligence surrounding this matter. I hope that he can now persuade Gary Powell to remain at Kingsholm especially with the noble Vicks out for the count for, at least, the medium term.

The other Gloucester rugby news this week indicated a potential move to an all-seater stadium near the railway station. I can cope with this and would welcome the chance to take my seat fifteen minutes before kick-off instead of having to pick my spot in ‘the shed’ an hour and a half before kick-off. The whole shed’ thing is beginning to agitate both S and myself: too many humourless people yelling abuse without a hint of irony or wit simply because it is what’s expected. Boring. Call me an old killjoy but it was better in the old days although many fine people do help lessen the blow of the witless. The demographic has changed (see here) and not for the better. The Johnny-Come-Latelies help pay for – inter alia - Sinbad’s contract but I wish I didn’t have to listen to their moronic hee-hawing quite so much. Perhaps a nice new stadium will dilute that nonsense but I won’t hold my breath.

I hope any new stadium doesn’t have a running track as I wouldn’t be quite as interested in attending football matches. I like to see the whites of the players’ eyes.