GOOD TV

[Wendyf]

We forgot to record the Tull programme last night.

[Stanley]

It's all that domestic maintenance catching up with you.
Best Grand Prix race for years, held the attention from start to finish.

[PanBiker]

Better than being condemned to BMX Wendy....

Don't dis the BMX lads and lassies to easily who won a gold for Team GB, you may not like it but it is an athletic skill nevertheless. Bethany who won the women's speed racing had to crowd fund her entry after the British Olympic Committee removed all the funding from female competitors in the BMX team. She had trained for the last two years and qualified for the 2020 games after giving up her job as a teaching assistant. Training which included squat lifting 175KG as part of her regime to build up the explosive power required for the 45 second races. We also have been treated to Charlotte who took gold in the freestyle BMX which is basically gymnastics on a bike. I would rather watch that than the petrol heads of F1.

Another new Olympic and exiting to watch event although it has been going for well over 10 years is the Mixed Triathalon Relay. Shorter circuits than the main Traithalon events but teams are made up of two men and two women who alternate on each leg. Each do the Swim, Bike, Run and then tag the next team member. We won that one as well. Johnny Brownlaw finally got an Olyimpic Gold medal, (he had Bronze and Silver), he did leg 2 of the relay and built up a lead by the end of his stint, that pushed the team onto final victory in the event.

[Tripps]

The Olympics has become almost unwatchable for me. In many respects, It's become close to being a freak show.

I've decided to step back from it - to benefit my mental health. Seems to be the thing to do. . . .

I like the Three Day Event though - (they all wear collar and tie and smart jackets). I remembered that the last time the Games came from Tokyo (1964), I was in Singapore, and saw nearly nothing of it on TV. I do remember a full lenght feature film released soon afterwards, which impressed me. Not just me it seems - said to have been the best film about sport ever made. Directed by a chap called Ichikawa.
There's a version of it on Youtube - worth a look I'd say if you have a couple of spare hours. . . .

Citius Altius Fortius

PS Remember the name Ann Packer - I do. I looked her up seems she's the same age as me, still alive, and strangely never went on Strictly, or I'm a Celebrity or became a pundit on the BBC, etc, and as far as I can find, never had any celebrity whatever. How odd.

Tokyo 1964

[Stanley]

Yes David, funnily enough I do remember the name and I generally have no interest at all in sport.
Ian sorry but you won't convert me to BMX bikes (or 10 metre air pistol shooting either.) I still remember Sydney Wooderson from 1948 .
Did you watch the Hungarian Grand Prix? Very entertaining, only one car on the starting grid, Lewis Hamilton, that was a first and worth the price of entry!

[Wendyf]

I watched the grand prix, it was unusual to say the least! Three day eventing is a remarkable test of skill and stamina for horse and rider but you need to be able to follow all three disciplines to really appreciate it. I watch the cross country from behind the settee!

[PanBiker]

Did you watch the Hungarian Grand Prix? Very entertaining, only one car on the starting grid, Lewis Hamilton, that was a first and worth the price of entry!

No, do I take it that they still ran the race with only one car or did he get in then out and take the laurel wreath? If the former it just reinforced my point of how pointless it really is and just adding to the crap we are pumping into the atmosphere.

[Wendyf]

No Ian! It was a restart after a crash and everyone else started from the pit lane after changing tyres except Lewis, he had to go into the pits on the next lap and ended up at the back. Total chaos and the most exciting race for a while.

[PanBiker]

Aha, I see, each to their own but it doesn't alter my view of F1. We are supposed to be cutting carbon emissions not adding to them. The various cycling disciplines don't bang the environment in the same way including BMX. I see Bradley's medal record has been surpassed now, maybe partly down to the Hope / Lotus bikes they are using.

[Tripps]

I see Bradley's medal record has been surpassed now, maybe partly down to the Hope / Lotus bikes they are using.

That would be Bradley the drug cheat perhaps? Bradley Wiggins

I take it for granted now (and have done for a long time ) that all cyclists, and indeed most top athletes, are or have in the past, been taking performance enhancing drugs. Good to see them bravely overcoming the scourge of asthma, which seems to strike them cruelly, in such a disproportionate manner.

Top level sport has become a freak show. I think that money may have played some part in the matter.

[PanBiker]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing of course. Maybe in Barlick we should rip up the Bradley Wiggins toddlers practice track that was installed in Victory Park and deny first time and learner riders with balance bikes and those with stabilisers practice to get on their bikes so to speak just in case it leads to the use of performance enhancing drugs. It has zebra crossings, junctions and crossroads just like the real thing but in miniature. We also had two ride with Brad events in the town which were well attended by the keen cyclists, what do we do with the hundreds of them, surely they are also tainted by association?

[Stanley]

David, I share your misgivings about the pressures put on athletes to perform by people who basically want to take advantage of them.
Ian, the developments in engines that have stemmed from F1 have resulted in far more efficient engines and far quicker development of hybrid drives. The savings for the planet more than outweigh their carbon footprint. Formula E is doing the same for pre electric drives.

[plaques]

The petrol heads will always say how much their hobby is benefiting the country. The one thing they totally ignore is any improvement to the nut holding the steering wheel. Of course totally autonomous driving may put an end to this nonsense and we could finish up with a giant scale electric track that people could gamble on without putting lives at risk.

[PanBiker]

Indeed Ken and I don't remember F1 leading the field with engine development when diesels were being pushed as the best thing since sliced bread.

[Gloria]

Watched ch4 I Am Victoria last night, Suranne Jones was brilliant as usual, a very different drama but very compelling viewing.

[Tripps]

Well - that's the Olympics over. I bumped into the Synchronised Swimming yesterday, and to my surprise, stayed with it. Obviously influenced by Ashley Banjo and his crew, and with the combination of above and below the water cameras, the precision of the eight women teams was unbelievable.

Pressure today for cyclist Jason Kenny to be knighted - can't be argued against I'd say - and his wife to be 'damed' seems equally welll deserved. Subject to no skeletons being likely to emerge.

My other favourite sport was the opponentless karate. Yes it's true. I don't know why but it consisted of a single contestant pretending to have karate fight with nobody. Perhaps the boxing could be changed in a similar way.

Not as good as the 'half court basketball' with both taking turns to attack and shoot into the same basket. I didn't get the baseball either, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it.

Beats me.

Anyway - just three years until we do it all again. They say there'll be break dancing included then.

[Stanley]

I also heard that there will be break-dancing in Paris.... I had better keep stum, I obviously don't understand the Olympic Ideal.

[Gloria]

I bumped into the opponentless karate the other day, strangest thing ever.

[Stanley]

The other thing that bothers me is this, who decides on the design and size of the costumes for each sport? It's obviously coordinated and it was 5 minutes beach volley ball that triggered that thought.

[plaques]

Next Olympics in three years time. I'll just concentrate on sticking to my perch

[Tripps]

who decides on the design and size of the costumes for each sport?

I noticed that at the finish of one of the ladies sprint races - the exhausted competitor still had enough energy to take off her running shoes and held them up to make sure the cameraman got a good view of the Nike tick logo prominently displayed on them.

[Stanley]

You mean the Olympics are contaminated by commercialism? My God!

[PanBiker]

The athletes do need sponsorships to get the training (and trainers in some cases) that they need. Many sports are not automatically funded by the British Olympic Committee.

[Tripps]

I watched a repeat of the second part of Lucan last night on ITV. Quite well done I thought - we all like a good mystery.

I remember watching 'Aspers' playing in the big cage with his gorillas - (actually wrestling with the big one) at Howlett's Zoo near Canterbury in the 1980's. Also an interview with Zac Goldsmith came to mind,when he was running for London mayor. He went very coy when the interviewer rather cheekily mentioned Lord Lucan. He knows. . . .

Interesting to see how they are all connected - Wasn't Shand Kydd the name of Lady Di's mother?

No wonder they considered us all as peasants, and as her dad pointed out - poor Sandra Rivett was barely mentioned in the proceedings.

[Stanley]

It was, and still is, a different world David. I can't speak for you but I am definitely peasant class.