Penalties, Brel et Moi, and Kevin Keegan and Alan Curbishley resign

PARSLEY'S COMMLOCK
Travel News : Penalties
When I got to the First Capital Connect ticket office there was nobody serving. The one member of staff had left his position to go and tell another (who has to attend the unreliable barriers) that he should 'penalty fare' a couple who got on at Kentish Town without tickets. I presume they couldn't know where this couple were going to get off, so they must have been doing this same operation at every stop along the route.

On one of the most crowded routes in the UK it's impressive that they found time for the little things. It's a shame they don't put more effort into serving law abiding ticket buyers. Perhaps then people might be less tempted to 'take it out on our staff' as Transport For London describe it.

Perhaps the couple had the same trouble getting a ticket as I did. Even when he had seen that I was waiting, the guy didn't seem to feel any need to return to serve me. I've noticed some staff relishing an opportunity to be of very slow assistance when people buying tickets have little time to get to the train.

When I got to Kentish Town there was no working down escalator and staff were being paid to stand next to the escalator to direct people to stairs. A sign announced that oyster cards were valid on 'certain' National Rail routes. This means there are lots of new opportunities to give out penalty fines to people that have not understood the restrictions properly...perhaps the couple on their way with First Capital Connect were early victims.

Radio Review : Brel et Moi, Radio 4 Saturday 06/09/08
I enjoy listening to 'The Week In Westminster' on Radio 4 when parliament is in session. Whilst we're all supposed to be disinterested in the Westminster soap opera, I'm more interested in it than hearing about Eastenders.

One of the excellent presenters used to be a guy called Alistair Campbell. These days Campbell is more famous for managing Tony Blair's relationship with the media, and sticking it to the BBC so effectively that the rather good Greg Dyke was forced to resign leaving the Corporation more ready to be a poodle to Government will. I gather from The Mark Thomas Show that Campbell also used to write pornography.

Whether as part of the settlement with the BBC or because he's such a warm hearted chap, Campbell suddenly popped up with a show on 'why I love Jacques Brel', giving him an excuse to talk to any survivors able to cast light on Brel's legacy. Failing to switch this self-indulgent programme off, I found myself drawn in to the discussion of the enigmatic Brel's life.

Belgian-born Brel is a performer in a rather classic French way, as we might see it. He has long rambling lyrics against a background of accordion and piano. His performances were said to be extremely emotional, with him sometimes ending up covered in sweat. He turned out to have had a wife and family, but also a succession of mistresses, and he was allegedly a constant liar.

Campbell had got turned on to him when hitchhiking in France. When the news of his death came over the radio, the burly tattooed lorry driver accompanying him burst into tears and explained Brel in a way that the young Cambell was drawn into.

Now, presumably with more time on his hands, Campbell was free to chat with Brel's accordion player, as well as Brel's daughter along with fellow enthusiast Mel Smith, who delightfully didn't understand Brel's emotionally charged French words.

There were ticklish nuggets of information that kept me listening. One was that Terry Jack's seventies hit 'Seasons In The Sun' reprised by Westlife, amongst others, was originally sung with the voice of a dying man to his mistress and her new lover. It seems that French morality has to be sanitised for the English speaking world.

Brel stopped performing in the sixties, but Campbell's performance seems destined to go on for years to come. Fortunately on this occasion it was illuminating and interesting.

Sport News : Kevin Keegan and Alan Curbishley resign
Two football managers have resigned. Both allegedly because they are not getting the money they were promised to do their jobs.

Sometimes I wonder if we are all destined to repeat parts of our lives over and over again. Kevin Keegan seems to have resigned several times to the extent that if I was employing him I'd want to know why he wasn't going to resign this time. As such it is interesting that Newcastle fans seem to be comfortably in support of his decision.

With my extra knowledge of West Ham United, courtesy of my brother doing various bits of work for them, it seems as if their managers are iconic characters. Curbishley's predecessors include Ron Greenwood, John Lyall, Billie Bonds, Harry Redknapp and Alan Pardew. I suspect they have all been Manager of the Month in their day and without any personal experience I confess to feeling a liking for all of them. I hope their successor will be as strong.

parsley@gardenrecords.com [www.gardenrecords.com]