Just realised that my last blog was the first of October and that we are now in November. I am not sure what caused the loss of communication there. Just finished three performances of "Measure for Measure" with Bare Bards. I enjoyed the experience enormously although seem to have needed naps to keep going. Bare Bards refers to the fact that it was a Shakespeare relying almost totally upon the text - no reference to nude actors whatsoever. Learning Shakespeare is not as difficult as it might appear - the old lad had a way with words - and does seem to have written his scripts to make it easy for actors to assimilate. Some modern playwrights could do with paying attention to some of the techniques used. A notable exception being Bryony Lavery, whom the Best Beloved assures me was a joy to learn.
We are now into the final fortnight of runthroughs of "The Wild Duck" being directed by the Kitten. I am enjoying myself playing a doddery grandfather. Working with so many of the Bare Bards company who are also in "The Wild Duck" has been a little surreal at times but it is a joy working with Martin and Charley.
I did begin a draft blog reviewing the Supernova process, which was also intended as a Benchpress article. However I ran out of time and the deadline arrived before I was ready. I suspect the opportunity has now come and gone for this particular article but will get stuck into the next episode of the personal reminiscences of the Bench Theatre history in good time for the next edition of Benchpress.
I like the writing lark and I am also getting the directing bug back so perhaps we can explore both avenues more thoroughly in 2008.
The new Pompey stadium looks like it may be built on Horsea Island. I would refer you back to a much earlier blog of mine extolling the views of a stranger entering Portsmouth with the new stadium and Portchester Castle in the same shot of Portsmouth Harbour on the right going in.
I have also picked up a bit of politics. I am very interested in the concept of "civic autonomy", rail renationalisation and a new role for the third political party when the two main parties seem to be carbon copies of each other vying for the same middle ground. I feel a series of expounding blogs coming on. Thanks for your patience, gentle reader, and it will be repaid in bucketloads. I was hoping for a Shakespearian couplet there but it is harder than it looks, chucks.
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The biggest problem with rail nationalisation is that all the rolling stock, used by all the train operating companies, is owned by just three companies (all belong to the major high street banks, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC Rail, and the Abbey Group.)
Between them they turnover about £1.2 Billion a year and make £170 Million in profit. There have been investigations into price fixing and allegations of the three companies acting as a cartel (surely not?) but overworked Govt. departments have neither teeth not time nor money to take on such massive operators.
So every year well over a Billion pounds is spent leasing rolling stock (mostly made outside the UK) rather than making and maintaining them ourselves.
Most of the train operators are on short term contracts lasting just a few years so purchasing trains is out of the question. They never know when their contract will go to someone else so long term investment will never make sense under such a system.
It would be an act of public hygiene to remove the banks and their shareholders from our infrastructure and to have one cohesive corporation running the whole rail network but despite the desperate need for this to happen, the government would have to buy out 12,500 trains, compensate 3 major banks who are creaming a billion a year in leasing fees, and goodness knows how many regional and national operators for the remainder of whatever contracts are currently in place!
There is also the spectre of 1970s style nationalisation woes, powerful rail unions with membership no longer fragmented amongst different companies, and the inevitable inefficiencies that occur when politicians are put in charge of something vital to public life. (Think of overpriced NHS patient record computerisation systems that go decades and tens of £Billions over target and still don't work properly!)
I would prefer to see one company be responsible for the entire network with the British public holding a 'golden share' of 51 percent so they are the ultimate majority shareholder and all other shares being split pro-rata amongst all employees (John Lewis style) and proofed against takeover by requiring that takeover can only occur if EVERY employee agreed to it by secret vote AND parliament agreed also. (Those two measures should keep it safe for a while!)
No-one from any Government department should be allowed to hold personal shares or be an employee of or be a paid consultant to the network.
We need some solution that keeps politicians at arm's length and keeps the network and employees safe from hostile commercial concerns (truck and car manufacturers, airlines, banks, road lobby etc.) in perpetuity and yet still means that any profits go to the public and to the employees.
It should be run competetently and safely with a view to long term expansion so I guess it will need to be managed by the French or Germans :-) Joking aside, there is no reason why this corporate, co-operative, public entity cannot join with all the other major European rail operators, so long as ownership is not given away in whole or part.
Next water. THAT really irks me! 70 percent of our entire body mass and our front line against disease is privately owned, aaargh. How did that happen?
I have to lie down.
Sorry about the rant.
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