Girls Aloud - violence and saxondale

Well, Girls Aloud finaléed a fantastic day yesterday. We had an early dinner on the quayside of Wells-next-the-Sea before going to Holkham Hall and queuing for a couple of hours (to ensure a suitably proximate viewing position). We enjoyed some fantastically childish banter with the hoards of 7-year old fans over who was truly the greatest fan of Nadine et al!

There was one moment, during the concert itself, of particular suprise. A man, holding his young daughter in his arms, moved a chair slightly to allow a young lad to stand next to him andf enable him a better view. The owner of the moved chair (a woman in her 30's with 3 young children) took perculiar umbridge to the furniture rearrangements and proceeded to punch the man repeatedly in the face (with screams cascading in from the associated - now hysterically crying - children of both parties). The man made absolutely no defence of himself nor did he exact any kind of retaliation. The woman was eventually dragged away from the scene [that she'd created!] and took her position atop the chair dancing with a provocative and contumelious attitude over her behaviour.

The whole episode was disgusting - for so many reasons. Firstly, the obvious impact it had on the children that wiotnessed (and suffered it) - especially the offspring of the two parties. Secondly, the fact that the woman thought her unprovoked and unrelenting tirade of jabs was what was necessary and, perhaps worse, that she went on to revel in her post-fight spotlight like she had, in some way, victored when all around scowled in pure disbelief. Thirdly - and what pesters me most - that something like this can even happen. I accept (and appreciate enormously) my sheltered, country-life upbringing which is perhaps why I found the occurence so incredible. But, it saddens me to think that there are people who would not find such and incident unbelievable - whether because of their own acceptable moral boundaries or because of their social structing which has eroded their levels of expectation of their 'fellow man'.

Anyway, I navigated my way out of the "die-hard fans's nucleus" and headed sideways for air and a better view of the stage. Thankfully, I stumbled past a collection of police officers, informed them of the afore-mentioned dispicable events and left them to do what was necessary of them. There was something strangely satisfying about watching the police drag the woman from the crowd as the fireworks crescendoed in the clear, dark Norfolk sky..

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BBC2 aired Steve Coogan's second installment of saxondale on Thursday evening. This series seems to cling-on to the same sort of 'scoring topics' as the first - Magz's larger-lady size, Tommy's past haunting (and often, dominating) his present, the 'Stang etc.. However, one brilliant improvement is that of Tommy Saxondale's conscientious neighbour, Jonathon - played by the the very talented Darren Boyd. His character is executed with perfection and really has 'made' the first two episodes for me.

While Saxondale is never going to be true comedy gold - it's certainly very much better than the current dross* that infects most of the BBCs comedy schedules.

By dross, I mean 2 pints of lager, Goodness gracious, Ruddy hell, it's Harry and Paul etc. Most of BBCs comedy output is saved by the talent that is; Caroline Aherne, Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais.