On The Road With My Family. Shopping With My Family. Watching Fighting With My Family

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Mainly because of my shift work we rarely as a family are able to go out together to do something. Life as it were interferes, But yesterday was different. Wife, daughter and I were able to take one of the great road journeys of the world for the day.

Or the roughly half hour journey from the Vale Of Glamorgan to the out of town outlet centre Macarthur Glen just outside Bridgend. One of the two.

As there were things we had to do in the morning we left around three in the afternoon, Driving anything longer than ten minutes does not bring out the best in us. The wife, remarkable woman that she is, will never win the prize for car passenger of the year. She would say I should break when there is a gap that would full three buses or say I'm too slow or too fast or wondering why I've parked in a particular parking spot where there could be others available.

And also, and my mother is exactly the same, she has an inability to judge gaps in the road. She cannot believe that the mighty Kia Picanto can go through them and yet it always does. Would she ever say "Yes husband you were right?" Well what do you think?

(Before you think I'm being sexist, I'll say this. Between you me and the worldwide web she's a better driver than me aside from oddly enough motorways. She has more confidence and self awareness than I do. I'm far more cautious - Something which daughter has caught on to)

But eventually we got to Macarthur Glen. And after parking (in of course the wrong space) we had some time to spare before the film we had planned to see started. So we did some window shopping (the plan being that if there was anything we wanted to get then they'd be bought later).

Wife and daughter made a beeline for the Yankee Candle shop. I've chatted about them before. This thing about smelly candles is something I just don't understand. And when I went in there later, well I'm not a person with a refined sense of smell, but it was as if someone had mugged my nose.

I of course went to The Works and later bought a book for just £10. More expensive than the books I'd normally buy but I'm sure fellow Plaid Cymru members would approve (It's an absolute brick of a hardback size).

Seemed suitable as it's St David's Day

And so to the movie. Fighting With My Family tells the story of the wrestling obsessed Knight family and in particular daughter Paige who turns into fighting wrestling matches in Norwich to a WWE star. Wrestling and me parted in the seventies so I'd no backstory in my head.

So I'll start at the ending. Daughter loved the film. Wife (normally the most critical) loved the film. I too loved the film. But not as much as the female fan club around me.

Let's get to my reservations with it first. Paige Knight described it as being "95% factual". Well that 5% of non factual seemed important to me. She revealed that the scene (which is widely shown) where she and her brother Zak first meet Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson did not happen. The final fight scene when compared with the actual match (which we saw later on YouTube) is shall we say Hollywoodised and I was shocked to find that the end credits reveals that the Dad, resplendent in a Norwich City shirt for a lot of the movie is actually an Arsenal fan. No wonder he did time in prison.

The WWE partly funded this film and this seems to show up in the Florida boot camp scenes. The sort of hard but fair cliché you get in these sort of movies as Paige gradually finds the motivation to progress in the wrestling camp.

But it's extremely well acted. Particularly the Knight family itself. The sense of a family no matter how eccentric and having to battle against the stresses of life. At no point did I look at any of the actors playing the family and thought they were exaggerated for the screen. Though Florence Pugh carries herself as Paige particular mention should be made to Jack Lowden who plays her older brother Zak, fighting against the agony of having almost reached his dream of becoming a WWE professional wrestler but not quite whilst his sister progresses.

Wife and daughter said they would give the movie a ten. Personally I'd say an eight. For as I said I loved it as well, just slightly not as much. And I didn't nod off either.

Until the next time.

Chelsea v Norwich City (Catalonia)

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I am in the third day of my Essex exile whilst looking after my mother. Until I mention otherwise I won't be mentioning anything about it until she recovers.

When you look after someone, even for a hopefully short period of time, the day either is very busy or very boring. As I'm writing this it's eight o'clock pm. Chelsea are playing Norwich City in an F A cup replay. It's on BBC1 , my mother is asleep so I can watch it

I'm supporting Norwich in this. Partly because they're the underdog. But also because their football shirts are in yellow. Yellow: the colour of Catalonia. the colour the Spanish government are afraid of. Oh I know it's mad. But it makes it interesting.

Early minutes there is constant Chelsea pressure. Chances were missed. Tip of a football boot and it would have been a goal chances.

Yellow is a bright colour. But not the brightest of the evening. That belongs to outfit worn by Chelsea goalkeeper Caballero. Best described as Radioactive.

Apparently there is a Chelsea player whose name is pronounced Feng Shui. Always out of position though. Later we're told West Ham want him....typical! He also gives Norwich their closest chance of the game first half.

Chelsea have a chance that's tipped onto the cross bar.

The team in yellow is defending itself well against a team with richer resources. Note the metaphor to Spain and Catalonia there folks.

But more chances come through Norwich's way. More confident as the half progresses.

Kenedy of Chelsea reacts to being fouled by slapping his opponent. Handbags not being available.

First half ends 0-0. Advantage to the Catalans.

But then Feng Shui finds the right position and scores for Chelsea....damn

Norwich do fight back with a chance that hits the post.

Chelsea resort to cheating as Pedro dives in the penalty area. Not just diving but bad diving at that.

As the half progressed Chelsea was trying to bore the game to death. As if the one goal meant that mentally the drawbridge was raised in their players' mind. However the Catalans throw everything to score an equaliser.Then right at the end of the ninety fourth minutes Jemal Lewis scores for the Catalans.

Extra time then.

Willian hurdles over a Catalan defender's leg and falls. Not a penatlty thank goodness. Another Chelsea penalty request is rejected.

First period comes and go. One all still. Catalonia is still in with a chance.

Second period and again a penalty request from Chelsea against Klose...not even Klose.

Towards the end of the second period Pedro is sent off for a second bookable offence. You know it was the right decison because Conte didn't overreact. Another penalty request rejected. Morata gets booked...reacts badly..gets sent off. Chelsea down to nine men.

Extra time finishes . Penalties

Willian for Chelsea Scored.

Olivera for Norwich. Caballero saved

Luiz for Chelsea. Scored.

Madison for Norwich scored with the cheekiest of penalties. The arrogance of youth.

Azpulqueta for Chelsea scored

Vrancic for Norwich scored

Conte for Chelsea scored.

Murphy for Norwich scored.

Hazard for Chelsea scores and Chelsea wins.

So the Catalans lose ......but only just......and tomorrow is another day.

Until the next time.