The Monday morning blog: baseball caps, dark glasses and videos

The Labour leaflet arrived through me door yesterday morning. I caught a glimpse of the person delivering it but didn't recognise him immediately. Hardly surprising as he was buried under dark glasses and a baseball cap. It was only when he came down the other side of the street that I recognised him under his cloak of anonimity. He was last year's Labour candidate. He has abandoned all hope of being elected so is not standing this year. Also, I suspect he wasn't inclined to stand again following the rather ridiculous leaflet that was put out in his name in the run up to the election that never was. Turns out the person who was actually responsible for it has a long record of campaigns that have flopped badly.

I have only spoken to him once (four years ago when he was candidate and at the count - he didn't make it to the count last year) but he seems a pleasant bloke. It's just a pity for him that he got dragged into this saga by the actions of someone else.

I did, believe it or not, do something non political yesterday! I had lunch with a group of historian friends in Tynemouth (and a quick wander around the book fayre - one book bought by David for himself on crossbows (don't ask!) and one he bought for me after spotting me looking at it on historical maps of Europe. I did actually have an ulterior motive for meeting up with my historian mates. I am planning to make a number of local history videos this year and I am lining up Frank Manders and Norman McCord to appear in them. Frank is an expert on the history of Gateshead, the region's cinemas, the bridges across the Tyne and many other issues. Professor McCord was one of my lecturers from my old days as an undergraduate at Newcastle University twenty years ago. He specialised in social history (he is retired now) but is a widely respected expert on the history of the North East. He also discovered the Watergate Roman site next to Whickham.

Progress was made on discussing possible videos. No doubt there will be more on this later this year.

Well, I am now on the train heading to London. It arrived back to front at Newcastle, went out backwards with the result we are now going forwards and left 10 min late. But at least it wasn't cancelled!

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