Dad's Army

The new Dad's Army film, I haven't seen it but I have seen this:

Now there's something interesting about this poster, take a look at the rifle they're equipped with. It's not the Lee Enfield No. 1 Mk III usually seen in such contexts. No, it appears to be the Enfield Pattern 1914 or more likely, some examples of the M1917, utilised to stand in for the Pattern 1914, because the Pattern 1914 is quite a rare item. This is interesting because this rifle is much more realistic in the Home Guard setting. The Lee Enfield, in its No. 1 and No. 4 guises, was a front line weapon, whereas the Pattern 1914 had been largely allocated to secondary units. Incidentally, the M1917, which differs in the cartridge it's chambered for, was also issued to the Home Guard but was indicated with red paint on the stock. Isn't it nice to know that someone's making an effort?

The story of the Enfield Pattern 1914 and how it came about is quite interesting. In case you don't know, the Lee Enfield received some attention from the purveyors of received wisdom, because of its rearward locking bolt, which was seen as a dated technology. As is the case with a lot of received wisdom, it's complete tosh and the Lee Enfield went on to prove its superiority in the two world wars. Meanwhile the controversy gave rise to a project that culminated, through a somewhat indirect process, with the Pattern 1914, utilising a modified Mauser style bolt. Most accounts assert that it was pretty decent rifle, even superior in some respects to the Lee Enfield, just a little heavier and with reduced magazine capacity. The great news is, that you can still buy them, you just need a firearms certificate, so do not go knocking the hats off any policemen, otherwise you might find that tricky.

Something not quite right...

It was a bit chilly today but the cloudy skies had taken a break and I found a sunny spot by the river at lunch time. So on impulse, I grabbed a small loaf I found on offer in the shop and I took time to indulge myself in the sun, by tossing some bread in for the ducks. It's been something over a decade since last did this and on that occasion, I did it to entertain a frail relative who was convalescing. One thing I remember about that occasion, is that our engagement this in simple pleasure, that you see exercised every day, caught the attention of a particular individual. This individual took it upon himself, to educate me and my companion on the perils of feeding ducks. Yeah right, apparently he was in possession of some marvellous insight into the topic, that he just couldn't keep to himself.

So there I was today, taking some time to reacquaint myself with this pastime; reflecting on times past and the family members that went with them, when guess who should turn up? Yep, that's right, Mr. Knowall and his advice on feeding ducks, of course, it wasn't the same guy, just someone filling his role. In the decade or so that passed between the two incidents, I must have seen hundreds of people feeding ducks there. Never, not once, on any occasion, have I ever witnessed, any of those mothers with prams, fathers with their sons or courting couples, ever receiving a lecture on duck feeding. Nope, it's just me, so what is going on, because I see something not quite right here. Tomorrow, I'm feeding the ducks again, whatever the weather is like, I'll stand there in a sou'wester if I have to and when that guy turns up, I'll be ready for him.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Is it just me or is there not any of the main plot points of this film, that haven't been given away by the trailers?

1. The Batman, distrusts Superman's intentions.
2. Superman regards The Batman as a vigilante.
3. A conflict ensues, entailing lots of cgi and quite possible some green meteoritic mineral.
4. Meanwhile Lex Luthor, contrives to revive the threat of General Zod, with an experiment that goes awry.
5. All hell breaks loose and our erstwhile combatants find themselves forced  by circumstance, into an uneasy alliance.
6. Things go from bad to worse, with the heroes unable to cooperate effectively against the rampant threat, until...
7. Wonder Woman appears on the scene and galvanises their commitment to work together to defeat their common foe.
8. Victorious at last, our heroes have discovered a mutual respect and trust for each other, even if they can't see eye to eye over each other's methods.

There you go, I've just saved you from forking out for that overpriced popcorn.