star wars – John d eccles

Its that time of year at Eccles Hall that we get all excited. It is time for this years road trip and it’s going to be fantastic.

Last year we did the NC500 the tourist route around the highlands of Scotland, so how do you follow that I can hear you asking yourself.

After a little research and a little prompting for Lady Ann we have found this beauty of a trip, The Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland

This is no little expedition its a whopper as Dennis the Menace used to say. Its the longest signed coastal route in the world at 1,700 miles in length and plenty of side routes to keep us occupied.

Now 1,700 miles is a long way to travel and enjoy yourself so we are taking it easy staying a couple of nights in hotels along the route. Because of time constraints and the inevitable constriction of my wallet we have decided that this time we are only going to do the southern part of the route starting in Galway and following the route around to Cork. That’s still the best part of 750 miles so its not for the faint hearted.

We are visiting places with strange sounding names with scenery to die for and visiting pubs and restaurants that already have my mouth watering. We are visiting Dingle, watching a dolphin or two and even visiting the place they shot the latest Star Wars film. (the last location is mine, Lady Ann thinks I am a sad geek), I am not in a position to protest to much haha.

So the car is in for a service next week, Ann has started packing and I can’t wait to get started. So in three weeks off we go and hopefully if we have half the fun I am expecting it will be epic.

We have an anniversary. I have been writing this drivel for three years and apparently and I have amassed what can be only described as a small audience. Small but loyal as I would like to think.

Its been a roller coaster of a ride, I have had to explain to my wife on more than one occasion that the young women who have spoken to me whilst I have been out and bout are in fact people I have never spoken to before they just recognise me from my blog photograph.

Now thats not quite as bad as the time last year whilst on the Norfolk Broads were I was mistaken for Sir Terry Pratchett. The gentleman in question came upto me in a pub and quite politely asked if I was Terry Pratchett. My reply according to Ann was less that acceptable. I answered I couldn’t remember to which she kicked me in the shin under the table and gave a look that could kill at fifty paces.

So thank you for your support and your comments which I try not to weep at if they are less than complementary.

Now we are less than a week away from what the advertising industry describes as the most important night of the year. No, that is not Christmas Eve (that is ten days away). The alternative event of the year the juggernaut that is Star Wars The Force Awakens.

In this world of instant news and social media one has to take your hat of to the Disney corporation for the blackout of anything to do with the film.

The best press release I have read from the film is that from Carrie Fisher’s who plays princess Leia. When asked what she felt about reprising her role, her answer was priceless.

When they called they didn’t want all of me just about three quarters, I have been on a diet ever since. The things people do for money.

I hope that when we get to watch it over the christmas break it is as memorable as the first time I saw it.

I took my son who is now forty on New-years Eve to watch the return of the Jedi when it was released which he thought was epic. This time we are taking the Children and Grand Children with us and I only hope that when the music starts as the curtain opens that they get the same feeling that I had all those years ago.

Only after the event will we know if it is a great and that is what makes the cinema so special.