#Nick Cushing

[baddawgsports]

New York City FC Confirms Traveling Preseason Roster & Additional Preseason Friendly

New York City FC Confirms Traveling Preseason Roster & Additional Preseason Friendly Click the link to find out all you need and more.

New York City FC today announced its preseason roster ahead of the 2024 season.   The Club arrived in Tampa, Florida earlier this week for training camp.    29 players make this season’s preseason roster in Tampa. One Academy player, two New York City FC II players, and one trialist will join the First Team this year. MLS SuperDraft selections Malachi Jones and Taylor Calheira have traveled…

[gurutrends]

Casey Stoney, Nick Cushing and 10 candidates to replace Jonas Eidevall at Arsenal - ranked

After Arsenal’s poor start to the season continued with defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, Jonas Eidevall handed in his resignation and waved farewell to the club that he has coached for the last three years. In terms of the Women’s Super League title race, it was always going to be difficult for the Gunners to recover from dropping seven points in their opening four games to be a genuine contender.…

[varinastix]

Keira's first press conference with Nick. talks about first england call up.

[forensicated]

02x06 - This Little Pig

TW: Racism based on the time of writing/filming (mid 80's)

Taffy is out on patrol with everything seeming normal and boring... until he hears some oinking coming from an alleyway...

"Going out in pairs are we today, mate?" 😂

Reg is complaining about back pain after hurting himself on a training course. "He who dares ricks his back!" Viv mocks.

The manager of the City Farm phones to report 2 pigs missing. Viv has to ask him to hold on while she stifles a laugh and then passes the message to Bob. "Two of our pigs are missing... It's the City Farm. They've had a breakout!"

Pete is unimpressed to be asked to pick up the pig in the police van but Bob explains the man from the farm can't pick it up as he only has a Mini! He sends Jim to help him because "He's good with kids... he's probably good with animals." Great logic! In the meantime Roger Phillpot from the farm arrives to help Taffy keep the pig calm, explaining someone let them out deliberately by wirecutters making a huge hole. He admits they've had a few animal rights people send letters recently. Plonk is returned to the farm and now they must track down Pickle! "You're not a vegetarian are you?" he asks Taffy. "Oh no, I'm Welsh. I eat anything" Without any evidence (they've binned the letters) there's little else the police can do than keep an eye out for Pickle. Phillpot goes cold on Taffy, apologising for 'bothering him' sarcastically. Pete then purposely brushes pig poo out of the van and onto Taffy's uniform. It's not his day! Pete drops Taffy at a local cafe where he goes for a cup of tea.

Pete moans he's had no overtime for 2 months and that it's resulted in a big cut of his normal wage. "Money isn't everything." "True, there's always sex." he purrs, eyeing a secretary who ignores him. Pete moans that he has commitments to pay for and he wants a big murder to happen for the overtime. Yorkie points out that it's not exactly something to announce and Pete claims the others would be straight in there claiming for extra hours too.

Yorkie says Pete must have been paid a bomb for the recent (March 84-March 85. This aired 23 Dec 85) miners strikes and he spent more time in Yorkshire than Yorkshire-born Yorkie did! Pete claims Scargil caved in too soon because only half of his holiday had been paid off. June points out he shouldn't have spent most of it on a new motorbike and Abe asks if he put any away for the tax man. Pete claims the tax man already had it because they're PAYE. Abe points out that's only at the basic rate. If he's earnt over that, they'll come for him. Pete claims he's winding him up and Yorkie shakes his head. Pete asks Bob if it's true and Bob explains that yes, the tax man has already had his share of the miner's strike overtime money for most of them... "But not for super grabbers like you."

Ted reads a bulletin that claims the ban on overtime won't affect the amount of work the police get done. "Pedantic little twat." Ted growls about the author (Brownlow's soon-to-retire Clerk who has just asked him to get Roy to redo an expenses claim and moaned about Dashers not being clocked in despite being out on a job). Immigration call Roy about a job and Ted asks what's happening. "Deporting all the Irish and you're first." Roy complains about the CID boys not being further along on jobs and Ted points out that's because of the cancellation of overtime. Roy heads out for the first of two meetings, amused that his expenses claim didn't make the grade. "What's the matter, didn't I claim enough?"

Reg fancies becoming the Superintendent's next clerk and asks what Bob thinks about him applying. "I honestly can't think of anyone more suitable at Sun Hill. The only problem is, it's not a job for an able-bodied copper." Reg wonders if his back has been permanently damaged. "It'd match your brain then, wouldn't it..." Viv snarks. Reg tries to speak to Brownlow about applying for the job but before he can get the request out properly, the Superintendent literally runs up the stairs to avoid talking to him.

Roy tells Bob that Immigration want to borrow 3 officers and will arrive at 11.30 to raid a sweatshop. Bob isn't happy about it, not wanting to do their dirty work for them and tells Roy they're there "to catch villains, not go after some poor sod born in the wrong country."

A shop selling furs reports animal life protesters preventing people entering. Three officers are sent with Bob warning Jim to be careful how he handles it. Taffy answers and is sent over too. Jim enters the shop first and asks the manager if he wants the people removed. One of the protesters tells Jim they're only putting forward a different point of view and, actually, they do mind being asked to leave the shop and so sit down. Pete says they have 1 chance to leave under their own steam or they'll be dragged out. When they don't move, Pete and Jim drag out each protester. They then get arrested for charging at Jim and knocking him over, threatening to do it again even if they do keep getting arrested.

Taffy is mocked by Pete for arriving once the protesters are in the van and claims that there was no point calling him while he was in the cafe. Taffy says he wasn't, he was pounding the beat "covered in pig shit thanks to you," and shouts at Pete for dropping him in it with Bob. Pete says he hadn't, "Cryer already knows you're a lazy git!" At the station, Taffy tells Bob that he was in the cafe for 2 minutes and that he has witnesses. Bob tells him he's not blind and knows that Taffy 'disappears' sometimes, forcing him to admit it before letting him go to change his trousers.

Bob processes the campaigners with them starting to sing a monotonous round of 'on, and on, and on and on again' until Bob shouts at them to "SHUT UP!" Jim claims they were arrested for threatening behaviour and breach of the peace. They add "You're all a load of bastards." and "We'll do it again and again until the murder stops." They refuse to comply with willingly handing their property over so June and Pete take them for a strip search.

Reg delivers one of the most Reg-esque clips in this episode too!

Nick offers just after to go do the body search for her if she wants and Reg cuts in. "I wouldn't if I were you mate. You can catch all sorts of things these days!"

The female prisoner being searched by June is obstructive, insisting that June undress her. "Do you enjoy degrading your fellow women?" she asks with June ignoring her attempts to start an argument.

Nick calls CID about a burglary and can't get hold of Dashers or Ted so contacts Roy. Roy asks if there's been any mention of a wardrobe and, confused, Nick tells him there hasn't been.

In the cells the protesters are still changing 'Fur Traders Out', and 'Here We Go' driving the officers mad with Bob calling them more trouble than bank robbers. He can't risk bailing them so has to keep them overnight for court.

The immigration officer arrives, requesting 3 officers. Bob says he hopes they're not too lucky as they're already almost full in the cells. Abe is also sent over to help. Jim is not impressed about having to help Immigration but Pete is happy to. The man reminds the officers they're only there in case of breach of the peace, they don't need to do anything otherwise. Immigration go upstairs, speaking to the owner of the sweatshop and then to the staff and take one gentleman back with them. "Another blow against the black economy!" Pete beams, before making further racist remarks to Abe.

Roy speaks to the woman who reported the robbery. Despite the confusion, a wardrobe was wrongly delivered to the address prior to the burglary. A neighbour let them in and then, 3/4 of an hour later, let them in again to collect it after they 'realised it was the wrong address'. Roy explains to the women there was likely a man inside the wardrobe and that he and what they took were taken out by the delivery men who are also in on it.

The man removed from the sweatshop is interviewed and admits being in the country illegally. Reluctantly Bob has to agree to hold him until immigration can arrange his deportation.

Pete has arranged a position moonlighting to fill a gap until overtime is allowed again. He's going to be a minder for rich men, £50 a night cash in hand. He claims that in 2 weeks the tax problem will be sorted and another couple of weeks after will pay his holiday off. Jim points out that it'll conflict with his job but Pete insists it'll be fine.

Mike couldn't speak to the shop that the delivery people pretended to be from to see if there was anyone in the dispatch who could be leaking details because of the ban on overtime. Roy is fuming and tries to speak to Brownlow about it but his clerk is obstructive but allows him to make an appointment to speak to Brownlow at 2pm.

June watches as a bride and groom leave the church. She recognises the groom and radios to Taffy to ask about him. Taffy should have been in court the week before for a firearms charge with the groom but he didn't show... She's definitely found him now! The couple and their guests come together for photographs as Taffy and Pete turn up in the van. "Everybody say 'Suspended Sentence!" a man croons with a grin before the groom's face falls, having spotted the officers. They return to the station with the wedding cars following close behind.

(sideview of the station down Artichoke Hill. The 'station' might now be flats but the building behind it still stands with the bottom now a Dominos Pizza shop. The blocks of flats are also still standing though a large group of trees now obscures them from view somewhat.)

The bride's father claims it'll just be 5 minutes for the groom to be charged before they can go on to the reception. The entire wedding party appears to have joined them(!) "Gawd, you think they'd paint it a nicer colour!" June joins them for a bit of wedding cake in the waiting room!

Bob asks them all to clear off because the groom is being held overnight because he skipped off last time. His bride brings him a bit of cake as she comes to say goodnight to him and kiss him goodbye until the next day. She's very forgiving considering!

The gentleman from the sweatshop is very nervous and frightened, refusing food when Taffy does his rounds. He takes the protester's beans on toast but the first refuses it because she's vegan and there's butter on the toast. She then pushes the tray so it covers Taffy in beans. Taffy is furious, booking off for the evening.

Brownlow refuses overtime for the wardrobe burglars who have been doing jobs all over Sun Hill. He calls Bob upstairs for the meeting too and tells them the overtime ban is going to be around for quite some time and that unless it's a major robbery, GBH, murder or rape there will not be any overtime allowed. Having said all that, this must not be allowed to affect their output(!) Bob points out that this meeting has been called after his shift so, technically he should be on overtime. Brownlow tells him that it's coming from on high so has to be passed down and Bob snaps back to ask if anything is being fed back to them about how their money-saving schemes just do not work in practice.

Bob is struggling to put even one officer out daily on foot patrol. Roy adds that they're asked to do the job with both hands tied behind their backs and that the overtime ban does not extend to the villains and as a result he's lost 2 major results that he and CID had already spent many working hours on, only to not get a result from them because they couldn't do extra - much needed - work. How is that cost-effective? "Are we policeman or accountants?" Brownlow repeatedly tells them that they have to find a cheaper and more efficient way of doing their jobs and that it'll benefit them in the future and give them more money to use where it's truly needed. (Newsflash from 2024: No it doesn't! All they do is continue to cut much-needed services to the bone and expect savings to be made where there isn't enough money to fund the basics in the first place.) "What you're saying is that we're deliberately not solving crime now so we can solve it in the year 2000?." "Certain inquiries are more cost-effective than others." "Someone ought to tell the poor sods who think the police are here to help them!"

Pete is placed onto nights the following month because of annual leave... he's not going to be able to do the minder job after all!

The reception is held in the station local as Bob and Roy continue complaining about the politics involved. Abe reveals to Sadie and Jim that he has three daughters, aged 7, 5, and 2. Jim follows him out to go play cricket with him and the kids at the park. Nick drops in for a pint before he goes to Brownlow's house to decorate his bathroom(!) Bob tells Roy that Pete, who is sulking at the bar, received £5K (just shy of 15K in today's money) for policing the miner's strikes whereas he struggled to staff even basic limits at the same time. Roy sighs and tells him it's the same as teachers, meals on wheels and social services so to drink up and shut up.

Incase you're wondering, after Pete and Taffy leave the farm - Pickle isn't mentioned again!

[thenugking]

I've got polls finally so let's settle this

[consanguinitatum]

David Tennant's Plays: You can pre-order Macbeth now!

So you can pre-order the tie-in book for Macbeth at Nick Hern Books - right here! It "features colour photos, a rehearsal diary, and interviews with cast and creatives including leads David Tennant and Cush Jumbo." This book will contain the version of Shakespeare's text used during the performances. I've already done it, because......DUH.

[meademalove]

What does everyone think about Nick Cushing?

[scarlettatg]

The Handmaid’s Tale

June worrying about Nick

Episode 204 Other Women

This is when June returns to the Waterford house after her failed escape. When she goes up to her room she sits by the window and looks to Nick’s apartment. He clearly isn’t there and the entrance looks desolate. I like to believe she was worried about him, wondering if he also got caught. Then when she sees him in the kitchen and you can see that she’s happy and relived. He seems surprised and worried about her.

Episode 206 First Blood

Yes, you can. Because I can't lose you. Do you hear me?

Episode 207 After

Cushing, he's... He wants to know who helped me. When I ran. He's not gonna give up, Nick. He's not gonna give up.

No. No, he's not. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. Okay.

Okay.

What about you?

Episode 303 Useful

I'm getting deployed. To the front. Chicago.

You'll get killed.

Episode 407 Home

I also want you to know that your daddy and I love you so much. Your first daddy.

Episode 409 Progress

I'm sure you're curious what this is about. I don't wanna put you in any danger.

Episode 509 Allegiance

You can be close to Nick too.

What do you mean?

Nick will be there. You could be neighbors. You could borrow cups of sugar from each other, whatever the kids are calling it these days.

Do you think that you can just dangle Nick in front of me and I'll just do whatever the fսck you want?

Episode 509 Allegiance

What about Nick Blaine?

What about him?

I offered to help him when I was in Gilead, if he'd help us, but he turned me down.

What, to be your inside man in Gilead or something?

At first, but then, eventually, to be our man here. With immunity.

He said no?

Episode 509 Allegiance

I don't want to make trouble for you

Episode 510 Safe

Can you get a message to Nick? Just tell him that I'm safe. Tell him that Nichole is safe, okay? Just tell him that we're okay.

[houseofgeeks]

Olympic Podcasts

So as I mentioned, I'm going to be posting a lot of Olympic things here for the next couple of months. And I'd like to start with one of my favorite things, which is Olympic podcasts. There are some that only pop up during the games, and some that are produced year round. This is my list based on my favorites. (Unless stated otherwise, you should be able to find them on all major listening platforms).

Keep the Flame Alive Podcast -Hosts: Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown, USA based. Covers both Olympics and Paralympics, year round coverage. My personal favorite. I really appreciate that they focus on both Olympics and Paralympics (and will be providing daily coverage at both games in person this year) as well as athletes and people involved with the Games that aren't athletes (reporters, commentators, judges etc.) I do also refer to them in my head as Olympic Aunties, so take that into account when considering this podcast.

Off the Podium - Hosts: Ben Waterworth, Colin Hilding & Jarrod Loobeek. Australia based. Covers mostly Olympics. Year round coverage. Definitely good to listen to, to hear stories from Australian athletes.

Anything but Footy - Hosts: John Cushing & Michael Weadock. British based. Both Olympics and Paralympic coverage, more focus on Olympics year round. This one is only a 25-30 minutes podcast so good if you want a short British update.

Olympics.com Podcast - Host: Nick Zacardi (of previous NBC Olympics). This one is the official Olympics Podcast and produced through the IOC. So very Pro Olympics Year Round. But has the largest variety of country representation. Its another 30 minute one, so good for those quick listens.

The Podium - NBC Podcast, only done during the leadup and the Olympics. I don't actually listen to this one, but that's because I can't personally stand the majority of NBC commentary. But I'd thought I'd put it on here in case someone was interested. *Shrug*

Now I do know these are all English speaking podcasts, but I am afraid I only speak English. So if someone else sees this and knows of non English speaking podcasts that I should add, I will. Or you can piggy back off of this post. I do also have some Olympic adjacent podcasts that are sports specific that I will make a different post for later.

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 5.27

Beer Birthdays

Nicholas Kessler (1833)

Morimoto Masaharu (1955)

Sarah Huska (1986)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Miles Davis; jazz trumpeter (1926)

Bobcat Goldthwait; comedian, actor (1962)

Jay Silverheels; actor (1919)

Matt Stone; animator, actor (1971)

John Wayne; actor (1907)

Famous Birthdays

James Arness; actor (1923)

Helena Bonham Carter (1966)

Peter Cushing; actor (1913)

Isadora Duncan; dancer (1878)

Pam Grier; actor (1949)

Levon Helm; pop singer (1940)

Kylie Ireland; porn actor (1972)

Al Jolson; actor (1886)

Lenny Kravitz; pop singer (1964)

Dorothea Lange; photographer (1895)

Peggy Lee; singer (1920)

Queen Mary; queen of England (1867)

Moondog; composer, poet (1916)

Robert Morley; actor (1908)

Brent Musburger; television sportscaster (1939)

Stevie Nicks; pop singer (1948)

Alexander Pushkin; poet (1799)

Washington Augustus Roebling; engineer (1837)

Mick Ronson; rock guitarist (1946)

Sally Ride; astronaut (1951)

Philip Michael Thomas; actor (1949)

Hank Williams Jr.; country singer (1949)

[baddawgsports]

Cincinnati vs NYCFC: Match Recap and Playoff Insights

The New York City Football Club enter the early evening game in Queens, New York on the verge of elimination from the MLS Playoffs. The first round of the playoffs is a best of three and City dropped a heart breaker in the second half on the road to start the round. Should Cincinnati win tonight they will have a 23 day break before the next round. You would’ve expected Citi Field to be packed…

[gurutrends]

Casey Stoney, Nick Cushing and the 10 candidates to replace Jonas Eidevall at Arsenal - ranked

After Arsenal’s poor start to the season continued with defeat to Chelsea on Saturday, Jonas Eidevall handed in his resignation and waved farewell to the club that he has coached for the last three years. In terms of the Women’s Super League title race, it was always going to be difficult for the Gunners to recover from dropping seven points in their opening four games to be a genuine contender.…

[ilikeboeks-blog]

Kiddads head canons from when they were teens.

When Nicholas started going into puberty he became a huge rebel. His dress trousers and polos were all switched out by ripped jeans and either band tshirts or his shirts had some form of profanity on it.

Jodie was actually scared that the other time line was bleeding through into their time line which wasn't the case. Morgan thought it was cool that Nicholas was discovering his own identity unlike before where he would just copy his dad, Jodie did not like that.

One time Nicholas expressed that he wanted to go by Nick or Nicky and his dad was furious thinking Glenn had to do with it and they got into this huge fight. Nick decided Jodie could go fuck him self and ran off to Glenn thinking he'd understand based off his memories from the previous time line. Glenn did, but he also said he should talk to his dad about it and not wait it out at his house.

Nicky remembers how to smoke from the previous time line so he asked Glenn if he could have a joint. And Glenn who learned his lesson by now said: "hey man, don't you have asthma or something?" Which promptly made Nicky leave and find another way to get some cush.

Eventually Lark came up to him with some edibles when there were like 16. They took some gummys together and they both had a bad trip and puked all over each other. They told their parents they ate food that had gone bad to challenge each other. Jodie believed them, Henry knew those red rimmed eyes meant something else.

Sparrow after his love wolf epiphany started to get into astrology and crystals and became cottage core personified. At one point Henry and Mercedes got actually concerned when Sparrow came to them super stressed out because his parents zodiac signs weren't compatible and please don't divorce. Lark laughed at him big time for that and keeps reminding him of that particular incident.

At one point Henry and Mercedes gave the twins an allowance to buy their own clothes. Lark bought a bunch of cargo pants so he could keep as many weapons as possible on him and Sparrow bought a ton of culottes and they were incredibly impractical but looked very cute.

Sparrow made potions and Lark tested them out.

Around 15 they stopped doing twin switches because Lark wanted grow out his stache, he looked like a perf for the longest time.

On his spiritual journey Sparrow smoked a ton of weed (he was also Lark and Nicky's supplier) at one point it became too expensive, so using his druid powers he used 'grow plant' and started growing his on weed supply. After a while Henry and Mercedes were wondering where he got all his money to buy crystals from without a job, but they never found out.

Grant got into the MCU around 15 and became a stucky shipper.

He got into a fight with Lark because he was team cap and Lark was team iron man.

When Darryl and Carol got divorced he was actually relieved and he told his parents too and they were like 'ok cool :|'.

Grant at one point tried to buy a furry costume and Darryl did everything in his power to prevent it. He never actually did because it was too expensive.

Grant's first pride was when he was 16 and all the other teens joined him and his dad and it was one of the best days of his life.

Darryl was freaked out the whole time not because he was scared he'd see gay people kissing, but because he was scared he'd lose the children so he was constantly doing headcounts.

Grant told his parents he didn't want to go to church anymore. Carol was cool about it. Darryl cried.

Grant was actually really popular during high school. He used to be bullied by this one guy who tormented all the queer kids in school, so he fucked the bully up and became a hero.

Terry Jr. unlike in his prepubescent was not a rebel at all. Once he started going into puberty his moody attitude was just gone??? Ron was very conflicted about that.

Terry really got into engineering around age 15 and he started making all kinds of tiny robots. Later he found that there is an extracurricular for engineering and started doing that as well as joining the engineering club.

Terry and Ron's relationship really started to improve once Terry got into high school. Terry wanted to start selling his robots and asked Ron for business advice. Samantha found it really endearing.

Due to Samantha being a therapist, Terry is hyper-aware of his issues and it freaks him out a lot. He also psycho-analyses his friends all the time and it freaks them out. They're freaked out together.

Ron always gives Terry lunch money, he's the only one in their group who gets lunch money and he's kinda jealous of the other guys' homemade lunches. So they make a pact where Terry uses his lunch money to buy food for the group and the others share their food with Terry.

The entire school is cool with Terry, if you'd ask someone about that one Terry Jr. guy they'd be like: 'Terry? yeah he's cool man'. Nobody has a problem with Terry and Terry thinks it's cool, he's just doing his thing anyway.

[forensicated]

02x04 - Home Beat

TW: Racist and homophobic language and insinuations based on the time of filming (1980s)

Sun Hill arrive at a caravan site home to a group of Irish Travellers. They split up to search the caravans with Roy implying a video in one is stolen - until the wife finds the receipt and waves it under his nose. "Want to see the guarantee as well?" she glares. Roy hands it back and Jim apologises for bothering the owners. Outside Roy has his trousers and then leg attacked by one of the dogs, much to the amusement of the gathered officers. With nothing found they return to Sun Hill and head to the canteen minus Roy who has had to go to A&E after a dog bite. "Oh, poor dog." Bob pouts. Jim is placed on home beat with Yorkie as he hasn't had any so far in his probation.

Pete calls the travellers "Gypsies" and says the police should have torn their caravans apart to teach them a lesson as he's certain they're hiding something. "They're all the same." he claims when Jim points out it would hardly be the same ones who stole his bike when Pete was a child. Pete puts the cherry on the cake by calling Abe 'Snowball'. Abe doesn't rise to Pete's attempt to rile him. So far there's been absolutely nothing likable about Pete in the four episodes since his arrival. Thank goodness he doesn't last long.

Bob finds Roy limping up the stairs. "Hear the dog died of rabies? "Place it in the book please, injury on duty." Bob really cheers him up by humming 'How Much Is That Doggy In The Window' as he returns downstairs after telling him that another video has been stolen during a break-in at Derry Street.

Yorkie goes to speak to Roy before taking Jim out home beat (now community policing/safer neighbourhood team). He walks in on him gingerly pulling his trousers back on after redressing his wound.

Roy asks if he has any idea who might be behind the break-ins. "You mean now we know it's not the Gypsies, sir?" he asks pointedly.

As they patrol, Yorkie advises Jim to keep talking to the community, even if they don't talk back to him, and to visit the local schools, churches, mosques and other places of worship as well as shops. We get our first sight of Nick Stringer (Ron Smollet) as Terry Mitchell, a member of the public singing Yorkie's praises to Jim on Yorkie's beat.

A Bengali family has been getting abused since they moved into Derry Street. Yorkie promises the shopkeeper that he'll speak to his bosses and try to get them to take more action but he can't promise anything. Yorkie says it used to be a good estate with no problems but at least he's finally able to get a Neighbourhood Watch group up and running. Yorkie warns Jim that Terry Mitchell is a bit too good to be true. He's supposed to be on benefits but is never short on cash. Something about him makes him suspicious. Before he can continue, Jim finds a drunk and hurries to help - unfortunately, he ends up being vomited on just as Yorkie starts to warn him not to move the man. He then tells him it could be worse. He'd had to give mouth to mouth to a crystal meth addict the week before.

One of the local residents, Maisie, soaks Jim's trousers for him. She reports lots of local problems and claims that the Neighbourhood Watch might finally help them get them stopped. "If I catch the little buggers, I'll-" She starts before Yorkie tells her they don't want vigilante action - just people to report what they see and hear so the police can get it stopped. He asks her if the Bengali family will attend and she says no and that the council were out of order moving them there. Yorkie doesn't understand as other minorities have moved into the area but she claims they attract trouble.

As they move deeper into the estate it becomes obvious where the Ahmed's (the Bengali family) live as they have racist filth painted on their front door. Yorkie claims they don't help themselves by not trusting the police. Jim claims that it's not surprising because where they came from "the police are bully boys with big sticks." Jim goes to go and speak to them but before he does, he and Yorkie join in with a game of football being played by some children. Unfortunately, a misjudged angle from Jim results in the Ahmed's window being broken and Mr Ahmed coming out to survey the damage. Jim is subjected to a 'hooligan' chant as he and Yorkie arrive back at the station.

Roy asks Yorkie if Terry Mitchell 'is queer' because the crime squad have asked him after seeing lots of young lads being in and out of his house. Yorkie says that he isn't gay as far as he's aware and that he keeps a sort of open house/youth club going unofficially from his place. Roy says it was just a chance observation but Yorkie says he was going to ask mounting a discreet obbo on Mitchell. Brownlow interrupts before he can ask officially, going with him, Jim and Robin to the new Neighbourhood Watch meeting.

Yorkie introduces Brownlow and Jim to the residents and explains that Robin is a Crime Prevention Officer who will speak to them about CCTV and chains and other things they can do to protect themselves and their property. As Charles starts a rather unsavoury group of residents enter, causing muttering amongst those gathered. A female resident claims the council should be present because the estate isn't fit for purpose with doors that don't keep draughts out and multiple month waiting lists for maintenance calls or empty the bins weekly as supposed to. Maisie explains to them that it's Neighbourhood Watch, not a council meeting. A couple who don't live on the estate accuses the police of wanting residents to tell tales on each other and to accuse all the crimes on people who aren't white. She claims it's a public meeting so she has a right to be there when challenged and that the police are immoral and that what they need is Citizens Patrol. One of the unsavory residents, a middle-aged skinhead claims that the country is sleepwalking into an AIDS pandemic. The room escalates into the residents shouting and rowing with each other. As they leave, Maisie warns Yorkie that a rent-a-mob from a racist group are coming for a 'party' the next day. She has heard claims that they're going to be terrorising the Ahmed family. As Charles starts to try and leave the Neighbourhood Watch group his car won't start. It appears his petrol has been siphoned.

Nick responds to a call with an extra to another burglary where only a video has been taken - again! A neighbour claims that it was a teen who came - and left - over the back fence.

The next morning Roy and Bob gossip about Charles' problem, claiming they'll get him a lockable petrol tank lid for his birthday. Bob then hands Roy a collection box to put on his desk. "What's it for?" "Battersea Dog's Home." Roy is not impressed😂

Reg goes out on patrol with Abe, complaining that Bob has his favourites who get the more favourable duties like being put on late shifts for a week. Abe points out that late turn are understaffed and busier as more people are awake or finishing work/school and then out for drinks or crimes happening under the cover of darkness so it makes sense to move the officers to where needed. "Not to me it doesn't!" Reg pouts. Thankfully they're interrupted by a call coming in about a burglary happening on an estate around the corner. Abe literally runs into the young lad who is carrying the stolen items. The young lad remains silent the entire time other than to say that he wants to 'talk to Tony only'. Bob tells him he can't as Yorkie is out and Reg moans that he's probably on his third coffee somewhere.

Yorkie asks Terry if he's heard anything from the kids who frequent his place about stealing videos. Terry insists that he's heard nothing and that whilst he wouldn't be surprised given some of the Artful Dodgers he has attending, it's the fault of the parents and the state of the homes they come from. He claims the point of his group is to show the kids that they don't have to be like that and he'd shop them if he caught them doing anything. Yorkie spots Terry has a new pool table and that his door is covered in several bolts, chains and locks.

Jim attends the Ahmed's and spots a little girl looking out the window at him. He tries to chat with her but she hurries away. Yorkie tells him that they won't open the door if Mr Ahmed isn't home. The skinhead from the meeting appears with his German Shepherd and he goes to meet his 'friends' who appear with placards and the Union Jack flag. They exchange a few words and then start marching towards the house, chanting a racist rhyme. Mr Ahmed is seen returning from the shops and the group charges at him with Jim and Yorkie able to get him inside just in time. A van of officers from Sun Hill arrives to help Pete moaning from the off though he does redeem himself a tiny bit by asking if the racist skinhead has a licence for his dog and threatening to visit and check.

Pete loses goodwill from that back at the station, however, by claiming that those who complain about the 'p*kis' have a point. Jim practically audibly rolls his eyes. "They're Bengali. They're not from Pakistan." Pete then claims those complaining are not all thugs and that some of them waited three years for a council flat only for it to be given to an immigrant who just arrived. Jim points out how ridiculous Pete's arguments are and the men argue. When Abe interjects, Pete responds with a racial slur. Abe leaves the room and Pete continues his diatribe claiming that 'they' waltz into the country and jump the queue straight into a rent-free council flat and shout racial harassment as soon as it's pointed out that it's not fair. His sister and her husband have 'more points than Steve Davis and they still can't get a place!' Pete claims he's having to spend half his job running round and wet nursing 'them' and that something is seriously wrong. Jim claims that he's in the wrong job and the two face off with Bob shouting at them to stop it. "Going to kiss and make up are we?" Bob asks. Jim hangs his head and sighs before sitting down slowly. Bob warns them that if he sees it again they'll end up like the last 2 blokes who had a ruck in the canteen and were fined £20 each.

Yorkie talks to the young lad Abe and Reg brought in and takes him upstairs to get something to eat before he takes him home. He tells him that Terry Mitchell will also be disappointed in him and the young lad scoffs. "I'm glad you find it funny, Terry Mitchell's done a lot for you and your mates!" As they pass Bob, Yorkie asks if the Ahmed's can have a guard, especially whilst the mob are still around. Bob says they can have Taffy to the end of his shift and then they'll have to 'get on with it like everyone else.' Yorkie can't name a specific threat against them so Bob can't offer protection unless one comes in.

With Yorkie distracted the boy does a runner. Yorkie and Jim grab their hats and head out after him, telling Roy that he's likely going to be hurrying to Terry Mitchell's. Roy takes them to the estate where Yorkie and Jim stop him from continuing and bring him back to Roy's car. "Looks like a touch of the Fagin's. Pays better than a paper round does it son?" Roy asks before sending Mike to keep an eye out for any kids going to/fro with illicit proceeds. After a quick meeting back at the station and a warrant being obtained, Roy and the others arrive at Terry Mitchell's flat to search for stolen property whilst Jim and Yorkie head with Masie to a police surgery on the estate.

Jim and Yorkie note that the estate is quiet outside the Ahmeds so Jim breaks away to go chat to them on his own, hoping that one officer would make them more likely to open up. At the surgery a West Indian gentleman claims he doesn't mind their cooking, religion, clothes, colour or that they're not British. What he does mind is the trouble they cause. Except they're not - it's the others causing trouble by harassing and attacking them! "It's bad enough walking past their door and seeing that filth every day and hearing the kids shouting at them but what happened this morning [the riot] is bad and real trouble. Me and the wife. We don't want no trouble but we live in the same block and we're going to get it." He says, worrying that they're the next targets of the racists.

At Terry Mitchell's, the police find nothing of note until they try to open the bathroom door. Terry claims someone is using the toilet and Roy orders them to wash their hands and come out. The door slowly opens and reveals several young boys with a bath full of stolen electrical equipment. "Now I can see why you don't take a bath." Mitchell claims that he was only looking after it.

Jim is let in by Mr Ahmed and his family gathers nervously behind him. Mr Ahmed speaks to his family in Bengalese before looking to Jim to explain his wife's concern. "... Will tea bag be alright?" Jim apologises for breaking the window with the football and promises that he will try and help them feel that Sun Hill is better than the last place. He wants them to trust the police and let him help them. Mr Ahmed tells Jim he is grateful. Jim explains that they have a police surgery once a month to iron out problems and Mr Ahmed attends with Jim, wanting to get to know his neighbours. A little while later, one of his children breaks in and drags him back with her. "What's happened?" Yorkie asks. "FIRE!" shouts Mr Ahmed, running back with them. The Ahmed's house is well alight by the time they arrive with flames belching out of the windows and door.

CID make their way over with Tom Penny telling them that it's likely they'll need to take body bags with them. At the scene, there's 3 injured women, one critical. Uniform and the caretaker evacuate the block. Mr Ahmed is deep in shock and is comforted by his neighbours. Jim stands with the Ahmed's children and another neighbour approaches him saying she'll take them to look after.

The next morning, Bob asks Yorkie to try and comfort Jim as he's wobbly after the night before. The fire investigators comb over the house and find that it was a petrol bomb in a wine bottle that started the fire. The lady who was critical is going to live. Just. She's covered in burns and in serious amounts of pain.

Pete complains about early morning house-to-house calls and the old women without their teeth and stains down their dressing gowns answering the doors as it turns his stomach. Jim can barely stand to hear Pete continuing as though nothing has happened, turning and walking out of the canteen.

[sloshed-cinema]

Land of the Minotaur (1976)

Why are B-movies so good at stretching absolutely nothing out to feature length? I suppose it’s case in point that it’s easy to come up with a premise, but more difficult to turn it into a full-on idea. The opening two minutes are easily the best part of the British-Greek coproduction, aside perhaps from the campy bombastic fireworks of the finale. It honeypots the viewer with cult rituals and extravagant set design in some sort of grotto repurposed for pagan rites. People in troublingly Klan-adjacent garb, kids wielding knives stabbing randos, a minotaur idol with a whole dong situation… this is gonna fucking rip! Too bad the rest of this film is pretty much just people asking the locals the same five questions and getting the same responses, all while Donald Pleasence tries to figure out what an Irish accent sounds like. Spinning wheels in the mud for about 70 minutes to no avail. Thrills!

Perhaps redemption comes in a form in just how comprehensively inept the editing of the film proves to be: it’s just so bad as to be entertaining in its baffling nature. Everything that happens is apparently even more boring to the editor than to the viewer, as scenes almost without exception just end whenever the point has gotten across, and often several seconds before what might seem natural. Continuity and the 180-degree rule are completely out the window: when one woman’s bath is interrupted by black-hooded strangers, it would appear that this random inn bathroom has no fewer than a dozen doors and windows. Sequences intercutting a victim and a potential rescuer for suspense are rendered hilariously pointless when the victim just fucking dies well before they could possibly be saved even in the nick of time. And when the movie wants to generate some excitement? Well, it’s time to either snap-zoom to some shocked eyes or just randomly stutter-cut back and forth between two images. The final (literal) explosion is almost unearned because nothing has been remotely that bonkers, and we’ve had no hard proof prior that Fr Roche is actually some sort of badass exorcist/anti-Satan priest/whatever aside from his general curmudgeonly stubbornness. All the same, while this is no Halloween 6, it’s still some fun bonkers Pleasence. That he and Peter Cushing only get a couple of scenes together is a damn shame. This could have turned into an absolute goldmine if they’d been able to explore one another’s bodies even more than that one sacrifice scene.

THE RULES

SIP

The minotaur idol speaks.

Snap zoom on a face.

People in black hoods running.

Someone screams.

BIG DRINK

Owls!

Someone is sacrificed.

A creepy kid stares in a scene.