Not all good luck

Younger son and I went to Norwich today, he wanting new clothes and we both wanting to see Caché (Hidden) with Juliet Binoche and Daniel Auteuil. I started by going into Jarrolds and leaving some time later both richer and poorer, by 5 books and £36. So I went down to the cinema, which has an adjoining bar, to have a drink and sit and read while waiting for the film so that there was no temptation to spend more money.

But the bar was closed as the staff have chosen today for a jolly. And the film on offer was Match Point instead. Apparently Caché was delivered 2 hours early and to the wrong place, so was taken back to the depot which then shut for the weekend. Oh.

I trailed back to the city to check Son's regular haunts but couldn't find him so sheltered from the hailstone under an archway and read a book - blimey, I thought, a slender paperback for £9.99, especially as a first novel. I looked at the back - £6.99. Checked receipt again, sighed, went back up the hill to reclaim my £3. Since I'd forked out £4.50 in car parking (really, Norwich is outrageous, they really don't want visitors. Even the park and ride is £3 which is fine for a day but I don't have time or money to shop for a day) to see a film that wasn't on, I wasn't going to lose out by overpaying for my book as well.

In the event we went to a different cinema and saw Good Night, and Good Luck, George Clooney's new film, about CBS reporter Ed Murrow's stand against Senator McCarthy in the 1950s. Powerful stuff, brave of GC - hardly a mass audience film and in black and white to boot. Noticeable also for more cigarettes on view in any film since The Man who Wasn't There, also b & w. I think I read that George C put on a good deal of weight for the film, how dedicated of him since he is reaching an age when it is very difficult to get it off again and once that chin sags, can you get the taut jawline back? He doesn't look fat, just bulkier than usual. With a thicker neck. The b & w was necessary as footage from the time was included.

With 5 new books (plus 3 library books, 2 of them unfinished and 1 unstarted, due back next Friday) I must go and start reading.