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Patrick DeWitt's Latest

Boleyn Over!

This evening, May 10th 2016*, West Ham play their final game at The Boleyn Ground, more commonly known to many as Upton Park, before moving to their new home at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford four miles up the road. As the football aficionados among you well know, The Hammers have been playing at Upton Park for 112 years so irrespective of any progress, money or success that the move and the future will bring, it is the end of an era for the majority of their dyed in the wool supporters and a sure sign that things will never be the same again. I watched a video this morning on The Guardian website about how the move will affect the lives of the people, the fans that live in the area who have followed the team all their lives. It's a pretty moving piece and I recommend you have a look because to me it represents the chasm of difference that exists between being a local fan with the club in your veins and being a supporter from afar. And it probably underlines too the oft forgotten fact that winning can often be an unworthy replacement for the strength and resilience that being part of a strong community bestows. Come on you Irons, all!

More soon ...



*May 10th 1980!

Few things that impressed me or resonated with me or whatever this week:

• The opening line of Firebreak by Richard Stark which I started this week: "When the phone rang, Parker was in the garage, killing a man." 
• Advice to drivers on Today with Sean O'Rourke on Wednesday. "Open the door with you left hand. Because you have to turn, you'll see any oncoming cyclists." 
• Russell Brand's talking to Slaven Bilic recently on WHTV - worth a chuckle. COYI
• The death of the peerless Sir George Martin. RIP. Still love that exchange between he and the other George which broke the ice between band and producer in the early days: 

                  GM: "I've laid into you for quite a long time. You haven't responded.
                  Is there anything you don't like?"
                  GH: "Well, for a start, I don't like your tie."

• The fisherman and the penguin. Enough said! 
• The kid with the golf club.

More soon ...

The cops have finally got Parker ... but for how long!