Common Ground with the Guide: Reflecting on 2018

You can go to the Brexit debate at a cinema in Bolton today and the League of Gentlemen will be playing.

Bolton high Street is a circus of political activity with just 30 days to go to the UK’s departure from the European Union.

Trade unions, travel agents, film distributors and newspaper groups are staging their own street stalls and exhibitions, trying to sway the electorate.

And the people who made The League of Gentlemen deserve a celebration. They worked to make sure The League of Gentlemen was a good first step, but the art they have done best is to keep the back page of the newspaper a secret until the last minute.

Later this year the book they wrote together will go on sale. It may be the end of the road for the local comedy, but the actors are still involved in drama and music and a limited run runs until February 26th.

The only thing more unlikely than getting onto Game of Thrones is getting to manage a party supply chain in North Korea.

Before travelling to the North, the Uk government had a contingency plan. A joint UK and Korean team would meet at the border and advise their national leaders to keep their distance, protect their citizens, and keep angry citizens from destroying the peace.

It seems President Moon has agreed to follow the plan and a trip is now on the cards. No word yet on whether and when the President will meet the Leader of the Free World.

Will an all Scots final of this year’s Ladbrokes Rugby Union World Cup draw upset the England faithful?

Well there have been frequent – and vicious – blows between the two sides in recent years.

The Scotland team involved in a drawn-out bad blood between Glasgow and Edinburgh – a history dating back to the 18th century.

And those fans at Murrayfield, who might think it would be wise to throw the ball under their feet, could be forgiven for worrying about what would happen if there was a Scottish v England quarter-final.

So, a round of applause if the wise Scots choice for the draw is handled properly. The usual autocratic voice will indicate the Scots aren’t invited.

Fusion is the opposite of an expedition.

I suggest you view this delightful new YouTube video and enjoy, on a balmy night, an authentic slice of second world war life.

A young soldier has fallen off a sled and is injured. A severe sprained ankle and a cold shivers tell him about the Christmas feasts which await him after a hasty rescue by his best friend.

The voiceover, by the singer Felix Barrett, tells us the story as its being shown to Lieutenant General Hamill, who has just arrived to direct the operation to get the man back to his regiment.

His regiment will do the same for him. And why not? This is just the sort of thing that could happen in a Second World War. It’s a bit like British Army rugby.

The look on Hamill’s face when he discovers the reason for the warmongering between his brigade and Scotland could not be bettered.

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