Friday March 11, 2005

New Timewatch series

The excellent Timewatch series is back. Last week we saw a reconstruction of a Roman court where a son was accused of murdering his father. If found guilty he would have faced a nasty death being flayed, then sewn into a sack with a monkey, dog, snake and cockerel before being thrown into the Tiber . This was the worst crime as far as the Romans were concerned. If the prosecutor failed to make the case stick he would have the letter 'K' branded on his forehead. It was a very good programme. Tonight is about Stalin and who may have killed him which sounds a bit like a book I have read already .

Tonight BBC2 9pm.

Swedish hotels

Not minding when people make fun at me I told everyone a story after returning back from a work trip to Sweden a while ago.

I checked into my hotel. All very nice but I was tired after my journey so I had a bath and lay on the bed for a rest. I then got up to leave the room. A very strange lock was on the door which I could not open. The door would not budge. I soon got fed up and tried to ring reception. Of course the hotel instructions are all in Swedish. I tried 0 and 1 to get the operator. Nothing. Things are getting desperate. I decide I cannot ring my lab guy in Sweden due to the embarassment this will cause me. More fiddling with the phone. I finally get reception. I explain my problem. The receptionist will come up.

The door bell rings. I ask the receptionist to let herself in. The door opens outwards.

I am left looking with bewilderment at a very pretty Swedish blonde girl thinking perhaps it was me who had the blonde moment. Imagine a fire bell going off in that hotel. Everyone opens their doors to escape. People are running along the corridor. As they run along doors are opening outwards. They crash into the doors...