Simon Rattle at 60

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Yesterday was the 60th birthday of Sir Simon Rattle — conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.  It does not seem that long ago since he was an up-and-coming young conductor with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.  Born in Liverpool, he was clearly a man with considerable talents who succeeded in making the Birmingham orchestra something special.  I have heard that orchestra in live performance— at the Three Choirs Festival — but not for many years and long before Simon Rattle was involved.  I have seen Simon Rattle conducting the Philharmonia in the Royal Festival Hall — on one occasion, I arrived at the hall in a rush and had to wait until the end of Berlioz's Roman Carnival Overture before they would allow me into the hall.  That concert included two symphonies by Sibelius and as I waited Vladimir Ashkenazy came rushing up.  He, also, was made to wait, but he obviously thought that Simon Rattle and Sibelius was something worth listening to and later — this was the 1980s — he became a noted performer of the Sibelius symphonies himself.  Simon Rattle had been with the Berlin Philharmonic since 2003 and I think his contract will end in 2018.  He has indicated that he will not try to extend his stay and will leave at that time.  After sixteen years with the finest orchestra in the world, what will he do then?  Have a go at opera, perhaps.  Inevitably, there have been some always ready to criticize his direction of the orchestra and have suggested friction with the players but when his decision was announced two years ago orchestra members expressed their regrets at the decision and spoke of "the great sympathy" between conductor and musicians.  Over the years, his Kevin Keegan permed hair has transformed from a brunette colour to a gradually  whitening grey but I still find it difficult to see him as other than the young man in Birmingham.

I wish Sir Simon all the best for the future.

Another birthday yesterday was that of the buxom country and western singer Dolly Parton.  Not my cup of tea, music wise but as she reaches 69, I have to say that she does seem to have been around for years without changing very much.  I wish her well also.

Yesterday was a good day for birthdays.  Michael Crawford [Some Mother's Do 'Ave 'Em] was 73; Stefan Edberg [tennis player] was 49; Jenson Button [F1 driver] was 35; Julian Barnes [journalist and author] was also 69.  John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons was 52, but many a Tory MP will think he has been speaker since ............................................almost for ever!

I wish them all a belated Happy Birthday.

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Ban on Snowman

The weather hasn't been too good in the northern part of Saudi Arabia in the last week or so.  In fact it has been snowing. Very unseasonable in this often very hot country.  Snow has covered upland areas of Tabuk province near Saudi Arabia’s border with Jordan — for the third consecutive year as cold weather swept across the Middle East.  Surely, an  opportunity for children and the young of heart to throw snow balls and build snowmen.  However, Saudi  Arabia is the sort of country where it is as well to seek advice before doing anything.  A member of the public asked a simple question via a religious web site if it was permissible to build a snowman?  Back came the reply from a prominent cleric  “It is not permitted to make a statue out of snow, even by way of play and fun.”  In reaching this decision he quoted Muslim scholars, arguing that to build a snowman was to create an image of a human being, an action considered sinful under the kingdom’s strict interpretation of Sunni Islam.

This absurd ruling was supported by some and ridiculed by others.  After last week's events in Paris to get stories like this makes me wonder what nonsense will we have to listen to or read next.  Any religion or doctrine that cannot accept criticism or ignore trivialities of this nature is not worth very much.

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Let Ched Evans Play Football

I want to talk about Ched Evans — after all everyone else is talking about him.  Everyone has an opinion about the fate of this moderately talented footballer. I will state immediately that I am on his side.  Until this argie-bargie started I had hardly heard of Ched Evans — but then he has been out of the picture as far a football is concerned for more than 2½ years.

Ched Evans has played for a number of clubs as well as the Welsh national team.  Before this saga began he was playing with Sheffield United with some success and was being paid by them at the modest rate of £20,000 per week.  But then in the  small hours of 30th May 2011, an incident occurred which at this moment is showing all the signs of ending his career for good.

The mother of Ched Evans lives in Rhyl and the footballer, staying with her, invited Clayton MacDonald, the Port Vale defender, and others for a Bank Holiday night out in the town.  Since space was limited in his mother's house, he booked his long time friend into a nearby Premier Inn.  In the early hours of the morning of 30th May, Clayton MacDonald was making his way back to the hotel and near a pizza take-away he met the 19 year old Lauren Crawford — whose name soon became public knowledge when things started to get out of hand — and took her back to the hotel.  On the way he sent a text message to Ched Evans stating that he had "got a bird."  Ched Evans went to the hotel, let himself into Clayton MacDonald's room and watched his friend and the woman having sex.  It was claimed that MacDonald asked if his friend could "get involved", to which the woman said, "Yes!". Subsequently, Chad Evans suggests, the girl asked him to perform oral sex on her. He did so and then they had sexual intercourse. Throughout all the activities with him she was enthusiastic, wide awake and she consented to everything that happened. He left the hotel using the fire exit and the woman went to sleep.  There was no evidence of any struggles and the woman was completely uninjured.

Subsequently the woman involved made a complaint that she had been raped and the matter came to court in Carnaervon in 2012.

But let us look a little more closely at the complainant She worked as a waitress in the restaurant of a local hotel.  She finished work shortly before midnight on 29th May, drank some alcohol, went home, showered, drank more alcohol and then went to a bar, where she arrived at just after 1.30am.  I think we can assume that she did not go there for an evening constitutional, a chocky biscuit and a cup of Horlicks.  She drank wine and vodka and left at about 3am. She said that she could not recall leaving the bar. She had a vague recollection of being in a kebab shop and was seen eating pizza from a large box.  She was unsteady on her feet and walked unsteadily. Based on this and CCTV evidence,the prosecution case was that she was very drunk.

Neither of the defendants denied having sex with the woman; their defenses were that the woman had consented.  Somehow the jury reached a conclusion that Clayton MacDonald had not raped the woman and he was acquitted.  But, very oddly,they concluded that Ched Evans had raped her, he was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.  In the normal way, he served half of his sentence and was released on licence in October 2014.  Naturally, the 26 year old wanted to resume his career as a footballer.  And then the internet exploded with demands that he should not be allowed to and probably he should never play football again.

His old club, Sheffield United invited him to come to train with them.  As a result, the player and the club were bombarded with vitriol at the mere suggestion  So Sheffield withdrew their offer.  Ched Evans has been looking for another club and it looked as though Oldham Athletic would offer him a job — albeit at a TENTH OF HIS PREVIOUS SALARY.  But for the flog him and hang him brigade, even this was not enough.  He must never be allowed near a football pitch ever again. This is not just wrong, it is absurd and indefensible.  He has served his sentence, even as he protests his innocence and now should be able to continue his career.  His area of expertise is football and he should be allowed to undergo complete rehabilitation. 

Oldham Athletic have now discontinued discussions with Ched Evans as various sponsors threatened to end their sponsorship and staff, players and their families were subject to abuse and death threats.  This is so wrong.  Ched Evans cannot go abroad while he is out on licence and he is still fighting to have his conviction overturned.  I wish him luck in his endeavours and I hope the police will give some attention to investigating those who lead the campaigns of abuse.  

Ched Evans has done nothing that many other young men have done and will continue to do without women complaining of rape at a later date.

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