The aRRivALl

    I don’t know why I’m here, they must have made a mistake, yes that’s it they’ve made a mistake, and when they realize that they’ll release me.
    Someone calling herself Number 2, who appears to be the head woman, invited me to join her for breakfast in her office this morning. Number 2 asked me if I’d had a comfortable journey. I told her that I couldn’t say, seeing as I was unconscious at the time! I was then de-briefed and briefed upon my position. I pleaded with her that someone had made a mistake, that I shouldn’t be here. I told her I’m loyal, that my loyalty has always been beyond question. Please I said, check, check every detail about me. She said that they had, and that I could read it all for myself in my personal file.
   As far as I could tell the hours turned into a day, the day turned into a week, the week into a month, and all the time I was questioned, interrogated, tormented, tricked, fooled, and even endured mind altering drugs. They wanted to know all about me, but they knew all that anyway, it was just to get me to talk, but I had nothing to say, nothing!
   I told them again that if they thought they had the right man they were wrong, because they had the wrong man! Then one day……… Number 2 called me into her office, she told me that she had been reviewing my case, and had been doing some investigating. She apologized for her predecessors attitude towards me, and told me that there had in fact been a mistake, that I should have been released on the day I had arrived. I was much relieved to learn this, and prepared myself to leave, if they could just let me have my clothes……..but I was told they had been burnt! Why? Apparently it was thought I would not have any further use for them, again Number 2 apologized. She said she could understand my sudden jubilation at the thought of being released. But sadly my feeling of joy was premature. Number 2 informed me that it is has now become impossible to release me, due to the knowledge now in my possession. It has been decided that I have become a security risk. And will now spend the rest of my days in the peaceful atmosphere of The Village!

Be seeing you

Bureau of Visual Records

   Life imitating art! In the article “Digital force fields to stop terrorist vehicles” in The Times newspaper Saturday July 1st 2017 “It is believed that ministers are interested in technology such as geo-fencing systems, which use satellites to create electronic boundaries around specific sites.” Reading this, thoughts instantly turned to the Prisoner episodes ‘The General’ and ‘Dance of The Dead’ wherein the Town Hall and sensitive areas therein are protected by an electronic force field!

   “Are you alright? You tried to go in, by mistake? It’s fussy about who it lets in, this is the Town Hall.”

Be seeing you

The Therapy Zone

    I sometimes wonder, when I watch ‘Checkmate,’ if Number 219 who seems to be an assistant to the Supervisor-Number 56 might once have been assistant to Number 2. But Number 2 being an excellent administrator Number 219 became superfluous, and went to work in the Control Room as assistant top the Supervisor. Just like Number 2’s assistant during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ and Number 22 of ‘It’s Your Funeral,’ because that’s what appears to have happened to them. In the one case for punishment, for suggesting that there are methods they haven’t used against Number 6. And in the other because Number 22 had nothing better to do, seeing as his Number 2 was preoccupied with his forthcoming retirement! But even then only one out of the three actually made himself busy by assisting the Supervisor. And yet another Supervisor-Number 26 had an assistant, Number 60. Number 60 hadn’t been an assistant to Number 2, that was Number 14’s job, if Number 2 would allow him to do what he’s supposed to do! So what about this Number 60, perhaps he was an apprentice, learning to be a Supervisor from one who is the best, the most competent of all the Supervisors Number 26. After all Number 2 isn’t the only one who will retire one day, there would come a time when Number 26 could look forward to his own retirement into the Old People’s Home. What a thrilling prospect for anyone who has served The Village so well.

Be seeing you

Village Life!

    “It’s terrible to be brought face to face with oneself, I can’t believe it, I’ve been ‘C’ all the time! How could that have happened?”
    It must have been quite a shock, the sudden realization, it’s not at all like looking at oneself in the mirror. Don’t worry Number Two, this is a trick that will be played more than once, you wait until ‘The Schizoid Man’ and ‘Fall Out,’ Number Six will brought face to face with himself twice, three times if you count the dummy in the cloakroom! But of course you won’t be around to see that, mind you it’s not everyone who gets a second bite of the cherry, generally speaking one strike and you’re out.
   “Number Fourteen’s drug failed.”
    No he succeeded, but I assure you that you will not be the only Number Two to fall foul of Number Six. All I can say is better luck next time.
    “Next time, there’s to be a next time?”
    Why yes, it’s impossible to bring in your successor at such short notice, so just carry on regardless.
    “I’m not a well man!”
    What...oh I see are you fit for a second term? Well we’ll just call this your first term, no need to serve a second....have you been introduced to the General?

Be seeing you

The Trivia!

    Number 2 called it the trivia of your resignation, Number 6’s resignation that is, and really by the time of ‘A Change of Mind’ I suppose that is what it had come to be, a trivial point. After all no Number 2 had interrogated Number 6, or had carried out some ingenious plan in order to try and extract the reason behind his resignation since ‘The Schizoid Man’ episode, and that was 6 episodes back. But then it seemed to matter again, and Number 2 tried his best to make it a trial matter. And yet in his sedated state of mind Number 6 resisted still, he was not about to give up the reason behind his resignation because he was not obliged to give a reason. But what would it have mattered had Number 6 given them a reason, after all he could have told them anything, as long as it sounded convincing enough. But perhaps that was it, give one piece of information away, and all the rest would follow. It might be supposed he took a risk by giving them the time of his birth, but then he knew that they had that on record, even if they had deleted it from his personal file. One trivial point, ‘A Change of Mind’ has something in common with ‘Dance of The Dead,’ they both carried a threat which Number 2 knew would not be carried out against Number 6!

Be seeing you

Press Release For: The Prisoner: It Means What It Says

Understanding ‘The Prisoner’ at 50 – By The Fans, for The Fans

The Prisoner: It Means What It Says

   Trying to Understand The Prisoner, Volume One

    50^th Anniversary Edition (2 variations) Edited by Ed Fordham (Cover by Dan Kreeger, Illustrations by Warren Green, 'The Jailbird' by Steve Matt, Foreword by Rick Davy, 'Looking After Number One' by VJ Clarke, etc.)

    On the surface, The Prisoner was an unusual TV series - a mixture of spy thriller, action and science fiction - about a man who resigns a top secret job and is then abducted and taken to a strange place simply known as the Village. Here, others like him have been living peacefully and he is known only as Number Six, but he refuses to accept both his imprisonment and the number. Each episode finds him battling efforts by one of a succession of Village leaders, each known only as Number Two, to extract the priceless information in his head.
    Gradually however, under the guidance of Patrick McGoohan (who both starred as Number Six and was Executive Producer), the series becomes an allegory indicating that we are all 'prisoners' of some kind, ultimately held captive by our own worst enemy - ourselves.

   Over the past fifty years, many attempts have been made to understand or decode The Prisoner. Is it really a work of television art, as often claimed? Can the concepts of politics, sociology and psychology be seen as shaping the fabric of the series? Who is Number Six? Who are the various Number Twos and to whom do they owe their allegiance?
   For the 50th anniversary of The Prisoner, this first volume unlocks facets of the series through a variety of topics, with the help of those who know it better than anyone - its fans. Mixed with humour and illustrated throughout, a range of essays and critiques examine the elements that make up the series’ DNA.

·       Very personal views from the wide fan base, aimed at creating an understanding of the various themes of the series

·       More frivolous pieces build on the series’ wit and whimsy

·       Includes the long awaited return of ‘The Jailbird’ cartoon

·       Pieces dealing with ‘The Butler’, Lotus 7 cars, Mini Mokes and why the episode 'Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling' has been much maligned

   All profits from the sale of this book will go to Tŷ Gobaith, a hospice for life limited children, located in North Wales.

STANDARD EDITION (b & w illustrations), 333 pages  -  £9.99
FULL COLOUR EDITION, 358 pages  -  £29.99

Standard Edition 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1549572393/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504309921&sr=8-1&keywords=it+means+what+it+says

Full Colour Edition

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1549586246/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1504309921&sr=8-5&keywords=it+means+what+it+says

Be seeing you

Exhibition of Arts And Crafts

                                  The Arrival

BcNu