What’s on our shelves: Journeys through Arsenal, Aston Villa, Wales and the Moon

Football trophy cabinets: Arsenal and Aston Villa

Two new trophies have appeared on our respective football club shelves this month. And we can’t shut up about it.

Jonathan celebrates Arsenal’s success

Arsenal, a club that recently has been a Premiership bridesmaid (finishing in second place over the last three seasons) won the Premier league title for the first time in 22 years.

Jonathan said “My Dad took me for my first Arsenal game against Spurs on 11 April 1977 and I’ve had the pleasure of being at the trophy parade in 2004 and seeing the Invincibles but this still seems a long time coming”.

Don’t believe the narrative of other team supporters who are trying to put down this achievement, the facts are clear, Arsenal were the best team this year. There is a health warning out to avoid Arsenal fans for just being insufferable and we’ve got a lot of grudges to settle! I say ….. “Forgive and …” … no, forget that, time to repay! Who knows, could get even better next weekend with a Champions League title up for grabs?!

Val gets misty eyed about Aston Villa

Meanwhile, Aston Villa had a fantastic, if unexpectedly successful, 25/26 season by qualifying for next season’s Champions League ‘twice over’ (once by finishing fourth in the Premiership and once by actually winning the Europa Cup) –  just to be safe!

“My dad took me to my first Villa match when I was four years old. It was an evening match, and I remember being overwhelmed by the noise but mostly fascinated by the enormous column of cigarette smoke illuminated by the floodlights”.

For older Villa fans the return to winning in Europe was a poignant reminder of our 1982 European Cup win. The captain of that squad, Dennis Mortimer, has lived with me in action figure form since then. Although a little faded, he continues to perform a sliding tackle on my desk and is one of my most treasured possessions.

Jonathan Field, Managing Director, and Val Skelton, Administrator – Open Fifth

TV series: Widows Bay created by Katie Dippold

Apple TV

A retro creepy/horror, with a lot of quirky humour – imagine Parks and Recreation but in Stephen King’s world. An island with a chequered past and an insular folk full of superstitions and the ghosts of dark deeds. 

Our main protagonist is the mayor, whose father was born on the island but he was raised on the mainland. He desperately wants tourism to come and revitalise the island so he manages in the first episode to get a journalist to wax lyrical about the quirky little holiday location and succeeds in bringing lots of folks, spending their dollars.

Unfortunately it coincides with the island “waking up”. There is an overall theme, but each episode is a mini story in its own right. The episodes range from creepily odd, suspenseful and downright scary. Warning for other clown phobics in episode 2 – prepare yourselves!

Sam Goldsmith, Business Development Manager – Open Fifth

Book: London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe

I was recently taking a shortcut through my local library and decided after many, many years to pick up a new library card (and stop bothering my wife to pick up books for me). My final book on her account is London Falling, Patrick Radden Keefe’s deep-dive into the mysterious death of a London nineteen year old discovered in the River Thames in 2019.

As Zac Brettler’s parents try to get answers, they begin to unravel more than any parent could have expected [possible spoilers]: his false identity as the son of a Russian oligarch, fake business deals, connections to the seedy London underworld, and possible police coverups (and/or incompetence). The book is also a detailed family portrait about the unwavering love of Zac’s parents, a son they discovered through his loss, and the revealing of more secrets and surprises amongst other members of their families. The Thames also takes on a character of its own, connecting and concealing as it weaves its way through Keefe’s compelling book.

Other excellent books by Patrick Radden Keefe: Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland (2018) and Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty (2021).

Lauren Purton, Marketing Executive – Open Fifth

Song: Ciosg Talysarn by Dafydd Iwan

Ciosg Talysarn is a protest ballad about a phone box in rural Wales, and the MI5 agents caught tampering with it.

In the song, Iwan posits that maybe the bug device placed by unidentified men driving a car whose registration lookup was blocked by the Home Office was not intended for surveillance at all, but was simply a way for Margaret Thatcher to keep in closer contact with Ronald Reagan using the Welsh telephone network.

Because of the ineptitude of the men placing the bug this clandestine operation became a matter of national public interest, was discussed at length in parliament, and a catchy song was written.

There’s a groovy clarinet, and no English translation.

It’s very good.

Jake Bateman, Linux System Administrator – Open Fifth

TV series: Margo’s got money troubles (again) by Rufi Thorpe

Apple TV

Elle Fanning, Nick Offerman and Michelle Pfeiffer all feature in this star-studded TV series.

I was prompted to watch this at last by Helen Symington raving about the book and TV series. I thought to myself, this is a woman who doesn’t tend to rave or rant – let’s give it a go… Helen was right ! It’s magnificent, I am very invested and wish I had waited until more episodes were out.

Sam Goldsmith, Business Development Manager – Open Fifth

TV series: For All of Mankind created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert & Ben Nedivi

Apple TV

I missed this when it was new, but enjoying the fact that there are lots of episodes to catch up with.

The premise is – what if the USSR had got to the Moon first? This alternative history explores the effect that competition would have on NASA, and the US social sphere. We have just reached the branch off firmly from real history at the end of series one with the first Moon Base. The characters are very believable and multi-faceted and it’s great to explore the pressures and world of 1960/70s USA.

Sam Goldsmith, Business Development Manager – Open Fifth