I caught up with a program about Atlantis the other night. Finding this program on television was a suprise and something of a coincidence. I'd recently spotted a book on our library shelves that was on the same subject. The book, unsuprisingly, delved into every myth and urban legend ever associated with our famous lost city.

Some people actually believe all this stuff. A while back I noticed a chap looking at a book on the secrets of the pyramids and since he had all the appearances of studious intelligence, I made an unwelcome comment about whether reading books like that was really the right thing to do. He of course did believe what was written in it, and we had a long debate about various myths and realities. It all got a bit metaphysical and I'm not sure who won the argument. I think the problem was that neither of us had any pictures of landscape, dramatic re-enactments, or detailed graphics to prove our point.

Which brings us neatly to the television program I saw, which included all these things as the female presenter trotted around various places pointing out all the connections that everyone else has been pointing out for the last hundred years, except she's prettier than most Atlantis seekers and had access to a film crew, not to mention some restricted areas.

Despite my misgivings I was pleased to see that she more or less said the same things I've been bleating on about for years, if not quite a century. Great minds think alike, as they say.

Hang on a minute....

Flies

Another blistering hot day to come. It's mid morning and already the air is getting sweaty in the library, the air conditioning intruding upon orur silent internet browsing with an insistent rush, something like a well behaved vacuum cleaner. My thoughts are less on my job search, which I'm pleased to say I've added to today, having sent one application for an impossibly restricted vacancy, receipt of a rejection email, and finally having my forgotten password details forwarded by a company that tells everyone how it believes in customer service. No, instead my mind is wandering and considering what to do with this wonderful weather. I can see the hazy sunshine out of the window. It's very appealing.

As always seems to happen in summer, an open window at home attracts a small swarm of flies. They congregate in the living room and re-enact the aerial battles over the trenches of WW1 in miniature. Luckily my carpet isn't covered with mud, barbed wire, and dead bodies. Funny thing is though - When I close the window, the flies vanish. Disappear completely. I sense an episode of Doctor Who coming on.

Of course the relentless media machine behind the new series continues. Recently I saw that actress Karen Gillan, who plays red head assistant Amy Pond, is voted the best Dr Who assistant of all time, by the program advertisers naturally. Would it be possible to make up my own mind, please? Well, she can act I suppose, but somehow she just doesn't engage my attention. But, as the saying goes, she got the part, so no flies on her.

Lost City

Atlantis is a funny thing. Plato wrote a story and everyone since has believed the whole thing was real. Certainly it was based on real world events in centuruies gone by, but adapted, enlarged, and grossly exaggerated. Rather like our new series Doctor Who. I wonder if in future archaeologists will be coaming through ancient records of the twenty first century trying to find real evidence of Swindon? Perhaps holo-books will be created on the subject, telling that space aliens founded a colony here. Children sat open mouthed in front of their virtual teacher as the imagery of a powerful railway civilisation conquering the known South West is created by artists.

Swindon has long had ambitions to become an offical city. Civic pride I imagine, no doubt fuelled by under-the-table deals. A part of me thinks, like Atlantis, that finding the real city will never satisfy those who want the status. I think Swindon should be allowed to remain a legend. A myth, a forgotten place of unfashionable mediocrity and rainy streets. Why? Because I don't think anyone will take the place seriously, no matter what you call it.