A ruby with the lads…

Following my work’s do I had another outing. This time it was with a dozen guys from down the street. One of our neighbours arranged the gathering where we met at one of our locals for a quick drink before going on to the village curry house for a slap-up meal, some more drinks and a chance to meet and find out more about the other people in the street. It was a brilliant idea and we are all very keen to do this again and to expand it to a family get together with wives and kids too.

Mistletoe and wine…

We were a bit hesitant about going along to my company’s Christmas party as we had missed the one last year, the first after I joined the company, but we were pleasantly surprised. The food was very good for mass-catering and we were at a table of people that we knew from previous jobs for quite some time. It didn’t take much encouragement for Sue to get out onto the dance floor but it was much harder to convince her to take a break. The wine was not so great and on the expensive side and the room was just fine, but the cooked breakfast was an absolute necessity the following morning. The do was in a hotel near work and we had decided to stay over as it is a good distance from home and it would either be an expensive taxi ride or a boring and sober evening.

Shop till you drop…

Recently we took a day off work and went into our nearest large town to try and do all of our Christmas shopping in one hit. The day was pretty much a success with us getting near enough 90% of our presents sorted out. Just about everything else was bought via the internet. We have almost wrapped them all, have sent the overseas package to my family, written and posted most of the cards and have the decorations up around home. So we are nearly ready for the festive season.

More of wot I have read…

Stark by Ben Elton

In Ben Elton’s first novel the author lays out his stall for environmentalism from the stand point of a comfortably off middle class professional in the UK. As such many elements of the story have resonances with a reader of a similar background. I have read several of his books and find them entertaining and clever (apart from the tendency for the occasional ‘farty’ reference) and this was no exception.


“Stark has more money than God and the social conscience of a dog on a croquet lawn. What's more, they know the Earth is dying. Deep in Western Australia where the Aboriginals used to milk the trees, a planet-sized plot takes shape. Some green freaks pick up the scent. A Pommie Poseur, a brain-fried Vietnam Vet, Aboriginals who lost their land... …not much against a conspiracy that controls society. But EcoAction isn't in society; it just lives in the same place, along with the cockroaches. If you're facing the richest and most disgusting conspiracy in history, you have to do more than stick up two fingers and say 'peace'.”

An emotional time…

We visited my Aunt and Uncle on the weekend for my Uncle’s 60th birthday which nearly didn’t happen. They recently received some very bad news about my Aunt’s illness and my Uncle couldn’t face having a celebration under the circumstances, but my Aunt insisted with her usual stoic manner and we gathered with friends at an Italian restaurant where we all enjoyed ourselves in each others company. The indoor firework on the birthday cake nearly removed eyebrows with its display and ended the evening on a bang.

A man and his shed…

We have just taken receipt of a new shed at home. The old one had been there fore at least 20 years and although well built was suffering rot and borer damage. Also we wanted something that was more suitable to our growing of plants, so we went for a ‘potting’ shed, which includes a large glass window with a bench under it for starting seedlings earlier and for growing tender plants under glass.

First of all I had to take down the old shed and make sure there was a solid base underneath for the new one to be built upon (the delivery included assembly). It soon became clear why the old shed was still standing after such a long time as it took ages to pull it down, break it up and dispose of it (the concrete-asbestos roof had to be taken to a special dump to deal with).

The building had been built on concrete pillars straight on the ground so I needed to lay a base. It just so happened that we had a front path of plain slabs that we didn’t like so I took these up and cleaned the old concrete off them and laid a new path. Then with the old slabs and a couple of additional ones I laid the base for the new shed. Not something I had done before and apart from a couple of broken slabs and a slight dip at one corner, it was not too bad.

We had a couple of delays to the expected delivery date and had to rearrange work and holidays to accommodate them but eventually it came and the two guys had it up in less than an hour in the rain. We then spent another couple of hours filling it back up with the soaking wet stuff that had been sitting out on the deck for weeks. We will need to sort it out better, but for now it is undercover.

More of wot I have heard…

Yo La Tengo – I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass

This was an impulse buy for me as I needed to add something to my Amazon order to get free delivery (good sales tactic by them). I had heard several of their tracks before and I found this Indie-rock styled band interesting .Admittedly it is not to every bodies taste, and I don’t think it will get ‘high rotation’ at our home.

The band has been around for about twenty years but they have never really made it in the mainstream media (not that I hold that against them – most of the bands I like are not part of the mainstream pap).

When it comes to music, don’t be afraid to try something new.



Various Artists – Songs of America

I heard of this album on a late night BBC Radio 2 program by Stuart Maconie and thought it would be an interesting collection of songs. It is probably more for someone who wants to see the progress of American folk and is an intriguing documentary of the genre than for an evening of easy listening but there are some wonderful re-interpretations of classic standards in this collection and I am glad I bought it even if the motivation for creating it does appear to be a bit on the ‘worthy’ side.


Song Of America is a 50-song, 3-disc album that traces the history of the United States through its folk and popular musical traditions. The idea was the brainchild of President's Clinton's former Attorney General Janet Reno, whose premise was that music can be used as a great tool to teach the ideals and mores of the American peoples. Enlisting her nephew, producer Ed Pettersen and teaming up with David Macias of 31 Tigers (who won a Grammy for Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs Of Stephen Foster), this set has been nine years in the making. The result is an incredible musical journey.

Disc 1 extends from the famous date of 1492 up to 1860, a broad sweep including John Wesley Harding's version of 'God Save The King' through to Beth Nielsen Chapman's spine tingling negro spiritual 'Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child.'

Disc 2 from 1861 to 1945 sees songs from the Civil War in the anti-war song 'Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye' (Janis Ian) through to the Depression and then to war again, this time on foreign soil with the lament of 'Over There' (Jen Chapin).

Disc 3 brings us up to date from post war optimism, with the science will save us 'The Great Atomic Power' (Elizabeth Cook & Grascals), the civil rights protest inspired pride of 'Say It Loud' (The Dynamites), the affirmation of 'I Am Woman' (Martha Wainwright), and ends with John Mellancamp singing 'This Land Is Your Land'.

This seemingly impossible project has turned out to be not just about fantastic musicians and songs, it’s a living representation of the story of the most powerful nation on earth. And its relevance to today? This is answered with a final word from Janet Reno, who notes in her introduction: "It is important to know history to understand the importance our own actions have in shaping our future".

Back and forth…

Travelling to and from Brussels with work

I have had a couple of week long trips to Brussels to attend the company’s New Hire Training (even though I have been employed for over 18 months). It was interesting and informative, but I am not one to enjoy trips away with work.


Up to Manchester

I also had a short trip up to Manchester to attend a course on Six Sigma – a collection of tools and methodologies design to improve efficiencies and quality in an organisation. The name takes itself from the sigma deviation on a standard distribution curve.

More of wot I have read…

Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

What can I say, I am a fan of Terry Pratchett and even though this is part of his teen series, I still enjoyed reading it. It is a good book for the younger readers to introduce them to the weird and wonderful Discworld and some of its more well known inhabitants… …the witches.

“At 9, Tiffany Aching defeated the cruel Queen of Fairyland.

At 11, she battled an ancient body-stealing evil.

At 13, Tiffany faces a new challenge: a boy. And boys can be a bit of a problem when you're thirteen. . . .

But the Wintersmith isn't exactly a boy. He is Winter itself—snow, gales, icicles—all of it. When he has a crush on Tiffany, he may make her roses out of ice, but his nature is blizzards and avalanches. And he wants Tiffany to stay in his gleaming, frozen world. Forever.

Tiffany will need all her cunning to make it to Spring. She'll also need her friends, from junior witches to the legendary Granny Weatherwax. They—

Crivens! Tiffany will need the Wee Free Men too! She'll have the help of the bravest, toughest, smelliest pictsies ever to be banished from Fairyland—whether she wants it or not.

It's going to be a cold, cold season, because if Tiffany doesn't survive until Spring—
—Spring won't come.”



The Rama series by Arthur C Clarke

I found the middle two books in a charity shop and bought them on a whim. I found I had the last at home, but it had been so long that I couldn’t remember reading it. The first book I don’t think I have ever read. Arthur C Clarke’s books can be a bit difficult to read in that he does detail everything in a way that must be logical to him, but unfortunately I don’t get all of his gadgets or aliens and I find they can irritate and detract from the story. I guess though trying to explain alien life forms and advanced technology is always going to be a risk. I also have a difficulty with the possibility that we could have any common ground with another race, or even be able to recognise them should we come across one – humans are not my idea of a constitutes superior species. Nevertheless some leaps of faith are required if a story is to be told, and the overall idea is very interesting and explores some of these issues in a controlled environment.


1972 Rendezvous With Rama
In 2130, a new celestial body is discovered heading toward the Sun. Earthlings name this object 'Rama' -- a vast cylinder, about 31 miles long and 12 miles across, with a mass of at least ten trillion tons. The spaceship Endeavor, directed by Commander Bill Norton, lands on Rama and has three weeks to explore its hollow interior. Inside the vessel they discover a completely self-contained world -- a world that has been cruising through space for perhaps more than a million years.

1989 Rama II
Years ago, the enormous, enigmatic alien spacecraft called Rama sailed through our solar system as mind-boggling proof that life existed -- or had existed -- elsewhere in the universe. Now, at the dawn of the twenty-third century, another ship is discovered hurtling toward us. A crew of Earth's best and brightest minds is assembled to rendezvous with the massive vessel. They are armed with everything we know about Raman technology and culture. But nothing can prepare them for what they are about to encounter on board Rama II: cosmic secrets that are startling, sensational -- and perhaps even deadly.

1991 The Garden Of Rama
By the twenty-third century Earth has already had two encounters with massive, mysterious robotic spacecraft from beyond our solar system--the incontestable proof of an alien technology that far exceeds our own. Now three human cosmonauts are trapped aboard a labyrinthine Raman vessel, where it will take all of their physical and mental resources to survive. Only twelve years into their journey do these intrepid travelers learn their destination and face their ultimate challenge: a rendevous with a Raman base--and the unseen architects of their galactic home. The cosmonauts have given up family, friends, and possessions to live a new kind of life. But the answers that await them at the Raman Node will require an even greater sacrifice--if humanity is indeed ready to learn the awe-inspiring truth.

1993 Rama Revealed
After the appearance of a spaceship, Rama, a second craft arrives, destined to house a group of colonists. But, the colony has become a dictatorship. Nicole Wakefield, condemned to death, escapes to an island called New York, and is forced to flee to the corridors inhabited by octospiders.

The vision…

We have recently had BT Vision installed at home, which is a combined Freeview, Recorder and On Demand service from BT. We are an existing BT Broadband customer and as our contract term was coming to an end I think BT are rolling out their new services free to customers who sign up for another 18 months.

The Vision box itself is a hand device with two tuners (for recording two programmes or watching one while recording another) and a hard disc with 80 hours of capacity which also allows you to pause and rewind ‘live’ TV.

A dedicated BT Vision engineer had to come to our home to install the Wireless BT Hub (needed for the On Demand download service – and now giving us wireless broadband through the house) and the Vision box.

We have had it for about a week now and it is pretty good, freeing us up from any desire to be in front of the TV at a particular time to watch our favourite programmes. We are recording more stuff where we would just resign ourselves to missing before, so we might end up watching more or at least more of what we want too. Also I now have to modify my hand crafted TV unit as the new box is bigger than the old free view one it replaces.

More of wot I have read…

The Triumph of the Sun by Wilbur Smith

Another book picked up at a fair from an author I have read a few books of before. As it turns out this is a book which ties up two of his book series; the Ballantyne and Courtney series – although this did not seem too obvious or to detract from the narrative.

The book has a particular feel about it and the reactions of the major female and male characters can be uncomfortable to an enlightened man. I am not sure if this is the way the author actually feels or if it is his attempt to replicate the sensibilities of the time or if he is writing for a particular audience – I prefer to think it is the later, as the whole book has that ‘boys own’ feel about it.

The story has an unusual pace to it, which might be due to its position in the series and having to tie up loose threads, still it is an entertaining read for the adventurous chap.

‘From one of the world’s most celebrated and bestselling novelists comes an epic adventure in the spirit and tradition of Monsoon and Blue Horizon.

It is 1884, and in the Sudan, decades of brutal misgovernment by the ruling Egyptian Khedive in Cairo precipitates a bloody rebellion and Holy War. The charismatic new religious leader, the Mahdi or 'Expected One', has gathered his forces of Arab warlords in preparation for a siege on the city of Khartoum. The British are forced to intervene to protect their national interests and to attempt to rescue the hundreds of British subjects stranded in the city.

British trader and businessman Ryder Courtney is trapped in the capital city of Khartoum under the orders of the infamously iron-willed General Charles George Gordon. It is here that he meets skilled soldier and swordsman Captain Penrod Ballantyne of the 10th Hussars and the British Consul, David Benbrook, as well as Benbrook’s three beautiful daughters. Against the vivid and bloody backdrop of the Arabs’ fierce and merciless siege these three powerful men must fight to survive.’

More of wot I have read…

Miss Garnet’s Angel by Sally Vickers

We have been picking up strange books at the local fairs and charity shops as they are so cheep and this book was one of those for me. I had a faint recollection about hearing of it before on the radio where they discussed its themes. The story of Tobias and the Angel Rafael stuck in my mind. It is definitely an odd little book that seems to wander aimlessly around at times, where the main character seems to be equally befuddled about what is going on too. Nevertheless it has many good points too and could be worth your time if you don’t mind something more esoteric than athletic.


‘When a friend dies, Julia Garnet goes to stay in Venice where a lifetime of caution is challenged. She encounters the paintings in the local church which tell the story of Tobias and the Angel. The ancient tale of Tobias, who travels to Media unaware he is accompanied by the Archangel Raphael, unfolds alongside Julia Garnet's contemporary journey. As she unravels the story's history, Julia's own life is thrown into question – for, like the shifting sea-light of Venice, nothing here is quite as it seems.’


Have the men had enough by Margaret Forster

When I had finished the Angel book I was hunting around for something else to read and so I picked my wife’s ‘second’ book. It was most definitely not some I would have chosen had there been any alternatives and it was a very different book to what I am used to. Concentrating on the difficulties of dealing with an elderly relative decent into senility it is an emotionally tough book that seems to be either written as a text for home-carers or for the more masochistic reader. Not something I would recommend unless you are particularly interested in the subject matter.


‘What do men run away from? Not war, not physical hardship, but the day-to-day emotional demands of impossible domestic situations. That's women's work. This is a story of female courage, where black comedy turns to disturbing pathos revolving around the rights of an indomitable woman’

Trip to France…

We have just returned from a lovely trip to the Aveyron region of France with my Aunt and Uncle for a week. We stayed at a family run hotel that specialises in local cuisine and is situated on the river at the base of premonitory on which sits the wonderful town of Najac with it’s fortress dominating the view and the area around.

We travelled by budget airline to the quiet airport of Rodez (not a town high on our recommendations to visit), which has one flight a day, one gate, one conveyer system and several staff who seem to have many jobs, changing hats when they walk through a door.

This area is known for its rugged scenery of many valleys and gorges and of the Bastide towns. Rouergue Bastides were fortified towns built on a square often with a covered market in the middle surrounded be arcades and having straight roads leading off that could be easily defended in times of crisis. And this region of France seems to have had more than its share of crises with the English / French conflicts and the various wars of religion. It seems that there are more fortified towns, defensible chateaus and castles here than I have seen any where else in the country.

We travelled around a lot, perhaps too much, and visited many places of historical significance or architectural beauty, stopping several times on route to take in the views or to watch the wildlife. Some of the places we stopped at included:

• We went the Chateau Du Bosc where Toulouse-Lautrec spent many years with his family, where he tragically broke his legs and where he practiced his drawing. We were guided around the eccentric house be equally eccentric women and saw some of Henri’s early works including sketches he drew on the plaster walls. On a separate trip we also visited where he was born at Hotel Bosc in Albi.
• The Beaulieu Abbey suffered during the religious wars but it was been restored as a gallery where the impressively large and bare space sets of the artwork very well.
• The little town of Varen was intriguing as it could be missed when driving along the main road, and yet it had a wonderful unspoilt few streets of mediaeval houses.
• Precarious Penne was remarkable for displaying the lengths people would go to when building a castle, picking the highest and most inaccessible point to locate it.
• Beautiful Belcastle had been restored be an architect and had been modified somewhat to include modern spaces within the structure that could be rented out. It sat above one of the most picturesque villages in the region. It perhaps looked a too perfect and romantic village to be real and lacked some sense of life.
• Saint Antonin Noble Var was an interesting town that showed all the signs of being a busy place, but the old town had lovely quiet spaces where you could get a sense of what it would have looked like long ago. It also had a small steep street called rue Bombecul, or the street that makes you stick your backside out!
• Sauveterre De Rouergue was another beautiful but somewhat deserted town.
• Villefranche-de-Rouergue an the other hand is a big and bustling town/city, especially on market day when you get a sense of how these Bastides would have looked in thier heyday.
• The towering Saint Cecile Basilica was the highlight of Albi, another large town/city. Looking like a huge brick Air-craft carrier in the middle of town this building was built to impress and awe the populace, and seeing in all its majestic glory during a moving Sunday service it still makes a big impression these days. What was also fascinating was demonstrations of mediaeval workmanship in front of it as re-enactors made rope, scaffolding, hew logs, and scaled the walls to show the trades used in the buildings construction.
  

As is our want we over indulged, on the scenery, history, food and wine. We were almost glad to get back home for a rest.

If I were a carpenter…

Those of you who know me well will understand why DIY is not my thing. For someone who likes to think of himself as a creative person with a gentle and fine touch, writing stories and painting pictures, I am usually totally inept with larger tools like a hammer and a saw. So it is with a certain amount of self pride that I managed to put up a couple of shelves, build a unit to support the TV, and fashion some skirting board out of scraps of wood found in the shed without too much collateral damage (some saw marks on the patio table, slightly rustic finish to the woodwork, and some filler in the larger gaps).

To Hull and back…

Jamie made an unexpected visit to home for a couple of days and we caught up and fed him up before I somehow found myself driving him back to his new digs in Hull midweek, where I picked a few things that wouldn’t fit into his new room and brought them back, 11 hours later, to clutter up his room at home. The long drive did give us some quality time to talk about this and that. We had planned to visit him the following weekend but I wasn’t too busy at work and could take time off and now we have our weekend free to do a few chores and to follow the Westcott historical weekend tour around some local attractions.

More of wot I have read…

Timeline by Michael Crichton

I found this book quite a page turned and I think it was mainly due to the author’s ability to write fast paced action sequences. The detail and research that went into the story was obvious, though it did occasionally trip him up. There were definitely some ‘written for the movies’ type of setup noticeable in some scenes, but nevertheless I found the book a good read.


‘In an Arizona desert a man wanders in a daze, speaking words that make no sense. Within twenty-four hours he is dead, his body swiftly cremated by his only known associates. Halfway around the world archaeologists make a shocking discovery at a medieval site.

Suddenly they are swept off to the headquarters of a secretive multinational corporation that has developed an astounding technology. Now this group is about to get a chance not to study the past but to enter it. And with history opened to the present, the dead awakened to the living, these men and women will soon find themselves fighting for their very survival–six hundred years ago…’


Apparently there was also a movie made of the book, but it bombed and disappeared into obscurity.

Poor harvest…

The dark and damp English summer has prevented many of our crops from growing well. We know we would have some problems because we were late in getting some in the ground, but the adverse weather has just compounded the problem. We had to pick all of the tomatoes green and immature as they had started to get blight from the high humidity, so Sue spent a long time turning them into chutney. We have dug up all of our potatoes now and the small haul was further lessened by slug damage. Being out in the countryside brings new problems to gardening and although it is wonderful to see deer wandering around it is necessary to fence of the allotment to prevent them from eating everything you have grown. Nevertheless the conditions have meant that we didn’t have to spend much time watering and allowed us to do other things in the evenings and weekends. We have supplemented our harvest with foraged food for free and have managed to collect plenty of blackberries, some plums, a load of apples and even one mushroom (several others we picked up were discarded as being potentially dangerous).

Dupuytren’s Contracture…

Bent fingers are the noticeable effect of Dupuytren’s Contracture (so named after a French physician) which is sometimes referred to as the Viking disease. Several months ago I noticed a lump had appeared on the palm of my left hand. There was no pain other than a slight sensitivity when it was put under pressure. I tried not to think about it too much and hoped it would go away over time, but it didn’t, so when I had a check-up at my local doctor I asked him what it was. Apparently it is a rather common affliction, especially with people of northern European or Viking decent or with people who suffer from epilepsy, liver disease, diabetes and alcoholism and can be inherited. I had never heard of it before and didn’t know anyone in my family to suffer from it and I was pretty sure I didn’t suffer from any of the other diseases, so the doctor ran some additional blood tests and referred me to a specialist. The bloods came back fine showing I was otherwise healthy and the specialist was rather dismissive of the condition. He explained that what I saw was early signs and that it would be likely to progress slowly such that my little finger would become more bent as the growth in palm started to develop and limit the extension of the tendons. He said that they do not recommend and action until the fingers are bent to at least 30 degrees as the only relief was to break down the growth with surgery that runs the risk of damaging the tendons and nerves and doesn’t actually prevent it from reoccurring. It would seem that medical science is not totally sure what causes it and doesn’t have a cure. It least, for the moment, it is only in my left hand and is not causing my any real problem. I should get around to having those guitar lessons soon before it’s too late – I bought a guitar over a year ago and still haven’t done anything with it.

More of wot I have read…

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

This is an unusual book by design and it can be confusing and complicated in places, but that seems to be the author’s intention to reflect the absurdity of the war time situations that the characters find themselves in.

‘There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.
"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.’

Playing games…

Dark Matter D20 RPG

This RPG is set in a modern world where the supernatural and mysterious events are known to be real and hidden from the general public by complex lies and conspiracies. The players work for a shadowy organisation called the Hoffman Institute investigating the various bizarre events. We use the Fantasy Grounds virtual desktop and Skype to be able to play and communicate as if we were around a table.


StarWars - star ship battles

This a quick table top game that utilises the collectable Star Wars star ship miniatures, a playing surface showing a grid covered star field and some stat-cards and counters. Two players choose between the Imperial and Rebel forces and move their battle ships and fighters around the star field manoeuvring into positions to enable them to destroy the other’s ships. We also call this our ‘waiting for James to turn up game’.


BloodBowl

This is a fun game that should not be taken too seriously. Loosely based on Gridiron this table top game pits teams of various fantasy races (orcs, goblins, dwarves, elves etc) in mortal competition where the score line is often secondary to the death toll. Although strategy is an important attribute to the game a certain amount of randomness is guaranteed with the use of dice roles to decide outcomes of player’s actions. Teams have different abilities and specialities and so we have tried to pick several teams that have different characteristics to vary the game play.


Myth-Weaver PBEM (play-by-e-mail)

We have decided to start playing a variation of the old play-by-mail type of games utilizing modern technology and are going to use the Myth-Weaver site as a host. The scenario for this game is interesting as it will be a variation on the classic apocalypse setting; called Inherited Earth it depicts a modern world that has befallen the Rapture where the good have gone to heaven, the bad to hell and the ‘meek’ have inherited the earth, though for some reason fiends and angles still battle it out too.

More of wot I have heard…

Amy Macdonald – This is the Life

It is nice to see more and more talented youngster who can actually play instruments and write a decent song. The new wave of singer songwriters are take influences from both new and old looking at current musicians and revisiting old standards. I think we are very lucky at the moment with the choice and quality of talent out there and Amy Macdonald is one of that group that is well worth investing in.

‘It's all Pete Doherty's fault. No, it's down to Red Hot Chili Peppers. Or do we finger Fran Healy of Travis? Nah, sod it, let's blame Ewan McGregor and Jake Gyllenhaal. They're movie stars, proper ones. They're used to shouldering serious responsibility.

If it weren't for these artists, Amy Macdonald wouldn't be the teen-sensation singer-songwriter she is now. She'd still be kicking round Glasgow, an undergraduate at university, studying social sciences with an emphasis on geography. The highlight of her year would continue to be her annual pilgrimage to T In The Park, whereat she and her mates would party under canvas for 48 hours, forget their own names, and maybe see some bands. Amy Macdonald would still be a nobody, instead of a somebody out of whom great songs just flood. Amy was 12 when her world wobbled on its axis. She was on a family outing to Rothesay on Scotland's west coast. Her gran gave her some money to treat herself. Instead of buying a tenner's worth of ice-cream she bought a CD: The Man Who by Travis. It was the first album Amy ever owned. She was blown away: simple songs (Driftwood, Why Does It Always Rain On Me?, Writing To Reach You), sung brilliantly, roaring powerfully in her ears and in her head.

Inspired, adolescent Amy picked up one of the guitars her dad had lying round the house. He never played them; he'd never been in a band and had only 'mucked about' on the instrument with his pals when he was younger. And Amy just taught herself how to play the thing. There were no genetic influences, nor even lessons. Just a good ear and few chord patterns found on the internet. And a huge, burning, raging desire to write and play songs.’


Pink Martini – Hey Eugene!

We were first introduced to Pink Martini by a friend who had their first album, Sympathique, and we intrigued by the diverse sound. When I heard the title track of their latest album I was hooked. Every song is different and shows the depth of talent that forms this ensemble group as they perform songs with French, Arabic, Japanese lyrics, orchestral, hot club, tea dance style with influences to many to identify. This band is captivating and eclectic and well worth trying if you like your music with a bit of class.

‘“Pink Martini is like a romantic Hollywood musical of the 1940s or 50s – but with a global perspective which is modern,” says founder and artistic director Thomas M. Lauderdale. “We bring melodies and rhythms from different parts of the world together to create something which is new and beautiful.”

The Portland, Oregon-based ‘little orchestra’ was founded in 1994 by Lauderdale, a Harvard graduate and classically trained pianist, to play political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, the environment, affordable housing and public broadcasting. In the years following Pink Martini grew from four musicians to its current twelve, and has gone on to perform its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Canada and the United States.’


Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge

I have heard of this artist for sometime, lauded by music critics as one of the country’s best singer-songwriters for those in the know. Richard Hawley is an artist that does not manufacture songs but hand crafts instant classics that once heard seem to have always been there.

‘In an era where next big things, scenes and in-sounds flash by and even our favourite tunes are listened to on shuffle we need music that will stick around for a while, albums that we can go on listening to in one sitting until they wear out like previous generations had done with their Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and The Smiths records.

Something real. Something timeless. Something proper.

Just as he did with the Mercury nominated Coles Corner, Richard Hawley has risen once again to the challenge of quality in a cheap thrills economy. Recorded between January and June this year his new album Lady’s Bridge is filled with enough classics to last you a lifetime. Great music doesn’t need hype, it makes its own friends. And Lady’s Bridge will find plenty.’

More of wot I have watched…

The man who lost his head

This ‘made for TV movie’ just aired here in the UK, and it would appear at the same time in New Zealand as the NZ Herald review shows.

Not knowing what to expect as we aimlessly flicked channels on the weekend we were immediately attracted by the recognisable and beautiful scenery of New Zealand that shone out of our TV, though we were somewhat surprised to see Martin Clunes wandering through the countryside view.

This movie is not particularly challenging and the actors often play stereotypes, but for the UK audience the slightly exotic feel of the places, people and politics of a land on the other side of the world was refreshing when compared to our daily serving of reality/cooking/home-buying/soap shows. We thoroughly enjoyed the programme and felt uplifted by the sentimental and romantic storyline and would recommend it for light relief especially for old fashioned family viewing.

Womad / Womud

This was our third Womad and the first time it has been at it’s new home in the Earl of Suffolk’s front lawn at Charlton Park in Wiltshire near Malmsbury. Unfortunately for everybody the rain came early (more than a month’s rain in 24hours) and turned the site into a mud bath. Still we understand it was not nearly as bad as Glastonbury, and considering the event population was a mere fraction of theirs, we were thankful. The worst of the weather came early on Thursday as we pitched tents and in the evening on Saturday, so it didn’t stop us getting out to the venue. Our party was boosted this year by three new recruits giving us a good, fun, group,

The mud did slow everybody down around the site and resulted in some stages being closed and some artists being stranded and the programme being changed, so we were not able to see all of the acts we would have wanted to. Nevertheless we did get to see a good few, including:

Blind Boys of Alabama and Solomon Burke – they have been around forever and are still going strong. These energetic performers had to be virtually restrained at times.
Dulsori – Korean drumming almost as a martial art, mad, frantic and full on workout.
Peter Gabriel – celebrating 25 years of Womad he was convinced to play this year.
Kronos Quartet – classical music as you have never heard it before.
Warsaw Village Band – folk music from Eastern Europe played with passion.
Ben Taylor – a very cool and mellow singer-songwriter.
Calexico – one of my favourite bands who play a Tex-Mex style.
Seth Lakeman – He is making British folk cool and is young and good looking at the same time.
The Imagined Village – A folk dream-team and the highlight for us at this year’s event.

Along with the music the site boasted a relaxation area (with many alternative therapies on offer), a cooking tent (with demonstrations of exotic fare), the Steam Powered Fairground, many worthy causes had stalls and of course the shop holders and food stalls. Again this year as previous the Pieminster food stall was voted our favourite (chicken Thai curry pie with mash and gravy being the most popular with our crowd). Naturally some drink was consumed too (rather more than any of us care to remember).

The weather and overindulgence combined with our middle aged frames took its toll and we decamped in the afternoon on Sunday rather than staying for another night, and we were glad to be home to a cleansing bath and comfortable bed.

One particular disappointment was not being able to get to see Te Matarae I Orehu, the Maori song and dance troupe. Paul managed to catch some of their act as we were at another tent and said they were brilliant. Young Tom spent much of the next day on the lookout for fearsome tattooed warriors with their tongues sticking out - like the picture in the programme (unfortunately to no avail).

There is a good chance that we will come back next year.

More of wot I have read…

The Judgement of Caesar by Steven Saylor

We picked this book up in the local Oxfam shop and didn’t realise that it is the last in the series of Roma Sub Rosa books. It is an entertaining read, especially if you enjoy historical drama and intrigue – it might be worth finding the first in this series and working from there – the book stands on its own, but it does make pointed references to previous stories.

‘In 48 B.C., Roman generals Caesar and Pompey have long engaged in a battle to rule the world. Now, as Pompey plots a reckless stand on the banks of the Nile, Gordianus the Finder-who has brought his wife Bethesda to the river seeking a cure for her in its sacred waters-finds himself suddenly at the heart of a series of treacherous and history-altering events.

While Caesar and Cleopatra embark on a legendary romance, Egypt remains ravaged by the brutal contest between the Queen and her brother King Ptolemy. Worst of all for Gordianus, his once-disowned son and Caesar's right-hand man, stands falsely accused of murder. Caesar's judgment will decide Meto's fate and it is up to Gordianus to somehow overcome colossal malevolent forces to reveal the carefully obscured truth and spare his son's life.’

More of wot I have read…

Semi-Detached by Griff Rhys Jones

This is a sensitive and gently funny account of the early formative years of Griff Rhys Jones’s life up until the time he joined the BBC and became well known.


‘From birth through bell-bottoms to the BBC…

Semi-Detached is Griff Rhys Jones’s own account of his ordinary suburban childhood; of adolescent scraps and scrapes; of coming of age in the 1960s and 70s; of family and university life; and of times lost or at least fuzzy around the edges.

It’s a powerful, moving and above all touchingly funny memoir of how one of the nation’s most popular comics and personalities got from there to here…’

Beer by name and by nature…

This year Sue’s birthday coincided with the annual Albury Morris weekend adventure of traditional dance, music and of drink.

We drove down to Beer in Dorset with my Aunt and Uncle, stopping midway for a sandwich a pint and a then at the National Trust property of Lytes Cary Manor (misheard by me as Light Scary Manor) before arriving in time to meet up with the others for another drink before dinner (you can see a theme starting to emerge).

The village of Beer is quaint and retains much of the feel of the original fishing village, albeit sanitised and more affluent than when it relied on that trade. The proximity to the sea did mean that the restaurant we had our evening meal in had a great fish menu that was enjoyed by all. A local pub was selected for the ritual occupation as the massed Morris brought out their musical instruments and sang and drank into the night.

The weekend was superbly organised by Pete and included a tram ride between Seaton and Colyton down beside the bird spotter’s paradise of the Axe valley. We watched the Morris side dance and joined them in some cold refreshments at their allotted venues. A coach took the merry group on to Sidmouth where the dancing outside was put off by the increasingly inclement weather and the group again selected pubs at random to occupy. As alcohol levels increased the side became bolder and soon the regulars were in awe of the sight of several beery and unusually clad older men prancing around the bar alternatively waving hankies and bashing sticks together (having more members than is required for each dance means that the performers can alternate as they tire or require additional refreshment such that a constant barrage of concussive stick dances and percussive bells tied to the legs that accompanies the more musical concertinas, accordions and boron drives the landlord and any potential opposition into submission). Later it was back to Beer where we had some time to freshen up and relax before continuing on with the festivities. I came down to the dinner fashionable late blaming the headaches (I actually was watching the final Dr Who of the series – brilliant it has been too) where we ate some more, drank some more and, after the tables and chairs were pushed to side of the room, singing and traditional dancing ensued.

The following day we checked out and the group decamped arranging to meet at Lyme Regis where they danced on the Cobb as the sea spray plumed over the wall and then retired to a lovely pub at Axemouth for lunch and another dance before finally disbanding and dispersing quietly into the countryside from whence they came like the crack commando dance team they are.

A vote for de-evolution…

We had a pretty good early spring this year, but that has since been overshadowed by a crappy summer so far. Floods have devastated parts of the country and everywhere else has become steadily waterlogged too. We are not too surprised with a certain amount of meteorological variability in this country, it being the stereotypical topic of choice here. It is expected that Wimbledon will be extended due to rain (why they don’t have a roof over central court is a mystery), that Glastonbury will be knee deep in mud and posh people will be paddling around the Hampton Court Flower Show, but we usually hope to see some sun in-between these events. Alas it is not to be this year and we, desperate for a chance to enjoy the great outdoors, look skyward for a little glimmer of light so that we can have a BBQ and use our new patio furniture. So it was that we took a chance and listened to tales that this weekend was going to be the hottest this year and made arrangements to cook over an open fire both Saturday and Sunday. We got away with it on Saturday when James and Nikala came over and we cooked Sue’s jerked pork and ate it outdoors and sat drinking and talking until nearly midnight. Sunday though was a different story and we pushed our luck by having a dozen people over (much too many to accommodate indoors) for the afternoon. Things started out promisingly as we had nibbles and drinks on the deck, but we noticed the sky darkening and occasional drops of rain as we started eating the prawn kebabs. Stoic British resolve was not enough and we had to repair to the house to consume the chicken kebabs as a thunderstorm passed overhead complete with dramatic lightning and tremendous thunder. Sue put the rack of ribs and sausages in the oven to cook and a short time later and a shout went out the sun had returned – so the brave and slightly damp folk returned to wipe down the furniture – determined to get back outside. By the time the food was cooked the sun had made a welcome appearance and we enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon as we steamed slightly under the sun’s rays. Unfortunately for us Sunday was St. Swithern’s day and tradition says that should it rain on this day then we are in for 40 days and 40 nights of more of the same. So I am considering de-evolution, as the concept of webbed feet and an ability to breathe under water sure could come in handy in the future. Still we don’t have a hose-pipe ban... ...at the moment.

More of wot I have heard…

Smoke of Home by Megson

We saw this duo live at the local folk club and we very impressed with their performance, so much so we bought the latest album. Megson are a talented young couple who manage to reinterpret traditional folk songs in a sympathetic, yet modern manner and also have written new and exciting contemporary folk that is more relevant to them and a modern audience. You are unlikely to hear much of them on the radio, apart from occasional specialist shows, but the do seem to be touring as much as they can at festivals and gigs throughout the UK and Europe. They are well worth checking out.

Wot people say…

Some acquired names for company departments and activities…

The Jedi Council – The Employee Council
The Order Prevention Administration – Oracle Project Administration (the department the processes sales orders)

More of wot I have watched…

Pick of Destiny

A very silly but mildly amusing film only recommended if you are keen on rock music and Jack Black at his maddest as he plays along with his TenaciousD colleague Kyle Gass. The official website is also mildly diverting if you have a few spare moments.


The Pursuit of Happyness

This is an entertaining movie that sometimes ladles the desperation on a little too thick (more than the real life story that it is based on) yet the interplay between will Smith and his real life son does touch the soul.


The Departed

The departed is a very good gangster movie that has enough intrigue and action to satisfy most fans of this genre. There is some very fine acting throughout with some wonderful actors taking on supporting roles, though occasionally the accents of a few jar a bit. Overall it is an edge of the seat rollercoaster ride that journeys quickly through the near two hours duration.


Casino Royal

Another James Bond movie can put of those who are not fans of the series, but this version has some significant differences that might attract those who did not like previous 007 stories and might put off those who did. This story is a darker and more authentic Ian Fleming retelling and the first outing by Daniel Craig is also dark and moody with more than a hint of the psychotic. As with most James Bond stories there are occasional plot holes and stretches of credibility but this film benefits from the new approach and from the film makers choice to use more ‘real’ stunts and less CGI (the parkour chase through the building sight is especially exciting). I enjoyed the film and I welcome more of the same from Daniel Craig.


Hot Fuzz

Hot Fuzz is a very good comedy movie from the makers of Shaun of the Dead and again staring the comedy duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. In a similar vein to Shaun of the Dead and horror movies, hot Fuzz simultaneously pays homage and pokes fun at iconic references in the action/cop movie genre. It is supported by a fantastic cast of veteran British actors who flesh out the silly capers with some style. The official website is nicely put together and entertaining.

More of wot I have read…

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

‘Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to gain the approval of his father and resolves to win the local kite-fighting tournament, to prove that he has the makings of a man. His loyal friend Hassan promises to help him – for he always helps Amir – but this is 1970s Afganistan and Hassan is merely a low-caste servant who is jeered at in the street, although Amir feels jealous of his natural courage and the place he holds in his father’s heart. But neither of the boys could forsee what would happen to Hassan on the afternoon of the tournament, which was to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return, to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.’

Fylde Fields website...

Fylde Fields Olive Grove and Gardens

I have been doing some more work on my parent’s website for their olive grove in New Zealand. Chris did a great job on the original site and I have tweaked and added information to make it a bit more comprehensive. There are still some areas that require more work to bring it up to scratch before I point their web address to but it this stage it needs some reviewing and constructive criticism. Have a look and tell me what you think.

Out and about...

Claremont Landscape Gardens

Claremont gardens are what is left of a larger estate that was once one of the most impressive properties in Surrey. The ground works, lake and expanses of tree-lined avenues are very popular with families of young children, who like to play in the park-like areas. We went up to the belvedere and looked out across the countryside from Heathrow to central London. The grounds are not too large and so after we had a stroll around we decided to continue on to the nearby Wisley.

RHS Wisley

We are RHS members and when we make the occasional visit to Wisley it is usually on the member’s only day. This time we went on a Saturday and we were totally taken aback by the numbers of other people their. Wisley are working on a program of works by adding a huge new glasshouse that is soon to open. And along with that they have greatly increased the car parking facilities to accommodate the expected visitors. The gardens were looking very good in their early summer colours and the walk around was very pleasant.


BBQ

Although we have not managed to have a BBQ at home we have enjoyed being invited to others. We had a nice afternoon at some old friends of ours that live near Redhill and had a good time catching up with everybody in the sunshine. Our new neighbours also invited us to a BBQ at their place and we had a lovely evening with the added advantage of only having to stagger next-door.

Abinger Fair

Summer in the villages means fates and fairs and we went recently to one near us. It had a friendly community spirit and was situated in the picturesque village of Abinger Common on the common itself between the church and the pub. It was a very pleasant experience, although we didn’t stay long as we had other things to do.

More of wot I have seen…

The Devil Wears Prada

In my opinion this is pretty much an uber-chick-flick with attitude. Sue enjoyed it probably more than I did, but then it is obvious that my understanding of fashion is limited. There is some more detail at Wikipeadia on this film too.


The Prestige

This was more my bag, and even though it has Hugh Jackman in it Sue couldn’t manage enough enthusiasm to watch it through. There are some loose threads and unanswered questions in the script which might be deliberate by the director (though if you read some of the discussion boards there are a lot of people who are over analysing this film). Some elements we a little overdone and some our skipped over too lightly, but over all it is a very good film. The highlight for me is David Bowie as Tesla. Wikipeadia on this film.

More of wot I have heard…

Another Run around the Sun by Ben Taylor

This is another album that we bought on the strength of a single track. Sue was keen on a song that was being played on the radio and so we investigated and found his latest album. His sound will be familiar to any old folkies as it is very similar to his father James Taylor. The whole family is musically inclined as his mum is Carly Simon and his sister Sally is also a musician. It is nice easy going music even if it is just a little bit ‘samey’ throughout.

More of wot I have read…

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

An interesting and quite odd little book that was nevertheless entertaining. I have heard that it has already been made into a stage show and is slated to be turned into a film. There is a cute website that acts as a promo for the book that is worth a visit. Wikipedia has more information about the Life of Pi including some of the controversy regarding the theme of the story and other similar books.


'By Suzy Hansen August 1, 2002
"Jesus, Mary, Muhammad and Vishnu, how good to see you, Richard Parker!" Pi Patel cries when he sees an old friend struggling aboard his lifeboat. Pi's scrambling of faiths probably won't win him the affection of any of those religious figures. But then again, in Yann Martel's "Life of Pi," our hero Pi (yes, as in 3.14, though his full name is Piscine, the French word for "pool") has just survived a sinking ship in the Pacific Ocean and witnessed the death of his family. Anyone in his position would be rejoicing to multiple gods at the sight of an old friend -- even if this feisty Richard Parker character is actually a 450-pound Bengal tiger.

And anyone facing Pi's outrageous plight -- a skittish zebra, vicious hyena and lumbering orangutan join the castaway party for what ends up being 227 days adrift in the (large) lifeboat -- would need the help of all the gods they could summon from the skies. Martel's "Life of Pi" might sound ridiculous, but by the time Martel throws Pi out to sea, his quirkily magical and often hilarious vision has already taken hold. (After all, this is, as Martel promises us, a "story that will make you believe in God.") Martel frames the novel as the reminiscences of an older Pi as recorded by the author and intermittently offers his own observations of this curious Indian man. The device works: Martel is so mesmerized by Pi that one can't help but be enchanted too.

As Pi explains, in his Indian hometown of Pondicherry, the local priest, pandit and imam, as well as Pi's parents, had many objections to his penchant for collecting religions. But as Pi reasons in his typically idiosyncratic way, "Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims." When he observes how Muslims pray, he says, "Why, Islam is nothing but an easy sort of exercise ... Hot-weather yoga for Bedouins." His naiveté can be silly, but ultimately it's an open-mindedness, a way of turning things upside down to see them differently, that serves him well.

Eventually, Pi's family flees an unstable India, where his father runs a zoo, heading for Canada, and bringing various animals along with them on a Japanese cargo ship. It's on this voyage that their happy ark mysteriously sinks. Luckily, Pi possesses a nonreligious kind of understanding and faith that allows him to survive on the lifeboat with four animals not known for their compatibility. Pi's father taught him that the most dangerous creature in the zoo is "the animal as seen through human eyes ... It is an animal that is 'cute,' 'friendly,' 'loving,' 'devoted,' 'merry,' 'understanding.'"

Yet, while Pi knows about the ferocity of the beasts, he's also familiar with the quirks of the animal kingdom that often befuddle humans peering in from outside. Sometimes goats can get along just fine with rhinos. A mouse can live with vipers: "While other mice dropped in the terrarium disappeared within two days, this little brown Methusalah built itself a nest, stored the grains we gave it in various hideaways and scampered about in plain sight of the snakes." Likewise, if handled carefully, a ravenous and terrified Bengal tiger will spare the life of the only human in sight.

Pi's lost-at-sea story never drags. The slow journey is spiked with fascinating survival scenes, as when Pi and Richard Parker meet a school of flying fish: "They came like a swarm of locusts. It was not only their numbers; there was also something insect-like about the clicking, whirring sound of their wings." Pi attempts to catch the fish for food; the tiger is better at it: "Many were eaten live and whole, struggling wings beating in his mouth ... It was not so much the speed that was impressive as the pure animal confidence, the total absorption in the moment."

Pi's story is so extraordinary that when he finally makes it ashore, he offers a comparatively boring version of the tale to two researchers, acknowledging that humans don't have much of a taste for the miraculous. This played-down version makes Pi's true tale, thanks to Martel's beautifully fantastical and spirited rendering, all the more tempting to believe.'


The Constant Gardener by John le Carré

This is a good book from a master writer of political intrigue and conspiracy stories that is well written and believably detailed where the main characters are flawed and human and battle as much with themselves as they do with the frightening circumstances they find themselves in. I understand the film adaptation of the book is very good too.
While on location filming the movie the cast and crew decided to set up a welfare trust, called The Constant Gardener Trust.


‘The Constant Gardener is a magnificent exploration of the new world order by one of the most compelling and elegant storytellers of our time. The novel opens in northern Kenya with the gruesome murder of Tessa Quayle – young, beautiful, and dearly beloved to husband Justin. When Justin sets out on a personal odyssey to uncover the mystery of her death, what he finds could make him not only a suspect among his own collegues, but a target for Tessa’s killers as well.

A master chronicler of the betrayals of ordinary people caught in political conflict, John le Carré portrays the dark side of unbridled capitalism as only he can. In The Constant Gardener he tells a compelling, complex story of a man elevated through tradgedy, as Justin Quayle – amateur gardener, aging widower, and ineffectual bureaucrat – discovers his own natural resources and the extraordinary courage of the woman he barely had time to love.’

The prodigal son…

Jamie paid us a flying visit the other weekend so that the family could celebrate his 21st birthday and shower him and gifts before he returned to Uni. He came down with his flat mate and University Rugby friend Golly as he has the added bonus of having a car.

Sue and I went shopping before they arrived and filled the car to the gunnels and emptied the back account as we found all the treats that Jamie might like. As he was only with us for a couple of days he had to take most of it back to Hull with him.

We were planning to have a BBQ having bought new patio furniture and a BBQ, but as luck would have it was cold and wet so Sue did all the cooking inside and we had a great buffet spread. The chocolate cake Sue made was an enormous construction, three sponge layers high with chocolate cream filling and a thick covering of rich chocolate icing all over – Jamie left me a single slice and it took several days to finish just that.

Rock on…

The Zimmers are the oldest rock group ever with a combined age of 3000, and the oldest member 100 years young, they are even older than the Rolling Stones. The group of OAPs came together to perform as a result of a BBC TV program called Power to the People, a three-part series of mischievous documentaries presented by Tim Samuels - who helps some of the most disenfranchised people in society make their voice heard. Their choice of the Who’s ‘My Generation’ as the single they have recorded is made more poignant when the 90 year old lead singer, Alf, sings the immortal line – ‘I hope I die before I get old’.

In an interview one of the women in the group expressed how excited she was to be flying to America to appear in a talk show. She said it would be the first time on an airplane since 1926!

What now?

We bought some new garden furniture with the help of Sue’s Aunty Joan who gave us money instead of Christmas and birthday presents. A couple of weekends ago we found a good deal that allowed us to buy a table with six chairs, an umbrella and stand, a bench and an occasional table and we arranged for them to be delivered on a Friday (they didn’t do weekend deliveries). Later that weekend though our washing machine packed up in spectacular style by blowing the fuses, so we looked around and ordered a new one. Being smart we arranged for it to also be delivered on Friday but, as is so often the case, things didn’t go to plan and the company tried to deliver to the wrong address. So they are going to redeliver this Friday instead. After we received the garden furniture and assembled it we decided to get some bits in for the weekend as my Aunt and Uncle were coming over. We ‘popped’ into a garden centre just to have a look and ended up buying a BBQ to go with the new furniture.

It was Jamie’s 21st birthday on Friday and we sent him an emergency rations delivery from the supermarket (including beer, fizz, cake, chocolate, eggs, bacon, sausages and bread) and rang him to wish him all the best. He is in the middle of exams at the moment and is planning to come down next weekend to see us and we hope to christen the BBQ – it will probably rain.

My Aunt and Uncle come over on the Saturday and we spent the next couple of days eating, drinking (luckily we had taken the previous empties to the recycling), and visiting some local National Trust properties.

We visited the nearby Polesden Lacey, the quaint little Oakhurst Cottage, and the musical collection at Hatchlands Park.

More of wot I have watched…

Wallace & Grommet – The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

These Plasticine heroes are legendary and Aardman and Nick Park are one of the best creators of stop-motion animation. This latest offering is even better than there previous cinematic gold. Jammed packed with comedic gems they prove that a good script and fantastic characterisation can make a fantastic film without resorting to shock and appal.


Night in the Museum

Another film that is mainly for the kids that still manages to provide something for the grown-ups too. The appearance of Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney topped an all star cast for me. The website that goes along with the film is also quite entertaining.

Faceless…

British people and Londoners in particular, are the some of the most closely monitored population with more CCTV cameras per head than anywhere in the world. Artist Manu Luksch and her collaborators have decided to bring this to people’s attention by creating a collective and making a film called Faceless by using only footage gained from these cameras. As you have the right to ask for copies of any CCTV footage you appear this group acted out a story in plain view and got these everpresent eyes to film it for them. This project proves to be an interesting if slightly scary concept.

More of wot I have watched…

Happy Feet

Dancing and singing penguins, what more could you want? Light and fluffy (or perhaps feathery) and obviously aimed at kids, this film still has some real laugh-out-loud moments for the ‘grown-up’s too. The visual imagery is very good with nice textures, smooth animations and believable animal characterisations - that are not too cartoon-like. Robin Williams provides the wacky voices for two characters with his usual reliable results. There is an obvious but not overplayed environmental message that underlines the story which doesn’t detract too much from the simpler boy-penguin-meets-girl-penguin, outcast for being different penguin, and perseverance in spite of sea lions messages.

Set in a time where food is scarce and tensions high our hero, Mumbles, is a penguin that can’t sing and has a compulsion to dance, much to the horror of most of his fellow penguins. He is banished to the wilderness where he finds acceptance and friendship with a group of different penguins who teach him to believe in himself. Driven to succeed against all odds Mumbles sets off to find out what is happening to all the fish and save the day – accompanied by a series of song and dance routines.


The History Boys

This is a very entertaining film, now a stage show, that explores the hot-housing of students for academic success, literary-historical jokes, and exploration of relationships between students and between teachers and students (though I felt the story seemed to be a little unbalanced by too many bi-sexual and homosexual references in preference to other relationship issues). The ensemble cast and strong young actors really made the film come to life.

Set several decades ago a class of bright but unruly history students are close to being the first to all make it into the Oxbridge universities. The headmaster is determined to see his school finally succeed and so he employs a young and confident teacher to coach the boys in the finer points of university entrance. Conflict arises with the existing teacher whose emphasis is more towards giving the boys a ‘real’ education.

Best line – How do I define history? Well it's just one f**king thing after another, isn't it?


Little Miss Sunshine

I love qwerky movies with that ‘Indie’ feel, and this fits the bill for me, plus it has a yellow VW van in it too. Nice and strong acting from the whole cast brings a real feeling of cohesion to an ever more unravelling series of events that finally comes together with an unexpected and moving sequence on a stage.

A dysfunctional family make a road-trip in their clapped out van when the youngest member has the opportunity to take part in the finals of the Little Miss Sunshine competition. They all have to come to terms with their inner failings and the disappointment of failure when they are forced to rely on each other to make it through difficult times.


Tideland

This is a Terry Gilliam film! So you have been warned. A fantastical story from the perspective of a young girl left in an unusual situation and left to draw on her own inner strength to cope. Like many of his films Tideland runs a line that many people find either genius or grotesque (sometimes both), and always controversial, which is one of his stated aims – to make the audience think. The young lead actress is remarkable and totally convincing in the role and is someone to keep an eye out for in the future. Tideland is an amazing film.


Pierrepoint

How could a film about a hangman be entertaining? Take a handful of supreme dramatic character actors, like Timothy Spall and Juliet Stevenson, a tight script oozing repressed tension and you have a recipe for a gripping movie. The movie is a biopic of the most well known executioner in the UK, Albert Pierrepoint.


Jasper Carrott

Carrott is a goofy and entertaining comic, at his best when he stays away from the profane and sticks with his great observational humour.

More of wot I have read…

The Island by Victoria Hislop

This is the author’s debut novel and it is interesting and involving if a little on the light side. I enjoyed finding out about the island life of recent Crete and about leprosy and the leper colony. Some of the main characters are lacking some depth but there is a good amount of detail about the places and lifestyles of the people which betrays the author’s background in travel journalism. Incidentally the author is married to Ian Hislop of Private Eye and Have I Got News For You fame.


‘On the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother's past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London. When Alexis decides to visit Crete, however, Sofia gives her daughter a letter to take to an old friend, and promises that through her she will learn more. Arriving in Plaka, Alexis is astonished to see that it lies a stone's throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga - Greece's former leper colony. Then she finds Fortini, and at last hears the story that Sofia has buried all her life: the tale of her great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters and a family rent by tragedy, war and passion. She discovers how intimately she is connected with the island, and how secrecy holds them all in its powerful grip...’

More of wot I have heard…

annA rydeR

On Wednesday we went to the Chanticleer folk club with Lorraine and Paul and watched the wonderfully entertaining annA rydeR. She is an obviously accomplished musician and a talented writer with a great sense of humour. She played a few heart-warming folk number, jazzy songs, and funny tunes (the Hoover song got us all chortling along). Anna played the piano, guitar, accordion, ukulele & piano, trumpet & piano and her finale was on the bicycle pump (this was probably only limited by what she could carry). It seems her talent is not limited to music as we saw some of her cartoon greeting cards that she is also making and selling through the Hare and Bare website (Paul did think that name sounded pornographic, but we’ll let him off).

More of wot I have read…

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

This is a gentle non-challenging romantic story that is sweet but not overly exciting either.


‘When he was a boy, Charlie St. Cloud almost perished in a car crash that killed his little brother, Sam. Years later, Charlie is still trying to atone for his loss. It is only when he meets Tess Carroll, a captivating, adventurous yachtswoman, that he is faced with a choice – between death and life, the past and the present, holding on and letting go. The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud is a romantic and exhilarating novel about second chances and the liberating power of love.’

More of wot I have heard…

The Family Mahone - Mahone Brew

BBC Radio DJ Mark Radcliffe (DJ Mahone) was a founder member of this folk ensemble and writes much of the band’s songs. The latest album has a distinct beer drinking theme right down to the name and the label on the cover which features specially commissioned ale from Mr. W and Mr. C at the interesting boutique WC Brewery.

It is a very rousing and humorous collection of tunes played with real enthusiasm and skill, a nice contemporary twist on a traditional folk sound.

The name of the band hints to their punk approach to the music and the original Celtic punk band, the Pogues. Originally known as the Pogue Mahone the Pogues took their name from the anglicized of the Irish phrase póg mo thóin, or ‘kiss my arse’.

More weird weather…

Not long ago we had snow on the ground, this weekend it was up to 25 degrees, and later on we might still have frosts. We took advantage of the lovely weather and traded indoor chores for outdoor ones working in the garden and at the allotment. We painted most of the fences and planted out a border in the rear garden and cleared out the shed so that we can start planting seeds. We had a difficult time planting the potatoes at the allotment as the ground was rock hard and the sun blazing hot. On Sunday morning we went for a walk in the woods with a neighbour who showed us where the bluebells were starting to bloom carpeting the ground in a purple haze. In the afternoon out side there was the distinct smell of accelerant and burnt sausages wafted across the back gardens as people took the opportunity to spend the whole day outside.

Working away again…

I have just returned from a week in The Netherlands at one of our offices there learning more about the product range of the company I work for. The course was with several colleagues from throughout the world and it was interesting talking with them and discovering what we had in common and what we didn’t. We stayed in 's-Hertogenbosch, a town also known colloquially as Den Bosch.

Once the one time home of Hieronymus Bosch (the Bosch part of his name taken from the name of the town) the 16C painter of weird and scary paintings on a religious themes, such as The Temptation of St. Anthony (I found a shop selling models of some of the images in his paintings and bought the least freaky one, which was the fish-boat in the foreground of the main panel.)

A quaint old town, Den Bosch retains much of its old-world character with pedestrian cobbled streets, Dutch gable end buildings, canals throughout and under the town, and wonderful masonry signs on buildings showing the occupation of the original occupiers (a relief of a brewer for an Amstel shop, another of a baker elsewhere). The statue/relief tradition has been maintained with modern equivalents on the side of buildings between the original and the religious statuary.

There was a real feeling of prosperity in the town with fancy designer clothes boutiques, interior design shops, and streets of cafés, restaurants and drinking establishments, the patrons of which filled the narrow streets with a joyful noise.

There were the typically Dutch establishments dotted around such as the bicycle shop (with every variety of bike and accessory available), the ‘koffee’ shop (the distinct sweet smell signalling its presence), and the comic shop (the Dutch and the Belgium seem to share the obsession with weird and wonderful comics for young and old alike). I found a lovely old fashioned sweet shop down one of the quieter side streets, where there were shelves upon shelves of jars containing their multicoloured goodies. Here I bought a pick-and-mix bag of liquorice for Sue who loves them (although even she has difficult with the extra salty Dutch ones).

The weather was unseasonable warm as it has been in the UK too, and this brought out the café culture and the excess of bare skin. The skies remained clear throughout the week and on after I returned home.

More of wot I have read…

Never have your dog stuffed by Alan Alda

Like most people I guess I only really know Alan Alda from the MASH TV series and I was interested to find out more about the man. The opening line is an immediate hook and it becomes apparent that it is from a defining moment in his life. It is a sweet and gentle read that comes from the heart without being over sentimental and which avoids the overt name dropping that some so called celebrities seem to resort to these days.


‘He's one of America's most recognizable and acclaimed actors -- a star on Broadway, an Oscar nominee for The Aviator, and, for eleven years, the inimitable Hawkeye Pierce on the M*A*S*H TV series -- during which time he became the only person ever to win Emmys for acting, writing, and directing. Now Alan Alda has written a memoir as elegant, funny, and affecting as his greatest performances.

"My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six," begins Alda's irresistible story. The son of a popular actor and a loving but schizophrenic mother, he spent his early childhood backstage in the erotic and comic world of burlesque and went on, after early struggles, to achieve extraordinary success in his profession.

Yet Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is not a memoir of show-business ups and downs. It is a moving and funny story of a boy growing into a man who then realizes he has only just begun to grow. It is the story of turning points in Alda's life, events that would make him what he is -- if only he could survive them.

From the moment as a boy when his dead dog is returned from the taxidermist's shop with a hideous expression on its face, and Alda learns that death can't be undone, to his decades-long effort to find compassion for the mother he lived with but never knew, to his acceptance of his father, both personally and professionally, Alda learns the hard way that change, uncertainty, and transformation are what life is made of, and that true happiness is found in embracing them.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, filled with wonder, good humor, and honesty, is the crowning achievement of an actor, author, and director. But surprisingly, it is the story of a life more filled with turbulence and laughter than any Alda has ever played on the stage or screen.’



The Last Juror by John Grisham

The former lawyer turned author writes about what he knows; law and crime, and I know him best from the Pelican Brief. This novel also explores the nature of small towns in the deep south of America during the 1970’s with a detail of someone who was there. It is a wonderful and gentle read that revels in the atmosphere of a place and time that not everybody will be familiar with. I enjoyed the book and found the pace and feel of it a pleasant alternative to some of the more action packed novels out there at the moment.


‘In 1970, one of Mississippi's more colorful weekly newspapers, The Ford County Times, went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay of many, ownership was assumed by a 23 year-old college dropout, named Willie Traynor. The future of the paper looked grim until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family. Willie Traynor reported all the gruesome details, and his newspaper began to prosper.

The murderer, Danny Padgitt, was tried before a packed courthouse in Clanton, Mississippi. The trial came to a startling and dramatic end when the defendant threatened revenge against the jurors if they convicted him. Nevertheless, they found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison.

But in Mississippi in 1970, "life" didn't necessarily mean "life," and nine years later Danny Padgitt managed to get himself paroled. He returned to Ford County, and the retribution began.’



The Raw Shark Text by Steven Hall

…also see the ‘annotated raw shark texts’ for in-depth analysis…

Wow, this is a very special book, a conceptual-psychological-literary thriller that plays with words and ideas in a wonderfully visual and at times even graphic-novel kind of way. Elements of the book jar and prod at the mind in a deliberately uncomfortable manner (is Mycroft Ward = Microsoft Word, is Dr Trey Fidorous = Richard Dreyfuss?). It is a nicely written and captivating read that, if rumours are true, will be appearing on celluloid before too long. Pretty good for a first novel.


The bastard love-child of The Matrix, Jaws and The Da Vinci Code – Mark Haddon


‘FIRST THINGS FIRST, STAY CALM.

If you are reading this, I’m not around anymore. Take the phone and speed dial 1. Tell the woman who answers that you are Eric Sanderson. The woman is Dr Randle. She’ll understand what has happened and you will be able to see her straight away. Take the car keys and drive the yellow Jeep to Dr Randle’s house. If you haven’t found it yet, there’s a map in the envelope – it isn’t too far and it’s not hard to find.

Dr Randle will be able to answer all your questions. It’s very important that you go straight away. Do not pass go. Do not explore. Do not collect two hundred pounds.

The house keys are hanging from a nail on the banister at the bottom of the stairs, don’t forget them.

With regret and also hope,
The first Eric Sanderson.’

More of wot I have heard…

Faithless - Forever Faithless

I found this at the checkout at a supermarket for under £5, a bargain for this collection of the band’s better known tracks. Even if you don’t know much about them you will have heard their music backing shows or adverts on the box. A great accessible dance act that is musically accomplished and lyrically inspiring. The gentle, dreamy and soulful voices reach deep inside your head where the words resonate while the incessant beat drives your feet to tapping. Love it!

I love Dorking…

We have a new ‘tourist attraction’ in Dorking. In the middle of the roundabout on the main junction into the town is a ten foot tall metal cock. The Dorking Cock is a symbol of the town and dates back to when they used to breed these five toed chickens locally.

Naturally the new construction has caused plenty of comment and discussion and the noble beast itself has been adorned variously with streamers and daffodils in the short time it has been here (we are waiting for Easter to see what materialises then!).

I know the name of the town itself has come in for some comment from friends and family who associate dork and dorking with something else, but a T-shirt available shows that the locals don’t take themselves too seriously (I love Dorking). I’ve got to get me one of those!

Discussions about the Dorking Cock

All kind of Folk…

The Chanticleer Folk Club is based out of the Friends Provident Social Club in Dorking and this provides and excellent venue with good performance space, comfortable seating area and separate (and cheap) bar. I suspect the name of the club is a reference to the Dorking cockerel. The club is run by Neil ‘the goblin’ McRitchie and his wife Martina. Neil used to work at the Hobgoblin music store and he plays the melodeon for the Rampant Rooster Morris side and the Pugwash Ceilidh Band. The club meets most Wednesdays from 8:30pm until 11:00pm and usually alternates weekly between a guest artist and a ‘singer’s night’ where club members perform.

Our last visit to the folk club was to see the Geordie fiddle player Tom McConville with Claire Mann on fiddle, flute, and whistle and vocals and Aaron Jones on bouzouki, guitar and vocals. They played traditional tunes, jigs and reels from all around the UK and gave a great performance to the small audience for a couple of hours.

A day in bonny Scotland…

The Monday after I returned from Brussels I was again on a plane, this time to Aberdeen where I was to meet with a couple of guys from the local office and go to visit a customer to talk about some work they want us to quote for. It takes longer to fly to the other end of the country than it does to some places in Europe and the ‘glamour’ of the ‘jet-set’ soon wares off when you have to shuffle in queues through several airports. Luckily I was able to go there and back in a (long) day and get back home by evening.

Out and about in Brussels…

I recently visited Brussels for a few days on a training course for work, learning about some of the company’s new products. There were a couple of colleagues from my office with me along with our opposite numbers from Sweden, The Netherlands, France, Bulgaria and the local office and our German boss. It is interesting to meet people from all over Europe and to find out a little about them and fortunately, for us ignorant types, the company language of English means they all speak more than one language (some embarrassingly speak many more).

More of wot I have read…

London Bridges by James Patterson

This book is trying to be an action packed thriller with a worldwide (centred on America) threat in the vein of the TV series ’24’. The main problem is the Alex Cross is no Jack Bower; in fact I became very frustrated with his lack of constructive input or drive (he seemed to spend most of his time jetting around, walking in parks brooding or asleep). The almost omnipotent, omnipresent villain with limitless funds and resources was too much too. It was a quick read, but for me, ultimately unsatisfying.

‘Alex Cross is back in his tenth and most explosive adventure yet.
In broad desert daylight, a mysterious platoon of soldiers evacuates the entire population of Sunrise Valley, Nevada. Minutes later, a huge bomb detonates a hundred feet above the ground and lays waste to homes, cars, and playgrounds: a town annihilated in an instant.

And so is the Wolf
Alex Cross is on vacation in San Francisco with his girlfriend, Jamilla Hughes, when he gets the call. The Russian super criminal known as the Wolf claims responsibility for the blast. The Wolf is the deadliest nemesis Cross has ever faced, and the fact that he is still at large is agonizing for him and his new bosses at the FBI.

And so is the Weasel
Major cities around the globe, including London, Paris, and New York, are threatened with total destruction. The Wolf has proven he can do it - the only question is who can stop him in time. Surveillance film of the blast reveals the presence of another of Alex Cross's most dangerous enemies, the ruthless assassin known as the Weasel. The thought of these two dark geniuses joining forces makes Alex's blood run cold.

Now are you scared?

World leaders have just four days to prevent an unimaginable cataclysm. In a matter of hours, Cross is catapulted into an international chase of astonishing danger. Joining forces with Scotland Yard and Interpol, Alex fights his way through a torrent of false leads, impersonators, and foreign agents before he gets close to the heart of the crimes. Racing down the hairpin turns of the Riviera in the most unforgettable finale James Patterson has ever written, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf's identity - a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive.’



The Husband by Dean Koontz

I have written about Dean Koontz before and his skill in descriptive writing and characterisation and in this book he doesn’t disappoint. He manages to drag you into a nightmare scenario while delicately describing the environment and revealing the hidden depths and of his characters exposing them to evermore extreme conditions in a tantalising and believable manner. I found this book riveting.

‘With each and every new novel, Dean Koontz raises the stakes—and the pulse rate—higher than any other author. Now, in what may be his most suspenseful and heartfelt novel ever, he brings us the story of an ordinary man whose extraordinary commitment to his wife will take him on a harrowing journey of adventure, sacrifice, and redemption to the mystery of love itself-and to a showdown with the darkness that would destroy it forever.

What would you do for love? Would you die? Would you kill?

We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash. Landscaper Mitchell Rafferty thinks it must be some kind of joke. He was in the middle of planting impatiens in the yard of one of his clients when his cell phone rang. Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighbourhood on a bright summer day, having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare.

Whoever is on the other end of the line is dead serious. He has Mitch's wife and he's named the price for her safe return. The caller doesn't care that Mitch runs a small two-man landscaping operation and has no way of raising such a vast sum. He's confident that Mitch will find a way. If he loves his wife enough… ...Mitch does love her enough. He loves her more than life itself. He's got seventy-two hours to prove it.
He has to find the two million by then. But he'll pay a lot more. He'll pay anything.

From its tense opening to its shattering climax, THE HUSBAND is a thriller that will hold you in its relentless grip for every twist, every shock, every revelation...until it lets you go, unmistakably changed. This is a Dean Koontz novel, after all. And there's no other experience quite like it.’



Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Where I like many of the subjects Dan Brown explores in his books and enjoy a certain amount of conspiracy and intrigue too, I find his execution sometimes jars and throws me off when I am reading. His annoying trait of telegraphing important messages as if the reader is a simpleton is condescending and disruptive to the narrative flow. Also Robert Langdon often appears ignorant of some things whilst making implausible leaps of deduction at other times. Important clues that have been hidden for centuries are solved in mere moments. If you get over these little frustrations the far-fetched story is quite entertaining.

‘When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati... the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth.

The Illuminati has surfaced from the shadows to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy... the Catholic Church.

Langdon's worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican's holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces he has hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.

Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair... a secret location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.

An explosive international thriller, ANGELS & DEMONS careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war...’