More of wot I have read...

Blood River, A Journey to Africa’s Broken Heart by Tim Butcher
This is an interesting read as it documents a part of the world that is almost as hidden as it was years ago during the time of the early Victorian explorers. The terrible troubles in the region are catalogued in this documentary style book and show just what circumstances led to the downfall of this natural resource rich region.


‘When Daily Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher was sent to Africa in 2000 he quickly became obsessed with the legendary Congo River, and the idea of recreating H. M. Stanley’s famous expedition. Despite warnings that his plan was ‘suicidal’, Butcher set out for the Congo’s eastern border with just a rucksack and a few thousand dollars hidden in his boots. Making his way in an assortment of vehicles including a motorbike and dugout canoe, helped along by a cast of characters from UN aid workers to a campaigning pygmy, he followed in the footsteps of the great Victorian adventurers. Butcher’s journey was a remarkable feat, but the story of the Congo, told expertly and vividly in this book, is more remarkable still.’



Fatherland by Robert Harris

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it had a good, well paced action/police/conspiracy story and the ‘what if the Nazi’s had won’ setting was fascinating too.


‘April, 1964. The naked body of an old man floats in a lake on the outskirts of Berlin. In one week it will be Adolf Hitler’s 75th birthday. A terrible conspiracy is starting to unravel...’

Autumn is on its way...

The days are drawing in, temperature is dropping and the sun has left is again. Still, we have had a few good weeks during the summer time and overall the weather here has been pretty good. We are determined not to put the heating back on until we have had our ‘summer’ holidays – going to Corfu to visit friends.

This time of year is a bumper time in the allotment and we have dug up the last of the potatoes, are picking tomatoes almost every day, and the courgettes glut is nearly over. At home we have some very interesting chillies cropping, including two fruit on the dreaded Dorset Naga (under ‘uses’ it has ‘weapon’ listed).

Folk in a Field...

Towersey Village Festival

Again we had a lovely time at this smaller family friendly folk festival in Oxfordshire. We were lucky with the rain that abated the day we got there and stayed fine for most of the time (apart from a small shower when we were safely ensconced in the pub listening to my uncle, his mates and others playing and singing).

Here is some of what we saw...

Established and Old School

Roy Bailey (the patriarch of the festival, does a good turn in comedy/children’s/family songs – particularly like the Ben Kenobi song)

Chris Wood and Andy Cutting (bought Chris Woods cd – great voice)

Martin Simpson

Martin Carthy

Eliza Carthy

Going To Go Far

Sam Carter (bought his cd – touching lyrics)

Lauren McCormick (lovely voice)

Tyde (a very popular young group – going to go far)

Jackie Oates

Fay Hield

Nancy Wallace

Walsh & Pound

Up and Coming

Gavin Osborn (comic songs with heart – bought his cd)

Bethany Weimers (beautiful voice – she could be a star)

Anna Elias (bought her cd – sublime music and voice)

From Across the Pond

Genticorum (great, fun and French Canadian)

Sara Grey, Kieron Means and Ben Paley

Foot Stompers

Bellowhead (real party band, only folk band I have pogo’d to – have there cd)

Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings (Jon from Bellowhead, toned down slightly, great tunes and lyrics – have his cd)

Kan (a new grouping of artists from other great bands, real energy and enthusiasm)

Something Else

Frumptarn Guggenband (unbelievable brass and percussion band, especially when joined by the following)

Gaorsach Rapper and Step (a fantastic dance side that well deserve their award winning status)

Pig Dyke Molly Dancers (making morris and molly dancing modern?)

Cabaret

Bruce Airhead (brilliant show – how does he do that?)

The Dragon’s Tale (great show for the kids – and sensitive adults)

Madame Ovary & Cecily Bumtrinket (great fun)

Installations

HiG Helix in Gimble (looks great, could save you energy and money)

More of wot I have read…

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

This is an interesting book with some fun ideas and nice twists, but there is a lot in it and sometimes I felt quite lost, and ultimately this meant I lost interest at times.

‘The Diamond Age or A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer

Far above the diamondoid bedrock of New Chusan, a powerful class of neo-Victorians is ruling twenty-first-century Atlantis/Shanghai. John Percival Hackworth, a brilliant nanotechnologist, has created an illicit, magical book for the education of a young lady: an interactive device crammed with folklore, science and the martial arts that teaches young women how to think for themselves.

What will happen to society of it should fall into the hands of someone like little Nell, a poor orphan girl with so much to learn?’