Movie Star Treatment…

We visited the house, Stowe Maries, in the village that was previously owned by the actor Leslie Howard and we watched an old black and white movie, Pygmalion, that he was in. We watched the film, glass of bubbly in hand, in the actor’s own cinema that is in the garden of his grand house next to the swimming pool. The event was organised by the local history group with the kind permission of the current owners and was a sell out. The film is a classic and it was even more fun to be in the same room as the star, next to his art-deco bar and a couple of feet away from the old projector that he must have used to entertain his glamorous film star guests.

More of wot I have read…

Nothing but Blue Skies by Tom Holt

Ok, who pissed of the dragons then? Now I know why this summer has been so pants.

This is an entertaining and supremely silly book full of jokes and madcap adventures and is worth a look if you want some cheering up on a wet summer’s day.

‘There are very many reasons why British summers are either non-existant or, alternatively, held on a Thursday. Many of these reasons are either scientific, mad, or both – but all of them are wrong, especially the scientific ones. The real reason why it rains perpetually from January 1^st to December 31^st (incl.) is, of course, irritable Chinese water dragons.

Karen is one such legendary creature. Ancient, noble, near-indestructible and, for a number of wildly improbable reasons, working as an estate-agent, Karen is irritable quite a lot of the time. Hence Wimbledon. She becomes positively incensed, however, when she discovers that her father, the Adjutant General to the Dragon King of the North-west, has been kidnapped by a mob of livid weathermen.’

Summer Fail…

There spring started with meteorological promise and we had a lovely March with bright skies and warm spring days. The spring flowers bloomed early and the birds and bees busied themselves as the sap started to rise. As the sun continued for an unprecedented duration (more than three days in succession) we were told we had entered a period of drought, but as soon as the water companies imposed a hose-pipe water ban it started to rain… …and rain, and still it rains.

I am not a sun worshipper and do not like it too hot (when it is cold you can always put on more clothes, if it is too hot there is a limit to how much you can take off before it becomes obscene), nevertheless, the only chance I have of getting any colour on my pallid skin currently seems to be due to rust.

I was looking forward to some drought, to scorching days and balmy evenings spent out doors with the sun on your back and a glass of something cold in your hand, to conserving water by sharing a bath with a friend, to not having to wash the car (although admittedly I usually leave this job to those nice Polish people at the supermarket car park anyway), but now the weather forecasters have told us that we should not consider this June to be summer. Soon we will have passed the longest day, so when will we have our summer I wonder?

My folks are over for a couple of months, spend time with us and with other family and friends in the UK and touring France and Spain. We noted with some chagrin that the weather back in New Zealand (their winter) was recently warmer and drier than here. How is that possible?

Meet the Neighbours…

Unrelated to the Jubilee is the now annual BBQ for neighbours of Westcott and Bailey Roads that took place the weekend after the Queen’s big party and was held in the village’s second church St John’s (no longer used for regular religious service and used as social and community activities) and adjacent graveyard. We were lucky with the weather and managed to be outside where people picnicked on the ground, at tables and chairs set out among the gravestones or standing up talking with others as the children ran around and enjoyed themselves.

It was great to catch up with established friends and to meet new ones. There was a mix of people present from new families just moved in with babes in arms, to folks who had been in the village for decades. It was sad the one of the oldest residents of the village, Pat, was too unwell to join us and he was much missed.

In the end it seemed that it was universally agreed that the event was enjoyed by all who attended and it was even suggested that a second mid winter event be held to complement it. Along with this there were a few more recruits for the regular curry night and a suggestion for a friendly football team event.

All in all it was very enjoyable and I feel glad that we belong to such a friendly place.

Jubilee Celebrations…

Westcott Street Party was one of many that happened during the long weekend and it attracted a good turn out with an estimated 700 people either on the recreational ground watching the sporting endeavours, or along Westcott Street eating, drinking and making merry. We started at the rec and watched various iconic ‘sporting’ events, such as egg and spoon race, sack race, three legged race. Some energetic souls competed in the Westcott Mile around the village and teams lined up for the tug-of-war contest (the best of which was the Rugby Club lads all dressed in black and flexing and stretching with serious intent as they faced off against the Old Gits team dressed in red, white and blue of various combinations and whose pre-match routine seemed to consist of emptying their wine glasses and hip flask cups before handing them to members of the audience for temporary protection). The combination of sneaky additional members on the Old Git’s team and Sue’s advice to ‘not be too rough on the old guys’, meant that the Old Gits took an early and surprising (especially to the Rugby Boys) lead in the best of three pulls before they eventually succumbed.

Spots of rain drove us back home where we had our picnic lunch indoors with friends and neighbours. Once it cleared and suitably fortified a few of us ventured forth again to where the street party was continuing and we set up camp in front of the music tent where we listened to the fine musicians, watched the dancers and eventually, once forcibly dragged onto the dance floor by Jodie, dancing ourselves. Our supplies we replenished by the regular need to return home relieve one selves only to return with replacement liquids (had it been planned better the girls might have started on the Moet and Taittinger rather than starting with the Prosecco and ending on the posh stuff)

The marathon Jubilee weekend on television included all of the events that the Queen attended including the Epsom Derby, the Thames floating pageant, the concert at Buckingham Palace, the lighting of the beacons throughout the country and Commonwealth and ending with the service at St Paul’s a carriage procession and fly past over Buck House. Not everyone is a staunch Royalist but there certainly seemed to be plenty of determined flag waving souls who stood in the regular deluge of rain to support the Queen, and we did watch some of it on the box from the comfort of our lounge (those poor singers standing on the Philharmonic barge in the driving rain, soaked to the skin in the cold wind as they bravely sang out).

Geeks on Parade...

I went out with a couple of my gaming pals to the UKGames Expo (supposedly UK’s answer to GENCON). We met at Kevin’s and our first stop was at the supermarket to stock up on junk food and fizzy drinks before driving off to Birmingham.

The Friday before the event was a general get together at the main hotel, informal gaming and a few organised RPG’s.

The weekend proper was held at a nearby convention centre and consisted of several large halls full of trade stalls adjacent to demonstration areas where you could play the games. Also there were smaller rooms where organised games were played and a big area set aside for a table top miniatures war game competition.

There was a wide variety of games from those aimed at children in the family area, board games, card games, other table top games and role play games. There even was a live action game of Living Munchkin where ‘adventurers’ went down into the ‘dungeon’ and kicked down a few doors, battled monsters and took their treasure (it is based on the satirical card game Munchkin and its many variations).

Also at the show were several costumed groups, the Viking re-enactors were showing their fighting skills outside sending sparks flying as their blades clashed to the delight of children and adults alike, there were the Star Wars characters guarding the doors and patrolling the venue, Dr Who was near his Tardis with a shapely female companion as two friendly Darleks wandered around (one bumped into the other as they moved around and apologised in their distinctive voices “sorry darling”, “that’s alright darling” came the response). Other monsters from the later series were present as were a couple of inanimate droids from Star Wars. Also visible were Judge Dread and a couple of Super-Heroes (or Super-Villains – I wasn’t sure which).

I played a Triple Ace – Daring Tales of Adventure game using the Savage Worlds rule set, play tested a new game being developed and had fun zombie killing in a table top game called Last Living Souls. I bought a couple of items, a set of Steampunk Dice and a fun little two person game called Hive.

One small stall caught my eye (and I suspect quite a few other male attendees) it was the first appearance for a new company called AxFaction who make 32mm miniatures for collectors or gamers. This new venture only has two models available at the moment, but they are exquisitely crafted and shapely female characters of fantastic design.

Considering it was the hottest weekend this year, it was the most fun you could have with a group of predominately pale male, physically different (tall & skinny, short & fat, bald or longhaired) sweaty people hyped up on sugar based confectionary as a person can have.

Jamie’s Birthday Treat…

Jamie’s Grandmother, Aunt, Mother and I went up to see him for his birthday recently as we had suggested if we came over we could take him out and spend money on him. He graciously agreed to our visit, though he was a little under the weather from the previous night’s celebrations (just a quiet one with a few friends you understand). We brought a homemade chocolate hedgehog cake, that in retrospect perhaps shouldn’t have been made after we returned from the curry house and a few drinks before.

Jamie and I played on our Apple gadgets together as Sue cleaned the flat.

Lunch was at a well known chain of family restaurants where we were sat next to a table of children having a birthday party. Jamie struggled with his meal and the noise of the excited kids behind him. We had a good time.

Afterwards we went out to a local shopping centre and bought him some clothes, some vitamins (to help counter the effects of the alcohol), and then bought him more booze and food for his party that he was hosting that night.

Jamie’s Aunt Deb went out with him and she bought him a hookah (the shisha pipe, not prostitute) and I had fun assembling that later in the flat. I think Sue was a little jealous that she could not stay for the party, but we left and heard later that it was all a big hit.