J has passed his exams and is looking forward to the summer break in Spain before returning back to Hull and continuing on with his Computer Science degree.
In another milestone J has had his 19th birthday recently. He is staying with us for a couple of days before he flies off on holiday.
We had a nice family BBQ at Deb and Fog's place where they showed us a video of their recent holiday to Australia and cooked a joint of pork and a leg of lamb in their new Weber barbie'.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
How long?
Wow! This is about the longest I have gone without blogging. Not that nothing has happened just busy doing something else.
We have some big news that can be revealed, although many already know. We are to become migratory – at least for a while. We are planning on following the sun across the globe. After summer ends here in the northern hemisphere, around October time, we will be flying south and soaking the southern sun until April when we return for the northern spring.
We had to make sure all our nearest and dearest were ok with the idea and we are happy to report they have given us their collective blessings. This should mean that we can spend a maximum time with all of our family and friends.
Our major task is to ensure that J and the house are sorted by renting it out while we are away (if you know of someone suitable drop us a note). We need to cover the mortgage and J’s expenses and then a little left over for incidentals.
While we are down under we hope to live a slightly more frugal lifestyle and thus avoid having to work in a traditional job, existing on some small scale enterprises. We hope to start an on-line T-shirt business with some friends here in the UK, and we hope to help sell some of my folks olive produce, along with other local items at craft fairs and the like. In addition we will try our hands at the creative arts, Sue making glass jewellery, and me painting, drawing and writing.
I have continued the progress with my book, but it is slow. If I can get a couple of chapters and a synopsis down I can start sending it out to publishers for their reactions.
Spring has sprung here and I have been spending more time at the allotment with plenty of seedlings sprouting in the greenhouse. Outside it is still too early for many plants as there is still a risk of night time frosts, but we do have the onions, potatoes, some carrots and beetroot in, and we have been eating our first crop of asparagus.
We have some big news that can be revealed, although many already know. We are to become migratory – at least for a while. We are planning on following the sun across the globe. After summer ends here in the northern hemisphere, around October time, we will be flying south and soaking the southern sun until April when we return for the northern spring.
We had to make sure all our nearest and dearest were ok with the idea and we are happy to report they have given us their collective blessings. This should mean that we can spend a maximum time with all of our family and friends.
Our major task is to ensure that J and the house are sorted by renting it out while we are away (if you know of someone suitable drop us a note). We need to cover the mortgage and J’s expenses and then a little left over for incidentals.
While we are down under we hope to live a slightly more frugal lifestyle and thus avoid having to work in a traditional job, existing on some small scale enterprises. We hope to start an on-line T-shirt business with some friends here in the UK, and we hope to help sell some of my folks olive produce, along with other local items at craft fairs and the like. In addition we will try our hands at the creative arts, Sue making glass jewellery, and me painting, drawing and writing.
I have continued the progress with my book, but it is slow. If I can get a couple of chapters and a synopsis down I can start sending it out to publishers for their reactions.
Spring has sprung here and I have been spending more time at the allotment with plenty of seedlings sprouting in the greenhouse. Outside it is still too early for many plants as there is still a risk of night time frosts, but we do have the onions, potatoes, some carrots and beetroot in, and we have been eating our first crop of asparagus.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Online T-shirt enterprise…
Along with a couple of friends we are looking more seriously into the possibility of designing and selling our own range of T-shirts online. We want to keep costs down initially by limiting stock holding and investing in specialised equipment, but we still want to retain a high quality product.
We have several leads to investigate but we will be tapping friends and relations for information and support.
Remember T-shirts make an ideal gift…
We have several leads to investigate but we will be tapping friends and relations for information and support.
Remember T-shirts make an ideal gift…
On the road again…
We have a new (newer than the previous) chariot. The old Ford Mondeo was uneconomical to repair (see my earlier blog regarding the unhappy circumstances) so we splashed out £700 and bought a newer model Mondeo. Although it is lower specification (I am already missing the air-conditioning and automatic transmission), and quite tatty (dent in the door, worn trim etc.) it gets me from A to B, which is the important thing.
And it is red, and as we all know red one's go faster, after all isn't that why the paint fire engines that colour?
And it is red, and as we all know red one's go faster, after all isn't that why the paint fire engines that colour?
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
More of wot I have read…
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
This an interesting book for its cultural insights to elements of society I would not usually be exposed to. In a similar vein as Monica Ali’s Brick Lane this book exposes the challenges face by first and subsequent generations of immigrants to the UK.
It is an entertaining read full of colour and great characterisation, but it is a little long and drawn out affair, if you have the patience it is rewarding.
‘Zadie Smith's White Teeth is a delightfully cacophonous tale that spans 25 years of two families' assimilation in North London. The Joneses and the Iqbals are an unlikely a pairing of families, but their intertwined destinies distil the British Empire's history and hopes into a dazzling multiethnic melange that is a pure joy to read. Smith proves herself to be a master at drawing fully-realized, vibrant characters, and she demonstrates an extraordinary ear for dialogue. It is a novel full of humour and empathy that is as inspiring as it is enjoyable.’
This an interesting book for its cultural insights to elements of society I would not usually be exposed to. In a similar vein as Monica Ali’s Brick Lane this book exposes the challenges face by first and subsequent generations of immigrants to the UK.
It is an entertaining read full of colour and great characterisation, but it is a little long and drawn out affair, if you have the patience it is rewarding.
‘Zadie Smith's White Teeth is a delightfully cacophonous tale that spans 25 years of two families' assimilation in North London. The Joneses and the Iqbals are an unlikely a pairing of families, but their intertwined destinies distil the British Empire's history and hopes into a dazzling multiethnic melange that is a pure joy to read. Smith proves herself to be a master at drawing fully-realized, vibrant characters, and she demonstrates an extraordinary ear for dialogue. It is a novel full of humour and empathy that is as inspiring as it is enjoyable.’
Monday, April 11, 2005
More of wot I have read…
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
This was an absolutely riveting and delightful read. It is one of the most enjoyable books I can remember.
It starts with what might appear at first glance a totally improbable premise, but the author's skill and involving personal plot line pulls you in gently until you find yourself hooked and unable to put the book down.
A beautiful book. God I wish I could write like that!
'A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant.
An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come.'
This was an absolutely riveting and delightful read. It is one of the most enjoyable books I can remember.
It starts with what might appear at first glance a totally improbable premise, but the author's skill and involving personal plot line pulls you in gently until you find yourself hooked and unable to put the book down.
A beautiful book. God I wish I could write like that!
'A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant.
An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come.'
Spring in an urban garden…
Our clocks have changed and the weather is trying to improve, so we went out to the allotment to start the tidy up ready for planting the new season's crops. Before we went on holiday we planted our onion and garlic sets and they are sprouting nicely. We spent a good time pulling up the weeds and unwanted raspberry runners. I took the seed potatoes out of the loft where they have been 'chitting' (we are still eating last years crop, which are also showing signs of sprouting in their sacks). Just a bit more tidying up to go and then the fun task of planting seeds begins. Hope springs…
There and back again…
We have been back in the UK a week now after our short holiday down under and already it seems like an age ago.
We visited family and friends in NZ trying to avoid the usual constant trekking about and normal holiday traps. Nevertheless we were busy most days, managed to see quite a few people and still found time to sightsee and shop.
I did get together with a bunch of guys who hung around together at school. We had a great evening reminiscing of days gone by. It seemed that while were are all becoming a little more staid and nearing our 4 decade we still feel pretty much as we did when we were 15. I wonder if every one feels like that?
We had a short stopover in Kuala Lumpur (we find it is very necessary for us to break that long flight up) and we managed to see a little of this interesting city. There appear to be a large disparity between the have and have-nots (slum suburbs and mansion houses). Some of the place has a slightly worn out look while at the same time there is a lot of brand new building going on. Being an old colony of England they drive on the same side as us and almost everybody speaks English. The city was built up with labour from China and India, so there is a great multicultural flavour (though at times you are the only white face in the crowd).
The only real tragedy in the whole trip was when I left the duty free on the trolley as we got into the taxi to come home. I was almost divorced over that (after all it is not the first time I've done it either!)
We landed back on Sunday evening and on Monday we were back at work. Oh well we need to earn the money for the next trip somehow.
We visited family and friends in NZ trying to avoid the usual constant trekking about and normal holiday traps. Nevertheless we were busy most days, managed to see quite a few people and still found time to sightsee and shop.
I did get together with a bunch of guys who hung around together at school. We had a great evening reminiscing of days gone by. It seemed that while were are all becoming a little more staid and nearing our 4 decade we still feel pretty much as we did when we were 15. I wonder if every one feels like that?
We had a short stopover in Kuala Lumpur (we find it is very necessary for us to break that long flight up) and we managed to see a little of this interesting city. There appear to be a large disparity between the have and have-nots (slum suburbs and mansion houses). Some of the place has a slightly worn out look while at the same time there is a lot of brand new building going on. Being an old colony of England they drive on the same side as us and almost everybody speaks English. The city was built up with labour from China and India, so there is a great multicultural flavour (though at times you are the only white face in the crowd).
The only real tragedy in the whole trip was when I left the duty free on the trolley as we got into the taxi to come home. I was almost divorced over that (after all it is not the first time I've done it either!)
We landed back on Sunday evening and on Monday we were back at work. Oh well we need to earn the money for the next trip somehow.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Shanks's pony...
I was in a car accident last week, though luckily I only suffered mild whiplash.
I was waiting to turn into the company car park after lunch when I was hit from behind. As I got out to investigate the bastard drove off right in front of dozens of witnesses and me - he was even perused by another driver - nobody could believe he did it. Two independent witnesses got his registration (with only one letter different), but neither number came up on the police computer - then the penny dropped - that's why he did a runner. If his plates weren't legal, than neither would be the car, and he wouldn't be taxed; MOT'd or insured.
I spent the rest of that day alternatively at the hospital and at the police station and the next two days off at home. The car is sans-bumper but even though it drives and all the lights work Sue insists that I take public transport to work until I get a new car (The car is only worth a couple of hundred quid, which is less than it would cost to fix). At least I can read my book while I am on the bus and train.
Sue has said I can get a VW Kombi if I want, but they are not cheap. Even a thirty-year-old tatty Type 2 camper is selling for £3000 to £4000. Better quality or rarer Type 1 campers can go for anything up to £10000.
I have found out that for even more money you can get a brand spanking new Type 2 Kombi (or a new 'old style' Beetle, Type 1 Golf or Caddy). VW Brazil still makes these old models and a company, Beetles UK, imports them and turns the Kombi transporter into a Camper Van.
Better check the lottery tickets again!
I was waiting to turn into the company car park after lunch when I was hit from behind. As I got out to investigate the bastard drove off right in front of dozens of witnesses and me - he was even perused by another driver - nobody could believe he did it. Two independent witnesses got his registration (with only one letter different), but neither number came up on the police computer - then the penny dropped - that's why he did a runner. If his plates weren't legal, than neither would be the car, and he wouldn't be taxed; MOT'd or insured.
I spent the rest of that day alternatively at the hospital and at the police station and the next two days off at home. The car is sans-bumper but even though it drives and all the lights work Sue insists that I take public transport to work until I get a new car (The car is only worth a couple of hundred quid, which is less than it would cost to fix). At least I can read my book while I am on the bus and train.
Sue has said I can get a VW Kombi if I want, but they are not cheap. Even a thirty-year-old tatty Type 2 camper is selling for £3000 to £4000. Better quality or rarer Type 1 campers can go for anything up to £10000.
I have found out that for even more money you can get a brand spanking new Type 2 Kombi (or a new 'old style' Beetle, Type 1 Golf or Caddy). VW Brazil still makes these old models and a company, Beetles UK, imports them and turns the Kombi transporter into a Camper Van.
Better check the lottery tickets again!
More of wot I have watched...
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
An entertaining tale though rather unnecessarily overcomplicated I thought (did miss a bit in the middle, which can't have helped). My, haven't those kids grown up!
Vera Drake
A superbly acted (perhaps a tad too much blubbering for my tastes) and very evocative cinematography lift this film above the ordinary.
Super Volcanoe
I saw an interesting docu-drama about the potential disaster of Super Volcanoes (like Taupo), and the catastrophic 'end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it' scenario. Some days it doesn’t pay to get out of bed.
An entertaining tale though rather unnecessarily overcomplicated I thought (did miss a bit in the middle, which can't have helped). My, haven't those kids grown up!
Vera Drake
A superbly acted (perhaps a tad too much blubbering for my tastes) and very evocative cinematography lift this film above the ordinary.
Super Volcanoe
I saw an interesting docu-drama about the potential disaster of Super Volcanoes (like Taupo), and the catastrophic 'end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it' scenario. Some days it doesn’t pay to get out of bed.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Another month flies by...
We are experiencing wintry weather here in the UK at the moment with occasional flurries of snow and temperatures below 5 degrees. The heating is on most of the time, and silly hats and scarves are the order of the day. Sue got me a great 'silly hat' that looks like a cross between a Russian soldier's hat and a deerstalker with its fluffy ear flaps - I think it was a joke?
I think I am going through a mid-life crisis. My hair has grown long, I am wearing leather bracelets with cartoon t-shirts and cords. I have brought Jamie's old 3/4 guitar down from the loft and have re-strung it, tuned it and bought a book on how-to-play-guitar-for-complete-beginners. I am looking longingly at VW Combi vans and we have arranged to go to a world-music festival with our neighbours in the summer (tents, tie-dye and veggie-burgers). If you fancy sitting on the grass lacing daises in our hair and calling each other sister, why don't you come join my commune?
We have decorated (mostly) our bedroom. It was the only room we hadn't done anything with since we bought the house, so we camped in Jamie's room for the weekend and painted the walls. Unfortunately when we moved one of the bookcases it revealed a damp patch that was caused by a leaky down pipe outside, so now we need to get the builders in.
Jamie came down for a visit this weekend, the first time we have seen him since before New Years. It was great to see him again and we all had a nice time when some of the Aunts and Uncle's came over for dinner. He seems to be enjoying the student life to the full and refers to his place in Hull as home (so much so he and his flatmates have paid a deposit to stay at the house next year).
I think I am going through a mid-life crisis. My hair has grown long, I am wearing leather bracelets with cartoon t-shirts and cords. I have brought Jamie's old 3/4 guitar down from the loft and have re-strung it, tuned it and bought a book on how-to-play-guitar-for-complete-beginners. I am looking longingly at VW Combi vans and we have arranged to go to a world-music festival with our neighbours in the summer (tents, tie-dye and veggie-burgers). If you fancy sitting on the grass lacing daises in our hair and calling each other sister, why don't you come join my commune?
We have decorated (mostly) our bedroom. It was the only room we hadn't done anything with since we bought the house, so we camped in Jamie's room for the weekend and painted the walls. Unfortunately when we moved one of the bookcases it revealed a damp patch that was caused by a leaky down pipe outside, so now we need to get the builders in.
Jamie came down for a visit this weekend, the first time we have seen him since before New Years. It was great to see him again and we all had a nice time when some of the Aunts and Uncle's came over for dinner. He seems to be enjoying the student life to the full and refers to his place in Hull as home (so much so he and his flatmates have paid a deposit to stay at the house next year).
More of wot I have read…
Croydon Airport: The great Days, 1928-1939
A historical record of the beginnings of the UK's first international airport from its amalgamation of earlier military and civil sites to the outbreak of WWII and its temporary return to military use. Now the site is half open field and half housing and industrial estate with the only evidence being the airport terminal building, hotel and some obscure road names to hint at its past. Not many locals realise the importance of Croydon, and its role in early civil flying. I have been looking into the history in the hope that I can use some of the events in a children's story, perhaps linking Croydon with New Zealand with record breaking pioneers like Jean Batten.
Links
Croydon Gov
Croydon Online
A historical record of the beginnings of the UK's first international airport from its amalgamation of earlier military and civil sites to the outbreak of WWII and its temporary return to military use. Now the site is half open field and half housing and industrial estate with the only evidence being the airport terminal building, hotel and some obscure road names to hint at its past. Not many locals realise the importance of Croydon, and its role in early civil flying. I have been looking into the history in the hope that I can use some of the events in a children's story, perhaps linking Croydon with New Zealand with record breaking pioneers like Jean Batten.
Links
Croydon Gov
Croydon Online
More of wot I have watched…
The Aviator
We saw this with our friends James and Nikala, and we were not so impressed with this movie, in fact the girls both fell asleep during it. There was something about the Martin Scorsese's directing that made you feel that at anytime soon the cast were all going to burst into a song and dance routine. I have seen much better bio-pics of Howard Hughes on TV. All in all this was a bit of a let down after all the hype in the media.
The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This is an odd and convoluted sort of film, something I quite like, but Sue didn't. It has a good cast led by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. There are a great many scenes out of order, flashbacks and dream like sequences, which don't suit everyone, but there is a deeper level of moral and ethical subtext.
House of Flying Daggers
We saw this with Jamie, and it is his opinion that there was too much love-story and not enough flying daggers. It did make him want a sword - to Sue's obvious distress. This is a beautiful picturesque film, with wonderful characters (the lead actors are great). It has the same super-human special effects that 'crouching-tiger, hidden-dragon' had but it does have a little more plot. Great heroic adventurer fun.
Ladies in Lavender
This is a lovely, slow and touching story of hope and regret, played out by a couple of fabulous dames (Dench and Smith). In a sleepy 1930's Cornish seaside village under a cloud of war a young foreigner is cast ashore barely alive.
We saw this with our friends James and Nikala, and we were not so impressed with this movie, in fact the girls both fell asleep during it. There was something about the Martin Scorsese's directing that made you feel that at anytime soon the cast were all going to burst into a song and dance routine. I have seen much better bio-pics of Howard Hughes on TV. All in all this was a bit of a let down after all the hype in the media.
The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This is an odd and convoluted sort of film, something I quite like, but Sue didn't. It has a good cast led by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. There are a great many scenes out of order, flashbacks and dream like sequences, which don't suit everyone, but there is a deeper level of moral and ethical subtext.
House of Flying Daggers
We saw this with Jamie, and it is his opinion that there was too much love-story and not enough flying daggers. It did make him want a sword - to Sue's obvious distress. This is a beautiful picturesque film, with wonderful characters (the lead actors are great). It has the same super-human special effects that 'crouching-tiger, hidden-dragon' had but it does have a little more plot. Great heroic adventurer fun.
Ladies in Lavender
This is a lovely, slow and touching story of hope and regret, played out by a couple of fabulous dames (Dench and Smith). In a sleepy 1930's Cornish seaside village under a cloud of war a young foreigner is cast ashore barely alive.
Monday, February 14, 2005
More of wot I have heard…
I have eventually managed to track down a copy of ‘The Clarence Greenwood Recordings’ by Citizen Cope. Strangely enough his real name is Clarence Greenwood.
I have wanted to get a copy of this for some time now after I heard some of the songs on the Seattle radio station KEXP. It has not been released here in the UK and I’ve not heard it played on any of the local stations.
He has a bluesy gruff and very soulful sound and his lyrics are both moving and playful at the same time, irreverent and yet passionate. I think it is an album that you might put on late at night in a darkened room when you have your feet up with a glass of what-you-like in hand.
Check out his site and try some of the samples. See what you think.
I have wanted to get a copy of this for some time now after I heard some of the songs on the Seattle radio station KEXP. It has not been released here in the UK and I’ve not heard it played on any of the local stations.
He has a bluesy gruff and very soulful sound and his lyrics are both moving and playful at the same time, irreverent and yet passionate. I think it is an album that you might put on late at night in a darkened room when you have your feet up with a glass of what-you-like in hand.
Check out his site and try some of the samples. See what you think.
More of wot I have watched…
On Sunday we arranged to meet James and Nikala at the cinema late morning where we watched the incredibly moving Spanish film ‘The Sea Inside’.
This is not an easy film, based as it is on the true story of a quadriplegic’s fight for the right to end his life. Even so the acting is some of the absolute best I have ever seen and it more than maked up for the subject matter.
Take plenty of tissues to this one…
This is not an easy film, based as it is on the true story of a quadriplegic’s fight for the right to end his life. Even so the acting is some of the absolute best I have ever seen and it more than maked up for the subject matter.
Take plenty of tissues to this one…
Another lovely weekend...
Saturday we did some chores around the house and managed to get out onto the allotment getting it ready for the spring planting. I have my seed potatoes ‘chitting’ in the loft and I have put my onion sets into trays to start their roots growing. In the evening we went to a Valentines themed dinner party at Chris and Carole’s where we ate and drank more than we should have done. Very nice it was too.
Sunday we went out to the movies with James and Nikala and had a lovely roast chicken dinner and followed it with pancakes with glazed banana and maple syrup. Oh boy…
Sunday we went out to the movies with James and Nikala and had a lovely roast chicken dinner and followed it with pancakes with glazed banana and maple syrup. Oh boy…
Monday, February 07, 2005
Another year older…
Well here we go the last year of my 30’s.
Sue and I celebrated by driving down to the lovely Sussex town of Rye. Once an island defence against French invasion, it now sits miles from the see overlooking farmland. It is a bit teashops-and-antiques, but even so it is nice at this time of the year. I can imagine it would be absolutely heaving during the summer months. As it was it took us a while to find accommodation, which we did in the Borough Arms, a family run 300 year old former sailors' inn situated alongside Mermaid Street, overlooking the Strand. After a leisurely drive down we freshened up and took to the cobbled streets and had a look at the local places of interest. This did include a pub or two. We had a wonderful evening meal at the highly recommended The Flushing Inn.
On Sunday, after unwrapping a super haul of pressies (thanks everybody), we stoked up on a Full-English and set off to explore more of the countryside by car. We headed down to the coast to see the sea defences (it is a little unnerving to stand on them and realise that the sea is higher than land behind the barrier). We stopped in Hastings for a ramble around for a few hours before head back homewards.
Near home we stopped at the former Croydon Aerodrome which has an open day on the first Sunday of each month, luckily. We spent a few more hours here being told the history of England’s first International Airport and of famous flyers like Lindbergh, Kingsford-Smith, Amy Johnson, Jean Batten and many more. Many of the guides worked at the airport or flew from it and it was very inspiring to hear their stories.
Sue and I celebrated by driving down to the lovely Sussex town of Rye. Once an island defence against French invasion, it now sits miles from the see overlooking farmland. It is a bit teashops-and-antiques, but even so it is nice at this time of the year. I can imagine it would be absolutely heaving during the summer months. As it was it took us a while to find accommodation, which we did in the Borough Arms, a family run 300 year old former sailors' inn situated alongside Mermaid Street, overlooking the Strand. After a leisurely drive down we freshened up and took to the cobbled streets and had a look at the local places of interest. This did include a pub or two. We had a wonderful evening meal at the highly recommended The Flushing Inn.
On Sunday, after unwrapping a super haul of pressies (thanks everybody), we stoked up on a Full-English and set off to explore more of the countryside by car. We headed down to the coast to see the sea defences (it is a little unnerving to stand on them and realise that the sea is higher than land behind the barrier). We stopped in Hastings for a ramble around for a few hours before head back homewards.
Near home we stopped at the former Croydon Aerodrome which has an open day on the first Sunday of each month, luckily. We spent a few more hours here being told the history of England’s first International Airport and of famous flyers like Lindbergh, Kingsford-Smith, Amy Johnson, Jean Batten and many more. Many of the guides worked at the airport or flew from it and it was very inspiring to hear their stories.
More of wot I have read…
Elle Minow Pea by Mark Dunn
This book was a Christmas present from James and Nikala who bought it for its literary uniqueness. The book revolves around a famous pangram (a phrase, sentence or verse composed of all the letters of the alphabet). But it is the developing political fanaticism that drives the story and I must say that it is one of the only books where the story has actually wound me up. It is a very interesting and entertaining read.
‘As Ella Minnow Pea writes to her cousin with the latest news on the small, quiet island of Nollop, little does she imagine the crisis ahead. The letter z has fallen from the statue of Nevin Nollop, revered author of the sentence ‘The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog’ – and the island’s rulers interpret this as a sign of divine displeasure and ban its use in any form. In a novel composed of correspondence, the loss of z is inconvenient; but far worse is to come as more letters fall and more are banned, until only l, m, n, o, p remain…
The story of a battle against tyranny, this extraordinary novel, written with an ever-shrinking alphabet, is at once a moving love story, a brilliant political allegory and an unforgettable celebration of language.'
Pompeii by Robert Harris
This is a riveting read that I couldn’t put down. I love historical novels and one, like this, based on such a famous incident adds something due to the familiarity of the subject. It is great to read an account from such a personal viewpoint.
‘A sweltering week in late August. Where better to enjoy the last days of summer than on the beautiful Bay of Naples?
But even as Rome’s richest citizens relax in their villas around Pompeii and Herculaneum, there are ominous warnings that something is going wrong. Wells and springs are falling, a man has disappeared, and now the greatest aqueduct in the world – the mighty Aqua Augusta – has suddenly ceased to flow…
Through the eyes of four characters – a young engineer, an adolescent girl, a corrupt millionaire and an elderly scientist – Robert Harris brilliantly recreates a luxurious world on the brink of destruction.'
This book was a Christmas present from James and Nikala who bought it for its literary uniqueness. The book revolves around a famous pangram (a phrase, sentence or verse composed of all the letters of the alphabet). But it is the developing political fanaticism that drives the story and I must say that it is one of the only books where the story has actually wound me up. It is a very interesting and entertaining read.
‘As Ella Minnow Pea writes to her cousin with the latest news on the small, quiet island of Nollop, little does she imagine the crisis ahead. The letter z has fallen from the statue of Nevin Nollop, revered author of the sentence ‘The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog’ – and the island’s rulers interpret this as a sign of divine displeasure and ban its use in any form. In a novel composed of correspondence, the loss of z is inconvenient; but far worse is to come as more letters fall and more are banned, until only l, m, n, o, p remain…
The story of a battle against tyranny, this extraordinary novel, written with an ever-shrinking alphabet, is at once a moving love story, a brilliant political allegory and an unforgettable celebration of language.'
Pompeii by Robert Harris
This is a riveting read that I couldn’t put down. I love historical novels and one, like this, based on such a famous incident adds something due to the familiarity of the subject. It is great to read an account from such a personal viewpoint.
‘A sweltering week in late August. Where better to enjoy the last days of summer than on the beautiful Bay of Naples?
But even as Rome’s richest citizens relax in their villas around Pompeii and Herculaneum, there are ominous warnings that something is going wrong. Wells and springs are falling, a man has disappeared, and now the greatest aqueduct in the world – the mighty Aqua Augusta – has suddenly ceased to flow…
Through the eyes of four characters – a young engineer, an adolescent girl, a corrupt millionaire and an elderly scientist – Robert Harris brilliantly recreates a luxurious world on the brink of destruction.'
Old Folk Heads…
Planxty might not ring any bells for many people unless you are an original folky. For those in the know they are one of the most popular Irish Folk bands of the 70’s and a vehicle for the skills of Donal Lunny (bouzouki, vocals), Andy Irvine (bouzouki, mandola), Liam O’Flynn (uilleann pipes), and Christy Moore (guitar, vocals). After two decades the band has got together again to tour the UK. We took Terry and Joyce (old folkys) who are very familiar with Planxty (Their dog is called Liam, the neighbours is Flynn).
We had a lovely Italian meal at Vecchio Parioli near the Barbican tube station. It had a very interesting and delicious menu.
We saw Planxty playing at the barbican on 30th January. The warm up act was another Irish artist called Luka Bloom. The guys came on a played solidly without break for what seamed like a couple of hours. Totally awesome they were too. If you haven’t heard uilleann pipes they are something else, and nobody knows how to play them better than Liam O’Flynn.
We had a lovely Italian meal at Vecchio Parioli near the Barbican tube station. It had a very interesting and delicious menu.
We saw Planxty playing at the barbican on 30th January. The warm up act was another Irish artist called Luka Bloom. The guys came on a played solidly without break for what seamed like a couple of hours. Totally awesome they were too. If you haven’t heard uilleann pipes they are something else, and nobody knows how to play them better than Liam O’Flynn.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
After a long while I have again been playing DQ as Ular Rah Shan (though not quite as you might remember him - this is an old picture, but things have changed - ask the others!).
Dean ran a short campaign to the land of OZ. Things were never quite as they seemed which resulted in ever increasing levels of paranoia with humorous results. Michelle, Marc, Terry and Ross played the mixed level party and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves. It was fun.
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