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.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
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.
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.
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.
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.’
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.
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.
Friday, May 25, 2007
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!
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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.
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...’
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...’
Thursday, April 26, 2007
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).
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.’
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.’
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
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’.
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’.
Monday, April 16, 2007
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.
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.’
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.’
Friday, March 30, 2007
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 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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)