No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
This book had an intriguing premise that was well played out through the story and even managed to keep a few secrets until the end. It had a good degree of suspense and the characters and storyline were well written.
‘One night, when Cynthia Archer was 14 years old, her family disappeared. Now, 25 years later, she’s about to learn what happened to her mother, father brother, and she might be better off never finding out.’
Remembrance Day by Henry Porter
This book is a little ‘boys-own’ in style and suffers from dated technology (it is interesting how much things have changed in such a short time that we take for granted now). It also plays heavily on stereotypes and preconceptions such that some elements of the story become predictable.
‘Constantine Lindow is waiting for his brother Eamonn outside a central London tube station when a bus turns into the street and explodes. The next day Con is arrested as the prime suspect for the bombing.
Con is determined to prove his innocence, but the only way he can do that is to find the real bomber. As he digs deeper, he finds himself confronted by his own brother's secret life - and the cold-blooded killers from his past.The trail leads Lindow halfway across the world and back to London, where he tracks down a killer with a genius for encryption codes. Only Lindow can crack the code. Only Lindow can stop that telephone ringing... ‘
Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This a story based on real events of which I knew nothing about and for that reason alone it would have been an interesting read. But the author also manages to bring a real sense of humanities worst and best extremes that can be exposed in times of trouble. Well worth a read to educate your self about a little known struggle.
‘A masterly, haunting new novel from a writer heralded by The Washington Post Book World as "the 21st-century daughter of Chinua Achebe," Half of a Yellow Sun recreates a seminal moment in modern African history: Biafra's impassioned struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria, and the chilling violence that followed.
With astonishing empathy and the effortless grace of a natural storyteller, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie weaves together the lives of three characters swept up in the turbulence of the decade. Thirteen-year-old Ugwu is employed as a houseboy for a university professor full of revolutionary zeal. Olanna is the professor's beautiful mistress, who has abandoned her life of privilege in Lagos for a dusty university town and the charisma of her new lover. And Richard is a shy young Englishman in thrall to Olanna's twin sister, an enigmatic figure who refuses to belong to anyone. As Nigerian troops advance and they must run for their lives, their ideals are severely tested, as are their loyalties to one another
.
Epic, ambitious, and triumphantly realized, Half of a Yellow Sun is a remarkable novel about moral responsibility, about the end of colonialism, about ethnic allegiances, about class and race—and the ways in which love can complicate them all.’
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
What have we been doing…
Anniversary
I had a few days leave left to use as Christmas approached and so I took the three days before off, which included our wedding anniversary. Sue treated me to the box set of the 4th series of 24, and so I over dosed on Jack Bower – and felt suitably jumpy afterwards.
Xmas
Christmas was the traditional affair where we ate lots of food and drank more than we should have and enjoyed the company of family and friends
Jamie came to visit and spent a good few days with us, which was very nice. He is doing well and has settled into his new place and new job making many friends and having a good time. As is usual he was spoilt rotten.
New Year
We like to be at home for New Years as it is too much of an expense and a hassle going out. This year we invited a few friends around and we had a Gaming Night, where we played silly games and ate and drank some more.
On New Years day we joined the History Group walk, which was blessed with good weather as we wandered of hill and across dale refreshing ourselves from the excesses of the festive season.
The dreaded ‘W’ word
We have been back to work for a few weeks now and it hardly seems that we have been away, we are both as busy as ever and nothing seems to have changed. We have started making plans for the year as this gives us something to aim for and a reason to carry on.
I had a few days leave left to use as Christmas approached and so I took the three days before off, which included our wedding anniversary. Sue treated me to the box set of the 4th series of 24, and so I over dosed on Jack Bower – and felt suitably jumpy afterwards.
Xmas
Christmas was the traditional affair where we ate lots of food and drank more than we should have and enjoyed the company of family and friends
Jamie came to visit and spent a good few days with us, which was very nice. He is doing well and has settled into his new place and new job making many friends and having a good time. As is usual he was spoilt rotten.
New Year
We like to be at home for New Years as it is too much of an expense and a hassle going out. This year we invited a few friends around and we had a Gaming Night, where we played silly games and ate and drank some more.
On New Years day we joined the History Group walk, which was blessed with good weather as we wandered of hill and across dale refreshing ourselves from the excesses of the festive season.
The dreaded ‘W’ word
We have been back to work for a few weeks now and it hardly seems that we have been away, we are both as busy as ever and nothing seems to have changed. We have started making plans for the year as this gives us something to aim for and a reason to carry on.
On the small screen…
Winter is a time of hibernation and we have been spending ever more time in front of the box.
- Dr Who Special (I am a fan, what can I say)
- The Royal Family at Christmas (cringe-worthy fun)
- Wallace and Grommet – A matter of loaf and death (superb)
- Demons (a new series a kin to a UK Buffy – bad accents though)
- Royal Variety Show (a Christmas staple)
- ER (the last series has just started on Freeview)
- My Name is Earl (one of the best comedies from across the pond)
We have been enjoying
- Apparitions (spooktastic!)
- Heroes (Mark – what’s not to like)
- Brothers and Sisters (Sue – good girly stuff)
- Life (a great new series with another English actor that has made good in the states)
- Dexter (we really shouldn’t like him)
DVDs including
- Mama Mia (a present for Sue)
- The illusionist
- Atonement
- The lady in the water
Various films over Xmas including
- The 39 steps (made for TV adaptation – quite good)
- Kinky Boots (a good laugh)
- Superman Returns (not so good, but very ‘Superman’)
- Dr Who Special (I am a fan, what can I say)
- The Royal Family at Christmas (cringe-worthy fun)
- Wallace and Grommet – A matter of loaf and death (superb)
- Demons (a new series a kin to a UK Buffy – bad accents though)
- Royal Variety Show (a Christmas staple)
- ER (the last series has just started on Freeview)
- My Name is Earl (one of the best comedies from across the pond)
We have been enjoying
- Apparitions (spooktastic!)
- Heroes (Mark – what’s not to like)
- Brothers and Sisters (Sue – good girly stuff)
- Life (a great new series with another English actor that has made good in the states)
- Dexter (we really shouldn’t like him)
DVDs including
- Mama Mia (a present for Sue)
- The illusionist
- Atonement
- The lady in the water
On the silver screen…
It has been a very long time since we last saw a film in a cinema (several years in fact) and we were probably not going to change that any time soon, until friends of ours invited us out.
The day the earth stood still
Probably not the best remake ever, but it was just as well that they selected the alien role for Keanu Reeves.
Yes Man
We went to the movies again with our friends and enjoyed this film much more, silly and slapstick though it was. It was interesting to see the Kiwi actor out of Flight of the Conchords in it too.
The day the earth stood still
Probably not the best remake ever, but it was just as well that they selected the alien role for Keanu Reeves.
Yes Man
We went to the movies again with our friends and enjoyed this film much more, silly and slapstick though it was. It was interesting to see the Kiwi actor out of Flight of the Conchords in it too.
More of wot I have read…
Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks
This was an interesting book and it is clear that the author has spent a lot of time researching his subject, unfortunately some of the extended passages detailing various psychiatric illnesses and treatments were too long, and frankly boring, for my tastes.
‘In the 1870s, two ambitious boys from different backgrounds, Jacques Rebiere and Thomas Midwinter, find themselves united by a determination to understand how the mind works and whether madness is the price we pay for being human.
As pioneering psychiatrists, their quest takes them from an English country lunatic asylum to the plains of Africa, the lecture rooms of Paris and the mountains of Austria and California. They are guided by Thomas’s devoted sister, Sonia, and by an ex-patient, Katharina, whose arrival exposes profound differences between them. As the concerns of the old century fade and the Fist world War divides Europe, the two friends are compelled to a tragic revision of all that they have loved and pursued.’
The Runes of the Earth by Stephen Donaldson
This is the first book in THE LAST CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT
It has been many years since I read the first and second trilogies and I remembered how I found the character’s human frailties frustrating. Well the author has continued this with this book and I again find myself almost shouting at the character to ‘get a grip’. Still this conflict of a damaged and worthless person from one world being thrust into another where they are powerful and can’t come to terms with it is what drives the story. It is a difficult read from that point of view, but I hope that is down to me not the author, as I like the basic premise.
‘Since their publication more than twenty years ago, the first six books in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant have sold more than 10 million copies and have been published around the world. Now, with The Runes of the Earth, Donaldson returns to the Land, and the story of Thomas Covenant.
Struck down with a deadly disease, Covenant is abandoned by his wife and son. Alone and despairing, he is drawn into the Land, where the earth itself brings healing. He is welcomed as the reincarnation of a legendary saviour, but cannot - will not - accept this magical world is real. But the Land itself is under threat, and only Covenant has the power to save it.
As Covenant battles to save the world he has come to love, he is killed: his death is both the ultimate sacrifice and his redemption.
Now comes the book every fantasy reader has been waiting for. It's ten years on, and Dr. Linden Avery had thought she would never see the Land, or Covenant, her beloved, again. But Lord Foul has stolen her adopted son, and there is more at risk than the life of the boy she adores: Lord Foul is unmaking the very laws of nature and if he is not stopped, he could destroy everything.
And though Linden believes Covenant dead, he keeps sending her messages: 'Find me', and 'You're the only one who can do this', and 'Remember that I'm dead'.
The Land is in turmoil, and Lord Foul has plans for them all...’
This was an interesting book and it is clear that the author has spent a lot of time researching his subject, unfortunately some of the extended passages detailing various psychiatric illnesses and treatments were too long, and frankly boring, for my tastes.
‘In the 1870s, two ambitious boys from different backgrounds, Jacques Rebiere and Thomas Midwinter, find themselves united by a determination to understand how the mind works and whether madness is the price we pay for being human.
As pioneering psychiatrists, their quest takes them from an English country lunatic asylum to the plains of Africa, the lecture rooms of Paris and the mountains of Austria and California. They are guided by Thomas’s devoted sister, Sonia, and by an ex-patient, Katharina, whose arrival exposes profound differences between them. As the concerns of the old century fade and the Fist world War divides Europe, the two friends are compelled to a tragic revision of all that they have loved and pursued.’
The Runes of the Earth by Stephen Donaldson
This is the first book in THE LAST CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT
It has been many years since I read the first and second trilogies and I remembered how I found the character’s human frailties frustrating. Well the author has continued this with this book and I again find myself almost shouting at the character to ‘get a grip’. Still this conflict of a damaged and worthless person from one world being thrust into another where they are powerful and can’t come to terms with it is what drives the story. It is a difficult read from that point of view, but I hope that is down to me not the author, as I like the basic premise.
‘Since their publication more than twenty years ago, the first six books in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant have sold more than 10 million copies and have been published around the world. Now, with The Runes of the Earth, Donaldson returns to the Land, and the story of Thomas Covenant.
Struck down with a deadly disease, Covenant is abandoned by his wife and son. Alone and despairing, he is drawn into the Land, where the earth itself brings healing. He is welcomed as the reincarnation of a legendary saviour, but cannot - will not - accept this magical world is real. But the Land itself is under threat, and only Covenant has the power to save it.
As Covenant battles to save the world he has come to love, he is killed: his death is both the ultimate sacrifice and his redemption.
Now comes the book every fantasy reader has been waiting for. It's ten years on, and Dr. Linden Avery had thought she would never see the Land, or Covenant, her beloved, again. But Lord Foul has stolen her adopted son, and there is more at risk than the life of the boy she adores: Lord Foul is unmaking the very laws of nature and if he is not stopped, he could destroy everything.
And though Linden believes Covenant dead, he keeps sending her messages: 'Find me', and 'You're the only one who can do this', and 'Remember that I'm dead'.
The Land is in turmoil, and Lord Foul has plans for them all...’
Remembrance Day…
On Tuesday 11th November we went to A Remembrance Day Special talk at the Westcott History Group.
The speaker was Andrew Tatham, who explained how a photograph of the officers of the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment, taken on Salisbury Plain in July 1915, prompted a research project that focused on the First World War and those who fought in it.
He has a website called http://www.groupphoto.co.uk/ where he details what he has been doing and some of the information he has found out.
‘I have a group photograph of the officers of the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment taken at their training camp on Salisbury Plain in July 1915. My aim when I started was to explore who those officers were - where they had come from, what happened to them, and what their families are doing now. So often wars are seen in isolation from the rest of history - well, I want to put the First World War in the context of the stories of these men and their families. One way that I have explored this is in the production of an Animated Film that shows all of their family trees growing over 136 years, mixed in with photos of their families and historical time markers, with contemporary music, and with the cycles of the moon and the seasons.
Andrew Tatham’
It was a very interesting and moving story that kept us entertained and made us think.
The speaker was Andrew Tatham, who explained how a photograph of the officers of the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment, taken on Salisbury Plain in July 1915, prompted a research project that focused on the First World War and those who fought in it.
He has a website called http://www.groupphoto.co.uk/ where he details what he has been doing and some of the information he has found out.
‘I have a group photograph of the officers of the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment taken at their training camp on Salisbury Plain in July 1915. My aim when I started was to explore who those officers were - where they had come from, what happened to them, and what their families are doing now. So often wars are seen in isolation from the rest of history - well, I want to put the First World War in the context of the stories of these men and their families. One way that I have explored this is in the production of an Animated Film that shows all of their family trees growing over 136 years, mixed in with photos of their families and historical time markers, with contemporary music, and with the cycles of the moon and the seasons.
Andrew Tatham’
It was a very interesting and moving story that kept us entertained and made us think.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
More of wot I have heard…
We have returned to the Dorking Folk Club and saw a couple of very good acts that came out of the 60’s and 70’s resurgence of folk and are still around to entertain us.
Bob Fox & Stu Luckel
‘One of the most innovative and highly acclaimed collaborations ever seen on the folk scene have just re-formed for a very special October tour to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the release of their highly innovative and widely acclaimed album: "Nowt So Good'll Pass".’
Dave Burland
‘The controlled dynamism of stunning guitar playing with rich, gentle songs has proved his mastery for over 30 years. Blues, rock and roll and folk combine to make him an all-time hero of many professional folk artists.’
Bob Fox & Stu Luckel
‘One of the most innovative and highly acclaimed collaborations ever seen on the folk scene have just re-formed for a very special October tour to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the release of their highly innovative and widely acclaimed album: "Nowt So Good'll Pass".’
Dave Burland
‘The controlled dynamism of stunning guitar playing with rich, gentle songs has proved his mastery for over 30 years. Blues, rock and roll and folk combine to make him an all-time hero of many professional folk artists.’
More of wot I have seen…
Spamalot
Although we had seats so high up in the gods that other people seated near by were suffering from vertigo, we still had a great time throughout all of this performance. I was totally absorbed with all of the various Monty Python references, and even though she was not a obsessive fan as I am, Sue also enjoyed the humour and spectacle.
Dead Set
This TV mini series came and went quietly in the night without too much fuss, but when we watched it we found it a very good example of its genre. We are not horror enthusiasts (in fact Sue jumps at her own shadow) but we managed to make our way through the series (all be it with a heightened pulse rate and a slight hand tremor). The way it was shot helped with the horror as quick and shaky cameras, or fleeting and fast moving action implied more than it revealed and allowed the viewers imagination to do most of the work. References to the Big Brother show and the use of the set, presenter and some previous inmates added an extra dimension to the story.
Calendar Girls
We recently went to see this stage show version of the true life story of the Alternative WI Calendar of the nude pictures of 11 mature women. The show is currently making the rounds of provincial theatres before it transfers to the West End, and we went to see it in High Wycombe. We went with a group of friends, one of whom is a close friend of Linda Bellingham, one of the actresses in the show. And afterwards we went backstage to meet her and some of the other cast members. It was a very well written and acted show with a good set. The subject matter was close to the hearts of all of us there who had lost someone dear to us recently and we all shed a tear or two in amongst the many moments of laughter.
Although we had seats so high up in the gods that other people seated near by were suffering from vertigo, we still had a great time throughout all of this performance. I was totally absorbed with all of the various Monty Python references, and even though she was not a obsessive fan as I am, Sue also enjoyed the humour and spectacle.
Dead Set
This TV mini series came and went quietly in the night without too much fuss, but when we watched it we found it a very good example of its genre. We are not horror enthusiasts (in fact Sue jumps at her own shadow) but we managed to make our way through the series (all be it with a heightened pulse rate and a slight hand tremor). The way it was shot helped with the horror as quick and shaky cameras, or fleeting and fast moving action implied more than it revealed and allowed the viewers imagination to do most of the work. References to the Big Brother show and the use of the set, presenter and some previous inmates added an extra dimension to the story.
Calendar Girls
We recently went to see this stage show version of the true life story of the Alternative WI Calendar of the nude pictures of 11 mature women. The show is currently making the rounds of provincial theatres before it transfers to the West End, and we went to see it in High Wycombe. We went with a group of friends, one of whom is a close friend of Linda Bellingham, one of the actresses in the show. And afterwards we went backstage to meet her and some of the other cast members. It was a very well written and acted show with a good set. The subject matter was close to the hearts of all of us there who had lost someone dear to us recently and we all shed a tear or two in amongst the many moments of laughter.
More of wot I have read…
High Society by Ben Elton
I enjoyed this book and have found the author’s style of writing has changed over time so that he approaches this subject with some sensitivity and sophistication perhaps not apparent in all of his previous works.
‘The war on drugs has been lost. The simple fact is that the whole world is rapidly becoming one vast criminal network. From pop stars and royal princes to crack whores and street kids, from the Groucho Club toilets to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, we are all partners in crime.
High Society is a story about Britain today, a criminal nation in which everybody is either breaking the law or knows people who do. It takes the reader on a hilarious, heartbreaking and terrifying journey through the kaleidoscope world that the law has created and from which the law.’
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
This is an odd but strangely captivating story with some interesting, if outlandish, characters and storyline.
‘On New Year’s Eve, four strangers make their way to the rooftop of a London apartment building called Toppers’ House. Their goal, however, is not celebration but obliteration. For various reasons, each one has decided that the time has come to put an end to his or her life. As they inadvertently meet and begin to share their stories, they find themselves citizens of a sort of independent state, where street-level laws no longer apply. And gradually, very gradually, they help one another to discover reasons to live, at least for the time being.
Hornby tells his story through the alternating, idiosyncratic voices of his four main characters. There is Maureen, the mousy, fifty-something mother of a mentally and physically incapacitated son, who has done little but care for him for the past twenty years; Martin, a disgraced former TV morning show host and ex-con; Jess, an obnoxious and explosive teenager; and JJ, the lone American in the bunch, an aspiring rock star.’
The Client by John Grisham
Another enjoyable read even though I am not necessarily a fan of the genre. The plucky young boy as the main character is interesting and the author’s obvious knowledge of criminal law makes for a good read.
‘A US state senator is dead, and a young boy is told the name of the killer - a mafia hitman, Danny "The Blade" Muldano - by Muldano's lawyer. After the lawyer's suicide, Muldano and the boy are the only people who know the killer's identity.
By the author of The Firm and The Pelican Brief.’
I enjoyed this book and have found the author’s style of writing has changed over time so that he approaches this subject with some sensitivity and sophistication perhaps not apparent in all of his previous works.
‘The war on drugs has been lost. The simple fact is that the whole world is rapidly becoming one vast criminal network. From pop stars and royal princes to crack whores and street kids, from the Groucho Club toilets to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, we are all partners in crime.
High Society is a story about Britain today, a criminal nation in which everybody is either breaking the law or knows people who do. It takes the reader on a hilarious, heartbreaking and terrifying journey through the kaleidoscope world that the law has created and from which the law.’
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
This is an odd but strangely captivating story with some interesting, if outlandish, characters and storyline.
‘On New Year’s Eve, four strangers make their way to the rooftop of a London apartment building called Toppers’ House. Their goal, however, is not celebration but obliteration. For various reasons, each one has decided that the time has come to put an end to his or her life. As they inadvertently meet and begin to share their stories, they find themselves citizens of a sort of independent state, where street-level laws no longer apply. And gradually, very gradually, they help one another to discover reasons to live, at least for the time being.
Hornby tells his story through the alternating, idiosyncratic voices of his four main characters. There is Maureen, the mousy, fifty-something mother of a mentally and physically incapacitated son, who has done little but care for him for the past twenty years; Martin, a disgraced former TV morning show host and ex-con; Jess, an obnoxious and explosive teenager; and JJ, the lone American in the bunch, an aspiring rock star.’
The Client by John Grisham
Another enjoyable read even though I am not necessarily a fan of the genre. The plucky young boy as the main character is interesting and the author’s obvious knowledge of criminal law makes for a good read.
‘A US state senator is dead, and a young boy is told the name of the killer - a mafia hitman, Danny "The Blade" Muldano - by Muldano's lawyer. After the lawyer's suicide, Muldano and the boy are the only people who know the killer's identity.
By the author of The Firm and The Pelican Brief.’
Monday, September 08, 2008
The need for speed…
Our company co-hosted a corporate event with one of our customers at the Brands Hatch racing track where the MG Car Club was having a club day. We had a suite of our own with food and drinks laid on and a view of the whole circuit before us. Each race had it’s drama with many a crash and spin off that although looking quite frightening luckily didn’t seem to result in any injuries (other than dented pride and wounded wallets). We were also able to walk around where the competitors had their cars arranged and could watch as they tweaked and tuned them as they tried to get the last drop of performance out of them. The majority of the cars were naturally MGs, the earliest seemed to be a 1940’s MG TC and the latest a group of MG Z hatchbacks. There were also many other marquees there, including Triumph, Jaguar Austin-Healey and number of TVRs
Although I am not much of a petrol head it was still quite and interesting day and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.
Although I am not much of a petrol head it was still quite and interesting day and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.
Green fingered success…
When we moved to the village we joined a few clubs so that we could meet people and integrate better into the community, through the local Gardener’s Club we were encouraged to have a go at entering something into their competition. We are still struggling to improve the ground at our allotment so that it will be better for growing vegetables and the wet weather has caused many problems for them and the flowers in our garden that we were not sure we would have anything to enter. But we managed to get together enough for half a dozen entries and we even had some minor success with a first and two thirds for the fruit and vegetables. We made some mistakes with our flower entries but our fern in a pot was the only one entered in that category and so was placed.
It seems there are few regulars who do well every year and the awards were split between a small number of exhibiters, still we offered some support and encouraging words so we might try again in the spring.
It seems there are few regulars who do well every year and the awards were split between a small number of exhibiters, still we offered some support and encouraging words so we might try again in the spring.
Wave your arms like you just don’t care…
A few of the ‘boys’ got together a while ago with the intention of having a games night and we ended up playing Olympic Games and other sports on the Wii games console to much amusement.
It was so much fun that we decided to run a rematch and invite the girls along too. This time we held it our place and Sue made a one-pot meal for everyone that we enjoyed to excess. So while we waited for the food to settle we had a quick Movie game that used a DVD of film clips for some of the questions. We then cleared a space for the Wii events and tried our collective hands at several Olympic track and field games before trying other sports such as tennis, bowling and most hilariously boxing. After that we had a few goes at the Brain Trainer and called it a night.
I think the sales of the console may be set to increase come Christmas.
It was so much fun that we decided to run a rematch and invite the girls along too. This time we held it our place and Sue made a one-pot meal for everyone that we enjoyed to excess. So while we waited for the food to settle we had a quick Movie game that used a DVD of film clips for some of the questions. We then cleared a space for the Wii events and tried our collective hands at several Olympic track and field games before trying other sports such as tennis, bowling and most hilariously boxing. After that we had a few goes at the Brain Trainer and called it a night.
I think the sales of the console may be set to increase come Christmas.
Blood on the sawdust…
We took some time out one weekend and headed into town to visit the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Borough Market. I thought it might be a good idea for the three of us to spend some quality time together near where Jamie’s new job is and where he is thinking of moving to. But it seems that wandering around a food market and looking at scary bone-saws or specimens in jars is not everybody’s cup of tea. We had a tasty, though expensive, meal in the fish restaurant and an abortive look at the stalls before we had a quick look at the oldest operating theatre in the country that used to be part of the nearby Guys Hospital. It consists of a small semicircular demonstration area surrounded by steeply raked viewing platforms. Under the knife marked table sits a box of sawdust that was designed to be kicked around to capture the blood that drained from the semiconscious patient above. It is an odd museum built in the loft space of what was originally a church and the displays are quite random and unusual with what appears to be hand written notes explaining some of the exhibits.
We didn’t linger and returned home soon after.
We didn’t linger and returned home soon after.
Death’s high-kicking routine…
Recently we went to the Yvonne Arnaud theatre in Guildford to see Mort the musical, a reinterpretation of the Terry Pratchett Discworld novel with song and dance. This was performed by a youth group to great acclaim and we particularly enjoyed how they managed to get a seven foot skeleton to move around the stage and talk in capitals.
The theatre itself is nicely situated along side the river and has a pleasant atmosphere in the cosy auditorium. The food in the café is also tasty and adds to the whole experience.
The theatre itself is nicely situated along side the river and has a pleasant atmosphere in the cosy auditorium. The food in the café is also tasty and adds to the whole experience.
A working man…
Jamie has found himself a job working as a Software Developer for a company based in London. He has been there for a couple of weeks now and seems to be enjoying himself. The only thing he is not enjoying is the travel to and from our place into to the city. He has been talking to a couple of friends he knew from Uni and is hoping to move in with them sometime soon.
More of wot I have read…
Do Not Pass Go by Tim Moore
A book that tells the story of London since the thirties through the 28 streets, stations and utililties of the Monopoly board . In the wonderful world of Monopoly it still only costs £50 to buy a house in Islington, you can move around London with the shake of a dice and even park your car for free. In Do Not Pass Go Tim Moore, belying his reputation as a player who always paid that £10 fine rather than take a Chance, fearlessly tackles the real thing and along the way tells the story of a game and the city that frames it. Sampling the rags and the riches he stays in a hotel in Mayfair and one in the Old Kent Road, enjoys quality time with Dr Crippen in Pentonville Prison and even winds up at the wrong end of the Water Works pipe. And, solving all the mysteries you'll have pondered whilst languishing in jail and many other you certainly wouldn't, Tim Moore reveals how Pall Mall got its name, which three addresses you won't find in your A-Z and why the sorry cul-de-sac that is Vine Street has a special place in the heart of Britain's most successful Monopoly champion.
The stirring travelogue of one man's erratic progress around those 28 stations, utilities and street, Do Not Pass Go is also an epic and lovingly researched history of London's wayward progress in the 66 years since the launch of the world's most popular board game.
A book that tells the story of London since the thirties through the 28 streets, stations and utililties of the Monopoly board . In the wonderful world of Monopoly it still only costs £50 to buy a house in Islington, you can move around London with the shake of a dice and even park your car for free. In Do Not Pass Go Tim Moore, belying his reputation as a player who always paid that £10 fine rather than take a Chance, fearlessly tackles the real thing and along the way tells the story of a game and the city that frames it. Sampling the rags and the riches he stays in a hotel in Mayfair and one in the Old Kent Road, enjoys quality time with Dr Crippen in Pentonville Prison and even winds up at the wrong end of the Water Works pipe. And, solving all the mysteries you'll have pondered whilst languishing in jail and many other you certainly wouldn't, Tim Moore reveals how Pall Mall got its name, which three addresses you won't find in your A-Z and why the sorry cul-de-sac that is Vine Street has a special place in the heart of Britain's most successful Monopoly champion.
The stirring travelogue of one man's erratic progress around those 28 stations, utilities and street, Do Not Pass Go is also an epic and lovingly researched history of London's wayward progress in the 66 years since the launch of the world's most popular board game.
More of wot I have heard…
I bought the following albums after seen the artists at the recent Womad festival. There are all probably loosely called folk, but they are quite different from each other.
The Ha’ O’ Habrahellia by Fribo
As you can tell be the name this group is not totally English in origin.
Their website states that - Fribo is a unique collaboration between three musicians from Norway, Scotland and England, who are rapidly gaining recognition and acclaim for blending their own musical styles together with sensitivity and an exuberant feel for contemporary sounds and rhythms.
The music is lively and different and perhaps a little challenging at times.
I am the Man by Simone White
I like this album very much, it is quirky, modern, and pointed and the singer has a lovely voice. I can listen to this over and over again.
After the Morning by Cara Dillon
Perhaps the most traditional of the three this Irish singer’s album is lovely and gentle collection of good melodies and good tunes.
The Ha’ O’ Habrahellia by Fribo
As you can tell be the name this group is not totally English in origin.
Their website states that - Fribo is a unique collaboration between three musicians from Norway, Scotland and England, who are rapidly gaining recognition and acclaim for blending their own musical styles together with sensitivity and an exuberant feel for contemporary sounds and rhythms.
The music is lively and different and perhaps a little challenging at times.
I am the Man by Simone White
I like this album very much, it is quirky, modern, and pointed and the singer has a lovely voice. I can listen to this over and over again.
After the Morning by Cara Dillon
Perhaps the most traditional of the three this Irish singer’s album is lovely and gentle collection of good melodies and good tunes.
Friday, August 01, 2008
More of wot I have heard…
This was probably the best Womad yet as we were bless with superb weather, a greatly improved site, good food music and company. All together there were twenty of us in five huge tents with a couple of gazebos for cover outside. We would eat breakfast together and study the line-up for the day. The kids would often spend time in the Children’s Area making crafts, listening to stories or learning new skills such as juggling or kite flying. The rest of the group would split up according to what artists they wanted to see and we would meet up during the day at various events often getting together later on when the wine and nibbles came out.
WOMAD REVIEW - BY JANE CORNWELL
There were a many and varied list of artists at this years Womad and we managed to see a lot more this year as the weather was kinder than last year’s ‘Womud’.
Sue and the girls particularly enjoyed their Chic disco fix, and I found it hard to choose between the gentle folk meanderings of Fribo and the pumping Ska rhythms of Babylon Circus. We also really enjoyed the sweet voices of Devon Sproule and of Simone White in our favourite new Little Sicily tent.
Of the rest we enjoyed Squeeze and knew almost all of the songs, Sharon Shannon Big Band feat Shane MacGowan, Damien Dempsey & Mundy who played a foot-stomping ceilidh (kay-lee), Asere and their sultry Cuban rhythms and Cara Dillon and her sweet Irish folk.
We had an unexpected treat watching a couple of friends in a dance competition where they need to dance with a potato pressed between their foreheads as Sarah Savoy & the Francadians played in the Taste the World tent.
We also saw Ernest Ranglin, Dengue Fever, Eddy Grant & the Frontline Orchestra, Orchestra Baobab, Martha Wainwright, Finley Quaye, Hossam Ramzy & his Epyptian Orchestra and Justin Adams & Julideh Camara.
I have already bought several CDs and I have a few more in my wish list for later.
We have all set our minds on returning for next year’s event.
WOMAD REVIEW - BY JANE CORNWELL
There were a many and varied list of artists at this years Womad and we managed to see a lot more this year as the weather was kinder than last year’s ‘Womud’.
Sue and the girls particularly enjoyed their Chic disco fix, and I found it hard to choose between the gentle folk meanderings of Fribo and the pumping Ska rhythms of Babylon Circus. We also really enjoyed the sweet voices of Devon Sproule and of Simone White in our favourite new Little Sicily tent.
Of the rest we enjoyed Squeeze and knew almost all of the songs, Sharon Shannon Big Band feat Shane MacGowan, Damien Dempsey & Mundy who played a foot-stomping ceilidh (kay-lee), Asere and their sultry Cuban rhythms and Cara Dillon and her sweet Irish folk.
We had an unexpected treat watching a couple of friends in a dance competition where they need to dance with a potato pressed between their foreheads as Sarah Savoy & the Francadians played in the Taste the World tent.
We also saw Ernest Ranglin, Dengue Fever, Eddy Grant & the Frontline Orchestra, Orchestra Baobab, Martha Wainwright, Finley Quaye, Hossam Ramzy & his Epyptian Orchestra and Justin Adams & Julideh Camara.
I have already bought several CDs and I have a few more in my wish list for later.
We have all set our minds on returning for next year’s event.
More of wot I have read…
Making Money by Terry Pratchett
This is the latest in the Discworld series and as with the many others that have gone before I enjoyed it. It is more of the same, which to my mind is no bad thing.
‘The Ankh-Morpork Post Office is running like . . . well, not at all like a government office. The mail is delivered promptly; meetings start and end on time; five out of six letters relegated to the Blind Letter Office ultimately wend their way to the correct addresses. Postmaster General Moist von Lipwig, former arch-swindler and confidence man, has exceeded all expectations—including his own. So it's somewhat disconcerting when Lord Vetinari summons Moist to the palace and asks, "Tell me, Mr. Lipwig, would you like to make some real money?"
Vetinari isn't talking about wages, of course. He's referring, rather, to the Royal Mint of Ankh-Morpork, a venerable institution that haas run for centuries on the hereditary employment of the Men of the Sheds and their loyal outworkers, who do make money in their spare time. Unfortunately, it costs more than a penny to make a penny, so the whole process seems somewhat counterintuitive.
Next door, at the Royal Bank, the Glooper, an "analogy machine," has scientifically established that one never has quite as much money at the end of the week as one thinks one should, and the bank's chairman, one elderly Topsy (née Turvy) Lavish, keeps two loaded crossbows at her desk. Oh, and the chief clerk is probably a vampire.
But before Moist has time to fully consider Vetinari's question, fate answers it for him. Now he's not only making money, but enemies too; he's got to spring a prisoner from jail, break into his own bank vault, stop the new manager from licking his face, and, above all, find out where all the gold has gone—otherwise, his life in banking, while very exciting, is going to be really, really short…’
This is the latest in the Discworld series and as with the many others that have gone before I enjoyed it. It is more of the same, which to my mind is no bad thing.
‘The Ankh-Morpork Post Office is running like . . . well, not at all like a government office. The mail is delivered promptly; meetings start and end on time; five out of six letters relegated to the Blind Letter Office ultimately wend their way to the correct addresses. Postmaster General Moist von Lipwig, former arch-swindler and confidence man, has exceeded all expectations—including his own. So it's somewhat disconcerting when Lord Vetinari summons Moist to the palace and asks, "Tell me, Mr. Lipwig, would you like to make some real money?"
Vetinari isn't talking about wages, of course. He's referring, rather, to the Royal Mint of Ankh-Morpork, a venerable institution that haas run for centuries on the hereditary employment of the Men of the Sheds and their loyal outworkers, who do make money in their spare time. Unfortunately, it costs more than a penny to make a penny, so the whole process seems somewhat counterintuitive.
Next door, at the Royal Bank, the Glooper, an "analogy machine," has scientifically established that one never has quite as much money at the end of the week as one thinks one should, and the bank's chairman, one elderly Topsy (née Turvy) Lavish, keeps two loaded crossbows at her desk. Oh, and the chief clerk is probably a vampire.
But before Moist has time to fully consider Vetinari's question, fate answers it for him. Now he's not only making money, but enemies too; he's got to spring a prisoner from jail, break into his own bank vault, stop the new manager from licking his face, and, above all, find out where all the gold has gone—otherwise, his life in banking, while very exciting, is going to be really, really short…’
Good night and God bless…
My Aunty J died recently after a long and courageous battle against the dreaded cancer. The end was peaceful and in her own home with family around her and was the best that could be hoped for. Uncle J and Sue were there at the end. J & T had lots of support from family and friends and from the District Nurses and the wonderful Iain Rennie Hospice at Home nurses.
J had been diagnosed seven years ago with terminal breast cancer and given 18 months; she took a lot more, which was down to her determination and positive attitude along with the supurb care she received from the NHS. Sue and I had spent a lot of time with them enjoying long drunken dinners, gardens and National Trust houses and some fantastic holidays abroad and in the UK.
The service in the local church was incredibly moving, well attended as it was by over eighty friends and family. There was music by classically trained neighbours, a song specifically requested by J was performed by the Morris group that T belonged and a eulogy by a long time friend that was all beautiful. The coffin was taken to the grave through and arch of Morris men and everybody was encouraged to witness the internment. Afterwards we congregated at the village hall and talked to each other while we partook of a great spread washed down by suitable beverages. It was an emotional and beautiful day.
Good night sweet lady, we will miss you very much.
J had been diagnosed seven years ago with terminal breast cancer and given 18 months; she took a lot more, which was down to her determination and positive attitude along with the supurb care she received from the NHS. Sue and I had spent a lot of time with them enjoying long drunken dinners, gardens and National Trust houses and some fantastic holidays abroad and in the UK.
The service in the local church was incredibly moving, well attended as it was by over eighty friends and family. There was music by classically trained neighbours, a song specifically requested by J was performed by the Morris group that T belonged and a eulogy by a long time friend that was all beautiful. The coffin was taken to the grave through and arch of Morris men and everybody was encouraged to witness the internment. Afterwards we congregated at the village hall and talked to each other while we partook of a great spread washed down by suitable beverages. It was an emotional and beautiful day.
Good night sweet lady, we will miss you very much.
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