More of wot I have heard...

I got some new music for Christmas which I have been enjoying.

Arrogance Ignorance and Greed by the Show of Hands


Side Show by The Burns Unit


Sky at Night by I Am Kloot

Ho Ho Ho...

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and that you and yours are happy and well.

We had a typically busy time running around family and friends having decamped from our home due to weather concerns. Snowy landscapes are all well and good on festive cards and the TV, but not so much fun when you are trapped at home or have to tramp miles through the frozen landscape.

But we managed to get everywhere without incident and only a little amount of inconvenience and we saw almost everyone we wanted too, including some of our antipodean friends who were visiting.

We had a fun family celebration at Sue’s Mum’s house where we gave out a DVD to each of Sue’s family that was a copy of a VHS copy of original Cine films recorded by her grandfather. There was much fun seeing the siblings as young children at Xmas, birthday parties or even in the bath. Although the cine film is silent the process of copying it to VHS was done such that you could hear the reels running and comments from the guy doing the copying, this was only really evident when the last reel was being copied and it became clear that this was an early black and white porno (naughty granddad), and we were amused at the copyists comments as he too realised what it was.

Santa brought me a nice new (almost new) Digital SLR camera which I have to learn how to use before we go away on our next holiday (more on this in a later blog).

More of wot I have wrote...

One of the reasons I have been lax in keeping this blog up to date was that I was busy writing my second novel for a competition that closed at the end of the year. It was a tough order and the final draft was 108,000 words long and could do with a large amount of editing and rework, nevertheless I enjoyed the process though not so much how pressured the timescales were.

The book is called Space Race and it was originally envisioned to be a graphic novel, but the theme fitted the brief of the competition so I turned it into a novel. It is a composite of seven stories spread throughout the history of space craft development, from the V2 rockets developed by the Germans in 1945, to Cold War Russia, 70’s America at NASA, a tracking station in the Australian outback in the 80’s, an altered reality of a floating space launch facility in 2010, Artificial Intelligence lab in Japan in 2035 and finally on the eve of the first manned space craft journey out of our solar system in 2100. All of the stories are interlinked and have a story thread running through them and each is written in a different style (anti-war story, spy story, adventure story, personal development story, sex story, crime story and classic sci-fi story).

I plan now to work on some other stories before a revisit this one and tinker around with it. The results for the competition are announced in March, so if I have the nerve after that I might send it out to publishers for their opinion.

Living the High Life...

As a birthday treat for a close friend we joined them at a fancy hotel in the Cotswolds one weekend not too long ago. The Lygon Arms in Broadway is a very fine establishment with a history that goes back to King Charles 1st time and is frequented by the rich and famous alike. It was not cheap but we certainly made the most of the luxuries and indulged ourselves greatly. Sue got an extra treat as she mistakenly went into the wrong changing rooms after her glasses fogged up in the sauna, and our friends only realised that the complimentary bottle of champagne was for a different room after we had drunk it.

The area was in full Christmas spirit with the town and others having their festive late night markets with mulled wine, horse drawn carriages and other treats, also in town was a shop entirely dedicated to Christmas decorations. We also sampled spirits of another kind in the local hostelries as we fortified ourselves against the cold air as we walked around.

Hot Food on a Cold Night...

A recently regular occurrence in our street is several of the ‘boys’ get together near Christmas time and go out to the local curry house for some food, drink and general gossip. It is a nice opportunity to catch up with some of our neighbours and indulge in a little male bonding.

Titanic Musical...

Billed as a musical tribute to the famous ship complete with giant porthole and iceberg and without a single reference to the film or Celine Dion, this was an entertaining night at our local theatre with the three ‘plucky’ musicians putting on a great performance (with occasional slips from the ‘special effects’).

Pluck the Titanic Show

Angels Sing...

Although we did not see Jenny Agutter in the Railway Children stage show, we did see her at Guildford Cathedral where she joined acclaimed children’s author Michael Morpurgo in an adaptation of his nativity story, Angel Wings. They both narrated the tale which was accompanied by music and song from Coope Boyes & Simpson with Fi Fraser, Jo Freya and Georgina Boyes. It was a lovely performance and the venue was spectacular, we might have appreciated the snowy landscape more if we didn’t have to walk through most of it to get there and back.

My Daddy, My Daddy...

We recently went to see The Railway Children being performed live at Waterloo Station on the tracks where EuroStar used to terminate. It was a great performance with the audience split into two and facing each other across the tracks seated on the two platforms. The actors used part of the platform and an ingenious moving stage on the tracks allowing them to have a very flexible performance area and allowing a real steam train to enter (to rapturous applause) as required.

The actors were very convincing and there was not a dry eye in the house when that famous line was uttered.

An Enigma...

We went with my uncle to visit Bletchley Park the site of the code breaking centre that was where the Enigma code was broken among others using machines developed by Alan Turing and the first electronic computer, now rebuilt and working again. The site is huge and we only managed a few quick diversions from the guided tour and are keen to return to see more.

More of wot I have read...

The Liar by Stephen Fry


This is Stephen Fry’s debut novel and there are undoubtedly elements from the author’s life represented within it hidden behind the carefully crafted and engaging story.

The story revolves around the life and times of a clever but selfish character that does some amazing things, or so he will have you believe. As the story progresses you become more aware that there are many levels of deceit occurring, but it is impossible to unravel them all, and the reveal at the ending comes as a surprise.

There is a possibility that it will be turned into a film.



‘Not one word of the following is true’

More of wot I have heard...

Look Where I’ve Ended Up Now by Colum Sands

We saw this Northern Irish singer songwriter at our local folk club and found him very enjoyable. He had the gift of the gab too, telling some interesting tales including one about a song on his new album that came out of a tour to New Zealand and a chance meeting in a Devenport folk club.


Beachcomber’s Windowsill by Stornoway

Terry gave me a spare copy of this album and I am very glad. This is the début album, and boy they are worth looking out for, they a bit like Munford & Sons but more folky.

A Cultural Day in the City...

Benjamin Franklins House


We had a day in London recently and we managed to cram a few things in including a visit to the only surviving home of Benjamin Franklin in the world. The rooms are bare now, but the guide is an actress who interacts with pre-recorded audio and visual presentations in each room to give you a great tour, bring to life much of the history much better than a dry display case could.

Camille Silvy at the National Portrait Gallery

The NPG does a nice thing where they have a late night opening some evenings and even have a small bar in the foyer. We decided to have a quick look at an exhibition of Camille Silvy’s work after we came out of the theatre. The gallery is a great place to pop in quickly and get a fix of culture.

Silvy was a pioneer of early photography and one of the greatest French photographers of the nineteenth century. There were some very interesting pictures that showed a snapshot of life during that period. Some of his experiments with different techniques were interesting too.


Avenue Q at the Wyndham’s Theatre

This adult puppet show is coming to an end in London, so we thought we would catch while we could. It was an absolute hoot, we loved it, never have we seen the like even puppet porn. It had great songs, funny acting, fun stage and a superb production and was very enjoyable.

Local culture...

When We Are Married by JB Priestley at Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre


This was a great production of a lovely bedroom farce, everything about it was well done – even the set got an applause as the curtain rose. The company were on the last night in the suburbs before moving into the west-end. The cast included some very familiar names including

Rosemary Ashe, Lynda Baron, Susie Blake, Michele Dotrice, David Horovitch, Roy Hudd, Vincent Brimble, Maureen Lipman, and Simon Rouse

Dance little piggy, dance...

Westcott Gardeners’ Club Ceilidh


The Gardeners’ Club had an event in one of the local halls. They had organised a Ceilidh (Kaylee) band – the Pugwash Band (a couple from the band run the Dorking Folk Club that we frequent).

We had a good night dancing our socks off, though Sue claims I flung her about far too roughly.

Mong’d in Corfu...

We had a short break in Corfu recently, essentially our summer holiday but in autumn. We have friends who moved out there several years ago and renovated a small cottage, living there most of the year.

We were taken on a guided tour of the island and some of the things we saw included: Sunset Beach (where a cliff-top bar is situated and you can have a drink facing the sea - there are also swing seats), Achilleion Palace (a grand old building with an interesting history of pre-war Germany, Nazi occupation, casino and set of a James Bond movie – it also has a very tall and impressive bronze of Achilles), Kalami ( a lovely bay), Vlacherna and Pontikonisi or Mouse Island (iconic views of Corfu and entertainingly just at the end of the runway), birth place of Prince Phillip, home of the Durrell family, home of Nana Mouskouri, Mount Pandokrator (tallest point on the island with a church at the very top and a communications tower in the church yard), Kassiopi (a wonderful coastal town) and Nisaki (near where our friends live and where Sue had the best calamari – ever!)

We spent the evenings drinking way too much, partying into the night playing silly games – like pick a track from Terry’s extensive collection in turn in a multi-DJ style. The earliest we got to bed was 1am, the latest 5am. Mong’d is Terry and Alexis term for being very, very drunk.

Luckily it rained all day on the last day – we all needed the rest.

More of wot I have read...

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell


This was a very interesting book not just for the narrative but for the unusual writing style. There are six stories that start in the past and proceed through to the future, each partially completed – until you get to the last story in the middle of the book that is whole, each of the other stories is then completed in turn until you get back to the first story. Each story makes reference to the previous one in a continuation but they are quite different stories, written differently in different styles (diary, pulp novel, interview etc.). I liked it very much.


“Souls cross ages like clouds cross skies...


Six interlocking lives – one amazing adventure. In a narrative that circles the globe and reaches from the 19th century to a post-apocalyptic future, David Mitchell erases the boundaries of time, genre and language to offer an enthralling vision of humanity’s will to power, and where it will lead us.”

More of wot I have read...

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


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



Fatherland by Robert Harris

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


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

Autumn is on its way...

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

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

Folk in a Field...

Towersey Village Festival

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

Here is some of what we saw...

Established and Old School

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

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

Martin Simpson

Martin Carthy

Eliza Carthy

Going To Go Far

Sam Carter (bought his cd – touching lyrics)

Lauren McCormick (lovely voice)

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

Jackie Oates

Fay Hield

Nancy Wallace

Walsh & Pound

Up and Coming

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

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

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

From Across the Pond

Genticorum (great, fun and French Canadian)

Sara Grey, Kieron Means and Ben Paley

Foot Stompers

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

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

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

Something Else

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

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

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

Cabaret

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

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

Madame Ovary & Cecily Bumtrinket (great fun)

Installations

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

More of wot I have read…

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

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

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

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

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