Tring Book Club - Enduring Love and The Bookseller of Kabul

When I last met up with my brothers, my sister in law Miranda mentioned she had joined a book club. This encouraged me to look for one locally, as it had been on my mind for some time. I found one at Tring School and the book list for the year looked quite interesting. I emailed Tring Learning Centre, found out a little about the group and sent off an application form.

It was only a small group and they had already met for their first meeting. So this gave me a couple of weeks to read "Enduring Love" by Ian McEwan and "The Bookseller of Kabul" by Asne Seierstad. I had already read the former when it first came out 12 years ago which meant I could recap whilst waiting for the other to arrive. So on Thursday evening I found my way and joined six ladies and Amanda, our group leader, for our meeting. I was made to feel very welcome and I enjoyed the contributions from all the members.

"Enduring Love" is a great novel, unlike the poor film which followed. It was quite interesting going back to a book after 12 years, something I have never done before. I had actually forgotten much of the story, although I knew the first chapter very well, having studied it carefully for my walk in July 2008. And as soon as I read about Joe's first visit to Mrs Logan, I remembered the lovely ending. I like books with big emotional tugs, and this certainly has plenty.

I have always thought that McEwan's prose is so magical. I don't pretend to understanding everything he writes first time, you would need to study some passages quite closely to completely get the meaning: "It may have been an illusion caused by visual persistence, or a neurally tripped delay of perception, but it seemed to me that I was still slumped in my smooth leather chair staring at that door even while I was moving towards it". I had forgotten the scene in the restaurant, so I experienced the shattering events there all over again. Brilliant.

I would never have read a book like "The Bookseller of Kabul" unless I had joined the book club, and I must admit I have never read anything like it before. I found it a pretty disturbing story of the plight of Afghan women. Coupled with the fact that I thought the writing was extremely bland (it may have lost something in the translation from Norwegian), and that conversations with the bookseller's family had been turned into a story that had no plot, it was not my sort of book. Although I have to say it has made a deep and lasting impression, and every time I hear about Kabul ( and there have been explosions there this week), I will always think of the family and how they are coping.

Brighton College of Advanced Technology

This is the college I attended from 1963 to 1968. For the first two years it was for 15 weeks per year (5 weeks in September/October, 5 weeks in January/February and 5 weeks in April/May). For the last three years we dropped the Spring session. It was called block release and was for the three examinations of The Institute of Quantity Surveyors. This was a very unusual method of part work experience and part college. Previously it was all day release, but this new course enabled more time for study. It must have been quite successful as I managed to get my qualification in the five years. The Institute prided itself that it's qualification was as good, if not better, than it's competitor The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors who did not allow entry for Contractor employed QS's.

College was great. Although we were not there as long as the full time students, we still felt that we were as much part of the college as they. We joined in Rag Week, in fact our group were responsible for lighting the windows of the building above to spell out "RAG WEEK". And one of my friends from my year at George Wimpey, Rowena, was voted Rag Queen. That might have been at the David Bowie "Ragextravaganza" concert. This was a first for the College who had very few female students, and one up on The University of Sussex. Sometime after we left, the college became Brighton Polytechnic, and is now part of The University of Brighton. How things change.

David Bowie and The Buzz

My last posting reminded me of another concert at The University of Sussex. For some reason I still have the ticket, which might now be worth a few bob on eBay. The date was the 22nd October 1966, and I have absolutely no memory of the gig whatsoever. Which is a shame, given the success Mr Bowie had in later years. And not many people will know the name of his band at the time: David Bowie and The Buzz.

131 Songs - Number 25

Number 25 - Jollity Farm by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

If I had to revisit any concert from the last forty five years it would be Bonzo Dog at the University of Sussex in 1967. They were just about to hit the big time and played to a packed hall with a drunken and hilarious set of magical sounds. Headed by the legendary Vivian Stanshall (who narrated "Tubular Bells" and died in a fire at home in 1995), they were enthusiastically received by the cheering students. We stood on chairs around the walls of the hall to see over the throng, and we were treated to something really special.

Jollity Farm was probably one of the best on that night, although I could have picked "Intro And The Outro". Their best and most successful song, "I'm The Urban Spaceman", came out the following year. As it says on their website "It may be rubbish - but by golly it's British rubbish".

Invictus, A Single Man and The Wolfman

One of the best films in the last year, Invictus is a highly emotional story of post apartheid South Africa. Although it focuses on Nelson Mandela (with a brilliant performance from Morgan Freeman) and Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon does a decent job), the most memorable scenes involve Mandela's security guards, initially all black but soon "integrated" with some tough white guys from the previous regime. The movie manipulates your emotions on how black and white are united through Mandela's insistence. And it is great to be manipulated. It is all down to the most wonderful direction from Clint Eastwood.
It is hard to put into words my feelings about A Single Man. However much I wanted to agree that Colin Firth deserved his BAFTA for best actor, I just could not. Don't get me wrong, he was very good. But whether it was his character or the script, I did not feel at all sympathetic to his loss. I thought that Mathew Goode as his dead lover was brilliant in the flashbacks. And Juliana Moore can do no wrong. When the highlight is her dancing with Colin Firth to "Green Onions" by Booker t and The MG's, something is wrong. I guess that Tom Ford could not quite cut it in his first directorial role.
I had no great optimism about The Wolfman being other than standard B Movie fare. What I did not expect was to be reminded so much of the Hammer films I used to see in the 60's. They always padded out the action with scenes in the local inn where the horrors that have taken place locally are discussed. And this was repeated in this modern version. But as "harmless" fun, this movie passed the test, just. The stand out section came over halfway when the action unexpectedly transfers from the countryside to London. If only there had been more like that.

The RSC's TV Hamlet

I was so glad I recorded the BBC 4 repeat of Hamlet. This was the same production that the RSC performed at Stratford in 2008. It was beautifully filmed on location at St Joseph's College, an empty 19th century missionary school. Even the grave digging scene is shot in the quad outside. I had avoided the stage production as I thought that I would just think of Doctor Who when David Tennant came on stage. How wrong could I be. He was perfect as Hamlet. His crisp English accent, wiry body language, humour and intelligence meant we only saw a prince in distress.

Above all, the play was brilliantly directed by Gregory Doran. He is probably the best living interpreter of Shakespeare who is working today. The supporting cast were equally terrific. Patrick Stewart was vile as Claudius and the ghost. What I had forgotten was how Rosencrantz and Guildernstern betrayed their friend and what a big part they played.

131 Songs - Number 24

Number 24 - Route 66 by The Rolling Stones



Not my favourite Rolling Stones song, but the first track on their first album. Back to the front room of my digs in Brighton (See Number 23) and this first LP The Rolling Stones was played over and over again when it was released in 1964. It was mainly cover versions, before Mick and Keith started their successful composing partnership. And it does have a certain clarity to the sound where every instrument stands out.

If I had to choose my favourite Stones song, it would probably be "Jumpin' Jack Flash" with "Sympathy for the Devil" (their best performed song at Wembley Stadium in 199? and "Ruby Tuesday" as second and third. But "Paint it Black" and "The Last Time" also take me back to the radio of the 60's.

131 Songs - Number 23

Number 23 - Green Onions by Booker T and the MG's

What a coincidence. Just as I was thinking about the next music for this series, and this track in particular, I was sitting in the cinema in Milton Keynes watching the calm but sad story of A Single Man when Juliana Moore (it being 1962) puts on a record. Suddenly we are treated to a loud blast of the instrumental Green Onions. As Juliana and Colin Firth dance their version of the twist, I go back to the autumn of 1963.

After leaving school, I spent my first few weeks of working for George Wimpey at Hammersmith. But by the end of September we were off to the south coast for our first five weeks of our five year Quantity Surveying block release course at Brighton College of Advanced Technology (which became Brighton Polytechnic and is now part of the University of Brighton). Our digs were in Hove and six of us shared various bedrooms. We also had the use of the front living room and here was a the record player owned by the daughters of our landlord. They had very few records, but one of them was Booker T's wonderful instrumental. It was played so often, I should have tired of listening to it, but I did not. And listening to it again all these years later was a truly moving experience.

131 Songs - Number 22

Number 22 - Singing the Blues by Tommy Steele

This is going back a bit. For some reason I can remember a 78 of this recording from 1957. Tommy did not have the first UK Number 1 of this song. This went to Guy Mitchell, only for Tommy's single to replace it one week later.

Tommy could have been bigger than Cliff Richard as this country's answer to Elvis, but he went on to become a more all round entertainer, recording "novelty" songs, and later a big star of musicals. Singing the Blues is a reminder of what he could do with an up tempo number, and what we missed when he changed course.

Crackerjack

It was one those foggy late afternoons in the winter of early 1959 as I made my way to the BBC Television Theatre at Shepherds Bush. As my school was one of the closest to the theatre, it used to receive tickets for children to make up the audience for "Crackerjack". And as Shepherds Bush was on my way home (it was where I used to change from a trolley bus to a Number 49), I often managed to obtain a seat. These had always been in the circle, but on this particular occasion, I found myself for the first time in the middle of the stalls.

The programme always went out live about 5pm, so we had to be in our seats well before the start. It was then that one of the production staff made his way to the front of the stage to address the audience. Apparently the school, that was providing two of the contestants, had phoned to say that the fog was too bad and their bus had been delayed. So if any child would like to appear on the show would they please raise their hands, but they had to be over fourteen. I had reached that age in December, so my hand went up. The next thing I knew was being beckoned onto the stage.

So here I was, suddenly a contestant on a live TV show, and none of my family or friends would know. We were briefed on the format of the games, and in no time the presenter, Eamon Andrews, was making introducing us to the cameras. The next half hour was a bit of a blur. I know I did OK in the knockout stages, as I reached the last four for the final "double or drop" (it isn't me in the photo above). This was the climatic quiz stage of the competition, and quizzes are just not my thing. I know I got two answers wrong. The main constituents of air are nitrogen and oxygen, not hydrogen and oxygen, and the place that Greek gods go to when they die is Valhalla.

That meant I came a creditable second, although runners up still only qualify for a "Crackerjack" propelling pencil. When I arrived home, Mum said she saw me on the TV, but the fact that she was not excited meant that she probably missed it. Oh that mobile phones had been invented earlier. Although I'm not sure we had a phone at home in those days. At school the next day, a couple of friends told me they had seen the show. The propelling pencil was eventually lost, but my memories of that day linger on.

My Father's "The Works of William Shakespeare"

This book was presented to my father by the Repertory Theatre, Sheffield after he appeared in their 1930/1 production of "Sing a Song of Christmas". He was thirteen and obviously made a big impression.

Many years later, it became my mother's reference book when they attended many performances at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford in the late 1960's and early 70's.

Take Three Girls

The appearance of Angela Down (in the middle of the photo) in the latest episode of Midsomer Murders reminded me that she starred in the iconic BBC television series of Take Three Girls that was screened between 1969 and 1971. She had not been seen on TV or film for years, but I recognised her straight away.

The other two of the three girls were Liza Goddard (on the left), also having been in a previous episode of the John Nettles show, and Susan Jameson who is notable for her recent role as Alun Armstrong's wife Esther in New Tricks. It cannot be long before we see her in Midsomer, and makes it a hat trick.

131 Songs - Number 21

Number 21 - Needle In A Haystack by The Velvelettes

The only song on my list that appears in Nick Hornby's "31 Songs", although other artists do (The Beatles, Jackson Browne, Aimee Mann, Bob Dylan and Van Morrison). I missed this 1964 release the first time round. Indeed it took Hornby and John Clarke's article below, to remind me how good Motown could OCCASIONALLY sound. And this is the only one that I could squeeze in.

So the brilliant When Will I see You Again by The Supremes is missing, and so is I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke's Wonderful World, Smokey Robinson's Tracks of My Tears, The Temptations, Four Tops and Percy Sledge.

Why Elvis does not appear on my 131 Songs

I was never a great Elvis fan. Far too corny in voice, style and presentation. OK, there were some very good songs. Suspicious Minds, The Wonder Of You, I Just Can't Help Believin' and An American Trilogy. They will keep Elvis impersonaters in business for ever.The last of these very nearly made the list, and I have vivid memories of Return To Sender when I delivered Christmas Post in 1961. But Elvis turns them into something slightly distasteful. But more than this, he never toured the UK, despite his many fans who were desperate to see him. Jimmy Saville tried with the Colonel on a number of occasions but to no avail. So there, he doesn't make my list.

131 songs - Number 20

Number 20 - It's Only Make Believe by Conway Twitty

This has always been a favourite of mine. Co-written by Twitty and his drummer, it became number one on both sides of the Atlantic in 1958. If there was one song I was able to sing well, this would be it. It takes a great voice to sing this belter of a ballad.

131 Songs - Number 19

Number 19 - Walk On By by Dionne Warwick

Not a favourite song, but it reminds me of my first digs after leaving home. This was in one of the flats in the large mansions in Barnes, next to Hammersmith Bridge. It was from here that I walked over the bridge to work at George Wimpey on Hammersmith Grove. The same road where I bought With The Beatles the week it was released, an LP that I played non stop for weeks.

As well as my record player, I soon saved enough to buy a portable Grundig tape recorder. I shared a room with Derek Anderson, another Wimpey trainee. There were also two older girls sharing another room. One had the Dionnne Warwick record, and I recorded them singing along to it playing in the background. If I remember, Derek married Marie, the younger of the girls. I just had the tape, now long gone.

Up In The Air, A Prophet and The Road

It just goes to show what a good script does for a movie. Based on the novel by Walter Kim, Jason Reitman's screenplay and direction of Up In The Air would have made a good film no matter who the actors were. As it happens, George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick are excellent and deserve their Oscar nominations. But it is the dialogue that shines through in this witty and bittersweet story of a man who thinks that collecting air miles is what life is about.

There have been many reviews which have highly praised A Prophet. It won the best film prize at Cannes and might take the Oscar for best foreign language film. I thought it was good, but not that good. Someone said there was more drama in an episode of Prison Break, not that I have ever watched the TV series. I'm not a great fan of prison dramas, they have to be in the class of The Shawshank Redemption to get me really interested. A Prophet worked best as a thriller. The background of race and the Corsican mafia left me confused.

How would anyone dare to film Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road? It as bleak a story as you could find. The book is almost poetic, the adventures of the man and the boy told with intelligence and exceptional skill. The movie just about does it justice, thanks to a sympathetic adaptation by Joe Penhall. Although it seems slow at times, the 100 minutes fly by. I could not remember the ending from the book, so this was a surprise in a good way. Vigo Mortensen was great in the lead, but I had no idea who else was in the film. So seeing fine cameos from Charlize Theron and especially Robert Duvall made for a unforgettable experience.

William James Gibson Boyd and Ellen Cundy

My last posting reminded me of two other ancestors who met the same sort of way. During the 1861 census, William James Gibson Boyd was 26 and a boarder at The Travellers Inn at 82 Snig Hill, Sheffield. His occupation was given as a Traveller. The Inn was run by a Jonathon Cundy with his wife Ellen. They had a daughter also named Ellen who was 20 and a barmaid. You can guess the rest.



It was on the 24th April 1861 that William and the younger Ellen were married in The Parish Church in Sheffield. They had one child, Ellen Cundy Boyd, who was born on 1st August 1862 in West Bar Green in Sheffield. William's occupation was given as Publican. But three years later he died of Pulmonary Consumption, back with Jonathon Cundy at what was now called The Three Travellers on Snig Hill. He was just 31.

Charles Hoyland and Hannah Selina Wynne

Charles Hoyland married Hannah Selina Wynne on 2nd October 1862 in Holywell Flintshire, where Hannah was born. Both their fathers (Jonathon Hoyland, Gentleman, and Robert Wynne, Clothier) are named on the marriage certificate, although neither are witnesses. Charles was 33 and Hannah 26.

It was always a mystery how Charles from Sheffield and Hannah from Wales came to meet, and why I could not find them on the 1861 census. The puzzle has now been solved, thanks to Kit (silverkiwi) who posted a comment on my blog. In 1861, Charles was boarding with the Dickerson family at 31 Barker Street, West Derby in Lancashire. His occupation on the census is Brush Manufacturer. Hannah was governess to the Waddington family at Guilda Brook Park, Eccles in Lancashire. Jonathon Waddington was a cotton spinner employing 300 people.

It is my guess that Charles was visiting firms in Lancashire on behalf the family business. And he either came into contact with Jonathon Waddington, or even stayed with his family, and thereby met and fell in love with Hannah. A great story.

Derek Finch Roberts

On of my aims on the family history was to find a male Roberts who was the son of the eldest son going back in the generations. Sidney Morton Pearson Roberts was the eldest great grandson of the last Jacob Roberts. His eldest surviving grandson, according to the 1937 Family Tree, was Derek Finch Roberts born 21st September 1922 in Willesden, London.

But that is where the trail goes cold. So we do not even know if he had a son. Sidney had two more sons, but only one seems to have surviving sons. Clive Finch Roberts is the eldest son of Bernard Finch Roberts. I just need someone to read this and make the connection. The Finch in all these names comes from Sidney's wife, Louisa Kate Finch. She was the daughter of the prosperous Henry Finch of The Gables, Linslade and Bedford Square, London.