Songs from "Call The Midwife" Christmas Special 2013

Despite the numerous songs on the Christmas Album of "Call the Midwife", I only heard four on the 2013 Christmas Special. And the one at the end of the programme is not even on the CD.

However, here is the song list:

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" by Perry Como

"Mary's Boychild" by Harry Belafonte

"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee

"All the things you are" by Frank Sinatra.

I hope I have got the singer right on this last song. With no help from the CD, or even the versions on Youtube or Spotify, I'm hoping someone might come up with the answer.

The Colour, Money and The Testament of Mary

Rose Tremain is one of my favourite authors, but The Colour is the least captivating of her novels that I have read. A story about the early settlers in the south island of New Zealand revolves around the struggles of Joseph Blackstone, his wife Harriet and mother Lilian to make a new life against the wild and dangerous isolation of their new home. However, despite wonderful sections that truly transported you to that awesome landscape, these alternate with what I found to be boring and repetitive descriptions about their hardship. So not many laughs. In fact none. I also thought that the book seemed to be padded out to reach a meaningful 360 odd pages. Some new characters that appear over halfway through would have been OK, but why do we get so much of their back story. This did nothing for the flow of the plot. But Tremain is such a good writer, and so despite it's bleakness, I found enough in the storytelling to keep me interested most of the time.

I stopped reading Money Martin Amis after 80 odd pages. I just could not bear to listen to any more of the garbage that came out of the mouth of the narrator, John Self. The first time I have read any Martin Amis and I thought it may be the last. I tried again and this time made it to the end, though it hardly deserved it. Yes, it was a bit of a struggle, a bit of a rambling mess. But after a while, the narrator becomes a more tolerable character, or did I just get used to him? The writing is the same frenetic jumble of almost English language as John Self talks to you as an almost friend, although friendship is something he would not recognise. Now that tricksy language is normally something I love, but boy, can you have too much of a good thing. Think caviar for every meal. Try this: "At sickening speed I have roared and clattered, I have rocketed through my time, breaking all the limits, guzzling gas and burning rubber, staring through the foul screen with my fist on the horn. I am that fleeing train that goes screaming past you in the night. Though travelling nowhere I have hurtled with blind purpose to the very end of my time. I have lived headlong at desperate rhythm. I want to slow down now and check out the scenery, and put in a stop or two. I want some semi-colons. Maybe Martina will be my big break .... I can't change, but maybe my life can. Mere proximity might do it all for me. Maybe I can just sit back, with a drink (I'm surprised the author did not say a bottle or three)and let my life do all the work". This must have been an exhausting exercise for the writer to have to keep this up for the whole book. Whatever Martin Amis was on when he wrote this, I want some, but only a tiny bit.

The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin is an extraordinary book. Very short, only 104 smallish pages, but dynamite on every page. Mary tells the story of her son's demise from her own vivid recollections of that time. There is nothing here outside her own personal experience, but what an experience. Enough to send any mother mad. One review said it was a "gentle, thoughtful reimagining". He must have a thicker skin than me. Mary pulls no punches in what she saw, the images have stayed with her through to old age. The writing is poetic and devastating. Not for a reader of a nervous disposition.

The Hoyland Inheritence

On 23rd February 2009, I published an article on my blog entitled "Three Generations of Brush Manufacturers". The business was started in Sheffield by Jonathon Hoyland (1797 - 1867) around 1816 according to an obituary of his son. But that would make him eighteen or nineteen years old, so he started very young. We do know, according to White's Directory of 1857, he listed as "Jonathon Hoyland, bristle merchant, 53 Queen Street and Adelaide Place". The business was known as The Queen's Brushworks.

When Jonathon died in 1867, it is likely that all his three sons carried on the business. In the 1861 Census, his sons Walter (28) and Arthur (20) and both living at Jonathon's home in Adelaide Place and their occupations are given as brush manufacturers. In the same Census, son Charles (31) was boarding with the Dickerson family in West Derby, Lancashire and his occupation was given as brush manufacturer.

I have no knowledge of what happened to Walter and Arthur, but we do know that Charles built up the business to become quite wealthy. By 1881 he and his family were living in at a smart address in Heeley. The Charles White Directory of 1857 lists "Charles Hoyland, Brush Manufacturer of Victoria Road". Charles died on 23rd June 1905. His obituary was published in The Independent newspaper on 26th June 1905. It said his business was an extensive one. He also did a considerable amount of philanthropic work. His son Charles had taken over the management of the business.

The value of the estate left by Charles Senior was over £44,000, which would be worth in today's terms over £3.6 Million. But this does not take into account the worth of the business which had previously been sold to Charles Junior for £4,000 on a promissory note that was cancelled in the Will. The Will is quite extensive and mostly provides for a Trust to be held for the children, Charles Junior, and daughters Kate, Isobel and Hannah. Charles Senior's wife Hannah died in 1909. I do not have her will, but presume that her wealth was added to the Trust for the children, or divided between the four.

What we do know is that children Kate and Isobel (my father's great aunts) (and presumably Hannah who was married to the artist Fred Mayor) never married but lived comfortably without working for the rest of their long lives. So how did Charles Junior (Charles Haywood Hoyland to give him his full name) get on with the business? This is where things get very interesting, though not at all clear.

Charles H Hoyland started buying property/land on Busheywood Road in Dore. Here I am very grateful to Holly Smart who has found a substantial amount of documents relating to this property. The first of these is a lease to his wife, Louisa Maria Hoyland (ne Brooks) on 19th December 1908 for Plot No 5 Busheywood Road for two properties which have been more recently numbered 14 and 16. There was also land to the north-west leased by Charles to his wife (possibly where 18 and 20 now stand) and land to the south-east "not yet demised" where now probably stands numbers 10 and 12.

What is certain is that the 1911 Census shows Charles H Hoyland living at a house on Busheywood Road with his wife, youngest daughter Edith ( my grandmother and aged 19) two nurses, a servant and Charles' sister Isabel. Charles' daughter Kate had moved to Wimbledon according to the same Census, and living off "Private Means" with one servant. Visiting were two nephews and a niece as well as a friend who was a widow.

In 1913 Louisa Hoyland mortgaged her property with the Huddersfield Equitable for £752, so perhaps the needed the money. That document also now  shows that Charles has moved to Thornfield on Totley Brook Road. But Edith was still living in one of the Busheywood Road properties ("Baulby") in 1917 where my father was born.

But what about the brush manufacturing business? I guess that it started to struggle, maybe Charles did not have the head for business as dis his father. In 1924 there was a problem with an inspection of the Brushworks by the Brush and Broom Trade. Then comes more crucial documents found by Holly Smart. We know from a later mortgage that the first mortgage on the Brushworks took place in 1925 for the sum of £600. Then there is a SECOND mortgage in 1928 of the premises of The Queens Brushworks and other property bought by Charles namely 14, 16 and 18 West Bar Green, 30 and 40 Lambert Street and 1,2,3,4 and 5 Lambert Place all in Sheffield for £4,000. Strangely, both mortgages were with his sisters, Kate and Isobel Hoyland. So they had the capital to lend their brother.

There was also another mortgage in 1928 for leasehold land and two properties (14 and 16 again) on Busheywood Road. This time with Mrs E Willis.

But the most staggering document of all is the mortgage dated 20th December 1930 between Charles and his sisters. Here it refers to the previous mortgages that had obviously not been repaid by Charles as the new mortgage was established "in order to avoid legal proceedings being taken against him by the lenders for the recovery of the last mentioned sum". This time the mortgage is secured on a vast list of freehold and leasehold properties:

Freehold properties

First all those 10 messuages to dwelling houses situate in chemical yard totley in the county of derby known as "cliffe cottages" (2) "brook vale cottages"(2) "northeast cottages"(2) "ford cottage"(1) "Tranmere"(1) and "sheaf cottages"(2) 

Secondly all those 5 messuages or dwelling houses situate in victoria road totley aforesaid known as "woodbine villa" (1) "Narne villas" (2) and "holly mount" (2)
Thirdly all those 3 messuages or dwelling houses situate in the numbed 9 11 and 13 ruskin square albert road heeley in the city of sheffield
Fourthly all those 5 messuages or dwelling houses situate in the numbered 136 140 142 144 and 146 Totley brook road aforesaid
Fifthly all those 5 messuages or dwelling houses situate in and numbered 4 10 24 28 and 30 bushey wood road totley aforesaid
Sixthly all that garage (formerly used as a billiard room) situate on bushey wood road
Seventhly all that garden or land situate in bushey wood road aforesaid
Eighthly all those 5 messuages or dwelling houses situate in albert road heeley aforesaid four of which are known as numbers 268 270 272 and 274 and the other as "brookside"
Ninthy all that hut and land situate in and numbered 82 rangeley road in sheffield aforesaid
Tenthly all those nine dwelling houses situate in and numbered 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 and 24 Quarry hull fields wickersley in the county of york
11thly all that messuage or dwelling house situ are in and numbered 608 barnsley road in sheffield, aforesaid
12thly all that piece of land situate at hollinsend gleadless in sheffield aforesaid
13thly all that messages or dwelling house situate in and numbered 196 mount vale in the city of york together with the cottage stable croft and railway carriage
14thly all that messuage or dwelling house situate in and numbered 36 beers give in the city of nottingham.

Leasehouse properties

1st all those 2 messuages or dwelling houses situate in and numbered 28 and 30 bushey wood road totley aforesaid

2ndly all those 4 messuages or dwelling houses situate in and numbered 143 145  147 and 149 coleford road in sheffield aforesaid
3rdly all those 6 messuages or dwelling houses situ are in and numbered 6 8 10 and 12 and 1 and 2 in court 2 woodside land in sheffield aforesaid
4thly all that messuages to dwelling house situ are in and numbered 209 pits moor road in sheffield aforesaid

All the properties described int his schedule are subject to certain mortgages or charges and this collateral security is given subject to all such mortgages or charges existing at the date hereof entitled to priority hereto.

So now we know that Charles was far more interested in property development that he was the brushworks. It is my belief that by 1932 the brushworks had gone bust, possibly between 1928 and 1930. But what happened next is a mystery. Charles H Hoyland died in 1943, but his sisters lived on for many more years. Did they and Edith inherit all the above property? Certainly when my grandmother died there were many properties she owned (mostly leases?) that that were realised in dribs and drabs after she died. I could never locate the will of Charles H Hoyland, so perhaps one day this might reveal a lot more information. However, it has to be said that he inherited some great wealth that gradually was lost. But Gran (Edith) did leave me and her grandchildren £200 in her will and for that I will be eternally grateful. It bought my first car, that impressive red Triumph Herald Convertible. If it wasn't for that car, maybe my children would not exist.

Thea Gilmore at The Stables, Milton Keynes

This was the third time I had been to see Thea Gilmore at The Stables, the previous times being in 2004 and 2007. A packed house had a very enjoyable evening. On first was husband and producer Nigel Stonier. I found most of his songs fairly ordinary, but his jazz influenced Messin' With Fire, which was used on the soundtrack of the movie Confetti was the best of the set.

Before the concert, I had read that Thea would be performing with Nigel on guitar and piano, and with a violin and cello. So basically an acoustic set. So I was pretty worried that the concert would lack something without her usual backing band. But in the end the instruments complimented her mostly hauntingly beautiful songs so well. This was mostly due to the expertise of the musicians. Nigel, of course, is a terrific accompanist, but the revelation of the evening were Susannah Simmons on violin and Liz Hanks on cello. These two young women were outstanding, as were the arrangements. Thea's voice was as excellent as usual despite complaining of a cold coming on.

Her choice of her own songs was great, and the cover of The Cure's Lovesong was superb. Move over Adele. For a taste of her performance, her song I Will Not Disappoint You (Live) at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London is on YouTube. An outstanding concert finished with (not my favourite oldie This Girl Is Taking Bets) but the equally rousing London. One final touch was the entrance of seven year old son Egan Stonier on violin to help out on a couple of numbers. I can remember at the last concert at The Stables, he was just a baby. Yes Thea, he should have been in bed. What a family.

The full set list:  This Is How You Find The Way - Old Soul - Cold Coming - How The Love Gets In - This Road - Start As We Mean To Go On - Lovesong - December In New York - The Man Who Sold The World - I Will Not Disappoint You - Beautiful Hopeful - Pain In My Heart - Love Came Looking For Me - You're The Radio - London.    Encore: Sol Invictus (a cappella performance by Thea) -  Thea Gilmore's Midwinter Toast - That'll Be Christmas.

Aylesbury Choral Society - A Mozart Celebration

For their December concert, the Aylesbury Choral Society performed three works by W A Mozart. The two major works were his Vesperae solennes de Confessre and his popular Coronation Mass. I actually preferred the former, especially the famous Laudate Dominum section. The programme was completed with the Regina Coeli and two carols. The conductor, Peter Leech, invited the audience to join in with Silent Night and O Christmas Tree and insisted we sing some of the verses in German.

The choir was in fine form and happily drowned out the accompanying sixteen piece Frideswide Ensemble from Oxford. Just as it should be. I thought that the baroque and historical instruments of the orchestra suited the music, which was not always the case in previous concerts. The four soloists were fine, although three of them had very little solo work. The exception was soprano Elizabeth Weisberg who sang beautifully. Her big moment came with the Laudate Dominum where she was superb. When the choir came in, we had the highlight of the evening. I just wish they had sung it twice.

Gravity, The Butler and The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

Gravity was one of the most gripping experiences I have ever had at the cinema. To think that I mainly like good stories and good scripts, this was revelation. A nerve trembling rollercoaster ride where you feel that you are there with the astronauts, right up close and personal in outer space. Everything in 3D is there to let you experience exactly what it would be like to be up there when things go wrong. And they go wrong big time. This is all down to the director, Alfonso Cuaron who has made one of the definitive movies of this century, no, of all time. The actors could have been anybody, but George Clooney brings a certain "gravitas" and Sandra Bullock is fantastic. I have always loved her acting, she constantly brings that air of vulnerability to her roles, and here this is taken to an extreme. Tough but vulnerable.

I was quite disappointed with The Butler. I  thought there would be far more interaction with the eight American presidents that were served by Cecil Gains over three decades at the White House. And instead of visiting any number of critical events during this time, the movie concentrated on a family story of the civil rights movement, one which seemed far too familiar. There were some nice touches, but I felt the director, Lee Daniels didn't know what he wanted it to be. The acting was just about OK, the outstanding contribution was from Oprah Winfrey as the wife and mother. The film has been referred to as something like Forest Gump, but it is nothing near as good.

I had no better luck with The Hunger Games - Catching Fire despite the excellent reviews. The second in the trilogy is not much more than a rehash of the original with a bigger budget. The first half hour is OK when the media circus homes in on it's heroine from the last Hunger Games. But the rest is just a repeat. Cutting the film down by half an hour might have been the best idea.

A Career in Construction - Part 6

Back at Head Office in the September of 1968 and a totally unmemorable year at work. I guess that we were being prepared more for our final exams coming up in the Spring. Only two sessions at college, the very last of all in January. When I arrived back from  Leeds, I was finding it difficult to find somewhere to live until my friend Trevor Pargeter persuaded his landlord to let me and John Lamprell  take the top floor flat in Kingston, and only because we would all be moving on in the summer. We were all very happy there, sharing car journeys to and from Hammersmith.

The most important decision came in the summer, towards the end of our time in Central Estimating. We had to decide where we would go as a permanent move. One department I was encouraged to join was the fledgling computer department. But binary numbers was a foreign language to me, and I really wanted to get back on site. Unfortunately, all those opportunities had gone and the only regional vacancy became a position in the Nottingham Regional Office, with the possibility of a site position there in the future. So Nottingham here we come.

Lucy Kaplansky, Lissie, Minnie Driver, Patti Griffin and Laura Cantrell

When I reviewed Lucy Kaplansky's album Over the Hills in 2011, I said I might try another of hers called The Red Thread. Over two years later and I was still in two minds whether to buy it. In the end it is a pleasant enough modern folk music, again very reminiscent of Nanci Griffith. The same mix of her own songs and covers. Her voice and the band make for a decent recording. However the same cannot be said for her latest album Reunion. As she is appearing at The Stables in Milton Keynes next year, I had hoped that her new songs would tempt me to go. So it was quite disappointing that this CD was so ordinary. Not only are her own compositions pretty boring, but the chosen covers are not worth listening to. At least I will save the price of the ticket.

Now Lissie (Elizabeth Maurus) is a completely different singer and her latest album Back to Forever is tremendous. I was so impressed with her albums Catching a Tiger (2010) and Why You Running (2009) and her new recording continues in the same super vein.  It has a real rocky feel and she has contributed to the writing of every track with other members of the band etc. She is now one of my favourite artists. With that in mind I also found a cheap copy of her 2012 release of six covers called Covered Up With Flowers. Not quite as impressive as her own songs, but definitely worth a listen.

I had forgotten that Minnie Driver had actually released an album before her Seastories that has grown on me since my downbeat review in 2008. So I plunged in again with her debut Everything I've Got In My Pocket. All eleven songs are written by her and are basically the same laid back easy listening crossover of folk, country and pop. Nothing spectacular, but easily worth the £1.27 (including postage) I paid for a second hand copy.

It's hard for me to be critical about Patti Griffin's debut album from 1996 Living With Ghosts. It was recommended by Kate Atkinson as one artist that her fictional detective Jackson Brodie would listen to. It was originally meant to be a demo, just Patti and her acoustic guitar, but the record company put it out as it was. And of that type, it is certainly a superior album. Her songs are hauntingly beautiful and her voice is terrific. I just felt that some backing instruments and better production would have made this a great recording instead of one that left me just a little flat.

The reverse is true for Laura Cantrell. Her debut  album Not The Tremblin' Kind and the follow up When The Roses Bloom Again are full of country folk  joy. There is again a mixture of her own songs and covers. She is a cross between Nanci Criffith and Lucinda Williams but has a better voice than both. The recording sparkles with uptempo numbers and catchy ballads. The band is excellent throughout, although they could have dampened the twangy guitar on the second album. Unfortunately, it is even worse on her latest album No Way There From Here has gone too far up country for my taste, violin and all.

Sweet Tooth, The Glass Room and The Daydreamer

I always look forward to reading the latest book by Ian McEwan, especially one that has received such positive reviews. Sweet Tooth takes us to the year 1972, the time of the three day week and IRA atrocities. Our narrator is Serena Frome seems a slightly frivolous girl, just out of Cambridge University but with a third. So we wonder why when she is recruited by MI5. Well, she is good looking and we get to know her love life quite well. But her menial work is incidental to the mission she is given which involves a budding writer. So the story is more about relationships than it is about spying. Or is it? McEwan has a huge literary trick up his sleeve. Serena never liked twists, so she would have hated this book. I loved it. The writing flows so silkily, it somehow encourages you to read accurately and fast. How does he do that? At one point Serena explains (but not very well) the Monty Hall problem from the American TV show Let's Make A Deal. The result is that her friend Tom, the writer, get's it all wrong when he tries to put it into words. The best explanation is in the movie "21". Check it out on YouTube.

It all started off so well. The year is 1928. A rich family in a Czech town build an ultra modern house with the help of an outstanding architect. The concept of The Glass Room by Simon Mawer is very encouraging, as we follow the house, and the family, through the upheaval of war, liberation, Soviet rule to the modern day. The only problem was that half way through, as refugees pour into the town, we have the most laughable of all co-incidences that ruins the story form there on. We also lose track of the family as new, and terribly boring, occupants of the house take over. There is also so much repetition of the characters lives and descriptions of the house itself that you wish the book could have been severely edited. I found the writing to be good, but at times it felt as cold as the house.

The Daydreamer comprises seven short stories about Peter's life as a ten year old boy. Designed to appeal to both children and adults, Ian McEwan's imagination is out in full force. Some are better than others as daydreaming Peter inhabits a funny fantasy world. An amusing diversion from real life.

A Career in Construction - Part 5

Where were we? Oh yes, our third year on the training scheme, back in Head Office. If I remember rightly, we were given a bit more responsibility in the creation of Bills of Quantities, mainly for the huge number of public housing projects with which the company was involved. We were doing some measurement from drawings so we were working with senior takers off for the first time. We were also seconded to other departments for short spells. I had a great few weeks in Central Estimating working with a small team of estimators pricing jobs for one of the midland regions.

In the summer of 1966 we were involved in discussions about where, in September, we would go for our fourth year. I was adamant that I needed site experience so I was transferred to the Leeds Region and based on a large housing and apartments contract that was just starting on Meynell Street in Leeds. This was exactly what I needed. I was the sole assistant to the one Surveyor on site and I learnt so much sharing his office.  I was outside a fair amount of the time, measuring and checking progress for Valuations. The apartments building was on seventeen floors so climbing unfixed ladders in the wind at the top to check the last concrete pours was something I will never forget.

I was living in a shared house with three other guys in Pearson Terrace in the Hyde Park area of Leeds, not far from Headingly. Again it was quite disruptive to the site team to lose me for three periods of five weeks at college during the year. But I felt the site experience gave me a lot more confidence going into the two year course for the final exams. I really enjoyed my time in Leeds and was not looking forward to the final year back at Head Office.

An Adventure in Space and Time

Of all the programmes dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of the first episode of Dr Who, my favourite by far was the dramatised documentary An Adventure in Space and Time. David Bradley was excellent as William Hartnell who set the tone for every reincarnation of the Doctor. Mark Gatiss and the production team created a wonderful feel of TV in 1963. But the outstanding character was the young, novice, female producer Verity Lambert played beautifully  by Call the Midwife's Jessica Raine. Although initially created by the Canadian BBC Head of Drama Sydney Newman (he needed something for the slot between the end of Grandstand and the start of Juke Box Jury) it was the passion of Lambert that ensured that the programme got more than the four episodes with which the hierarchy were determined to limit the run. The rest, as they say, is history.

Tring Book Club - The Garden of Evening Mists and Instructions for a Heatwave

This is why I go to a book club. I would never have chosen to read a story by Tan Twan Eng that focuses on Malaya, especially as it covers the second world war, the post war Emergency, and almost modern day. It turned out to be an extraordinary piece of writing. The Garden of Evening Mists has been created in the foothills of the mountains by Nakamura Aritomo. He was once the Gardner to the Emperor of Japan. The story is narrated by Teoh Jun Ling. She was only seventeen at the outbreak of war, and ten years later is on a mission that leads to Aritomo. The novel jumps backwards and forwards from almost modern day to those other times. Not only did it tell me so much about the trauma suffered in the far east during the war and after, but it weaves a magical tale of two very interesting characters. Unforgettable.

Maggie O'Farrell is one of my favourite authors. Whilst not quite reaching the heights of some of her other novels, her latest Instructions for a Heatwave is still a little gem. This is a story about a family and it's secrets. When Gretta's husband disappears, their three grown up children come together to help. But old wounds surface, not helped by the children's own relationship problems. O'Farrell has such a wonderful turn of phrase, it is a delight to read the warmth and the light touch of her writing. As someone says, words are not just the written kind. The dialogue is very special. The story is absorbing and gains powerful momentum in the final third. All with a gripping and emotional ending. Superb.

A Career in Construction - Part 4

During the five year training scheme, we would take the examinations of The Institute of Quantity Surveyors. These replicated the exams run by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the body we were not allowed to join as we worked for a building contractor. Only those in professional practice and local authorities could join the RICS. The IQS did have some professional members who preferred a specialised organisation for Quantity Surveyors rather than being amongst a load of estate agents and other disciplines. So did we.

The IQS prided themselves on the quality of their exams, always trying to be superior to those of the much bigger RICS. There was the identical structure of Parts 1, 2 and 3. Each Part had six or seven different subjects, so exams were spread over three or four days. We took Part 1 after the first two years at college, Part 2 a year later and Part 3 at the end of the five years. Each time the pass rate seemed to be stuck about 30%. I was lucky to pass all the exams first time, except for one referral in Part 2 that I took on it's own the following year.

I remember so well the day we got the results of the final exam. I had left the flat in Kingston before the post arrived. Happy to wait until the evening, someone phoned up for the results. I could not believe I had passed and had to drive home at lunchtime to pick up the envelope that confirmed I was through, and became an Associate of The Institute of Quantity Surveyors.

Ours was a great organisation. There were lots of events and a quarterly journal full of interesting stuff. So when the RICS made overtures to absorb our Institute, we successfully voted against this proposal. However, their persistence resulted in another vote, and in 1983, by a tiny majority, we became part of the RICS. I became an Associate before becoming a Fellow in 1989. Apart from the kudos of being FRICS, the loss of our old institute was a disaster. The contracting side of Quantity Surveying is basically ignored, and very few newcomers to our industry now join. Very sad.

Great West End Theatres

The first documentary series of Great West End Theatres on Sky Arts 2 was a fascinating story of the origins, architecture and history of the first ten theatres in a production that eventually visits all forty. These were:

Theatre Royal Haymarket
Prince of Wales Theatre
Piccadilly Theatre
Wyndham's Theatre
St Martins Theatre
Ambassadors Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre
Palace Theatre
Noël Coward Theatre
Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Some of these were familiar to me and some were not. The series is entertainingly presented by Donald Sinden and directed by his son Mark. What stood out for me was the vast amount of money that has been recently  invested into these theatres by the likes of Cameron Macintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber. I guess they now look better than when they first opened.

I was Heartbreak House at The Theatre Royal Haymarket in 1992, Les Miserables at the Palace Theatre in 1991and  Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1993. The Noel Coward Theatre used to be called The Alberry Theatre where we saw Hay Fever in 1992 and Oliver sometime around 1979.

The Mousetrap has been performed continuously at St Martin's Theatre since 1974 having transferred from the next door Ambassador's where it had run for 22 years before that. We went to see it in 1987. The Prince of Wales Theatre was most impressive. The art deco restoration in 2004 under Cameron Macintosh is quite something. Note - there are tours of the theatre on Friday afternoons. Mama Mia was performed there for eight years following it's transfer from the Prince Edward Theatre.

Sunshine on Leith, Captain Phillips and Philomena

At a fraction of the budget, Sunshine on Leith showed what the film versions of Mama Mia and Les Miserables were missing. And that was total energy and commitment from the cast and crew. Dexter Fletchers' adaptation of the Dundee Rep stage show is a remarkable feat. It does help that the Edinburgh setting looks so great, and makes for a tourist promotion for it's pubs. ( I still remember the one across the road from our hotel on our visit there). Of course the songs of The Proclaimers are terrific and they are sung which such gusto and warmth. Jane Horrocks and Peter Mullan are superb and the younger members of the cast are also very good. This is a wonderful feelgood movie quite unlike anything I have seen for ages. Think Gregory's Girl with great songs. The finale based on I 'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) is worth the price of admission alone.

So much has been said about Captain Phillips that there is little I can add. Paul Greengrass takes his hand held camera on board Tom Hanks' hijacked container ship. The tension is palpable from the start and never lets up. Outstanding movie making.

I was slightly disappointed with Philomena. Although it is a moving story, and the acting of Judi Dench and Steve Coogan is first class, I found it a little predictable and unconvincing. I think this may have had something to do with the script. Philomena is a wonderful character, but just a little too much seeking our sympathy. She did have a proper family after all. And Martin Sixsmith is portrayed as unbelievably  too hard and sarcastic, I guess as not to glamorise the writer of the book on which the story is based. But there is much to enjoy in the relationship of this mismatched couple, and director Stephen Frears creates a wonderful atmosphere. I have to say that the last half hour is fantastic, so my overall reservations are actually too trivial.

A Career in Construction - Part 3

The George Wimpey training scheme for Quantity Surveyors before I joined was based entirely on day release to attend college once a week with additional evening classes. My year was the first to try an entirely different method. This was called a Block Release Course and required 15 weeks per year at college for the first three years and ten weeks per year for the last two. These were broken down into five week sessions at Brighton College of Advanced Technology, each five weeks during one college term. The course was designed around the examinations of The Institute of Quantity Surveyors.

However, much as we enjoyed the benefits of paid work experience and college life, this system was pretty disruptive for people we worked for, disappearing for weeks at a time. I believe this experiment only lasted a couple of years.

Our first digs in Brighton were in Silverdale Road, that is actually in Hove. There must have been six of us in the house, those were happy, carefree days. We always had time for last orders at the nearby pub. See postings February 2010.

The first January we were in Brighton coincided with the Central Estimating Dinner and Dance. This was a huge event paid for by the company and our presence was required. We did have to hire dinner suits for the occasion, and I found mine in Brighton. Some of the others had hired theirs in London so these had to be brought down by the training manager, Mike Godber. Having left them at our digs, some wag decided to mix then up which caused a big  ruckus and much laughter.

When we arrived at the venue (possibly the massive room above Derry and Toms on Kensington High Street), we were struck by the organisation. A large dance band played on the stage, playing quicksteps, waltzes etc. So we just watched, enjoyed the food and free bar! But half way through the most amazing thing happened. Now you have to remember this is January 1964, and the vast majority were mature people. But low and behold, a rock group took to the stage. How someone had persuaded the organisers to let one in, I shall never know. But there we were, just the trainees bopping alone on the dance floor to the music of The Beatles, Cliff, Gerry and the Pacemakers and The Searchers. I guess the more adventuress of the older staff might have joined in. Absolutely amazing.

Our first year ended in the September and we were distributed through other departments of the company. The lucky many were transferred to the regions for the year, unfortunately I got stuck in a private housing unit in Flyover House in Chiswick where I basically wasted a year and learnt nothing. The most memorable feature being the canteen. But by the September of 1965 I had moved out of Riverview Gardens, sampled the boring single life in a bedsit, and  moved in with my friend Bob Owen to the attic flat of 7 Airedale Road in Chiswick, the home of Mr and Mrs Gosden, and our home for the following momentous year of 1966, and my third successive year in London.

The Garden in November

The prolonged spell of mild, almost warm sunny weather thorough October has meant some unusual flowers reappearing in the last week. The roses think it is spring again.

And the penstemons refuse to stop flowering.

I'm not sure what the early summer flowering erysimum is doing.

Or why the  polyanthus have come out.

At least the silver birch know that it's autumn.

 



The National Theatre - 50 Years on Stage

The Royal National Theatre celebrated it's 50the anniversary with a glittering and star packed gala. One of the highlights for me had to be  Derek Jacobi and Michael Gambon in the roles originally played by Gielgud and Richardson in Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land, my favourite play of all time. But there were other outstanding contributions from Maggie Smith in Hay Fever, Roger Allam in Copenhagen, Simon Russell Beale's Hamlet and James Corden's argument with himself in One Man Two Guvnors.

But the two outstanding pieces came from The History Boys where the role played by the late Richard Griffiths was played magnificently by Alan Bennet himself, and the boys were the members of the original cast including Dominic Cooper and James Corden. But surpassing even this was Judi Dench singing "Send in the Clowns" from Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. Is there no end to this woman's talents. it was perfection.

The ending had to be an extract from Alan Bennet's The Habit of Art where a stage manager muses about the National Theatre's creation. Frances De La Tour was brilliant.

A Career in Construction - Part 2

It was my mother who found the advertisement, possibly in the newspaper. George Wimpey (at the time the biggest construction company in the world) were looking for school leavers with two A Levels to join their company training scheme for Quantity Surveyors. Coming to the end of Sixth Form, I already had an offer from Hull University to read Economics. But the grades they required seemed quite ambitious for my capabilities. I had thought about a career in architecture, but I had no talent for drawing. The next best thing seemed to surveying, and a book described all the different kinds surveyor. There did not seem to be many openings to train as a Building Surveyor (my preference) and Quantity Surveyors seemed to operate in private practice. So training with a Building Contractor was an unexpected opportunity.

I went for an interview at the Hammersmith Head Office of George Wimpey. I guess there were a huge number of applicants. While I was waiting for the result, some friends at school suggested I had no chance. One particularly bright pupil from the year above had an interview but never made it. So I was pretty pleased when I was shortlisted for a second interview and finally made an offer that I accepted. As expected, my A Level grades were not good enough for Hull. My mother was actually amazed that I had scraped through all three subjects.

I have one vivid memory of the summer before I started work. Sitting alone in the front room of the house in Braintree (a sitting room that was hardly ever used) listening to some records and wondering what life would be like. I was leaving home to live in digs in Barnes, working in an office five days a week and going to college in Brighton. And being paid; I was, in fact, an indentured trainee. My father and I had to sign a form of indenture and this set out my remuneration over the five years.

I started on £350 per annum. This was supplemented by £2 and 15 Shillings per week lodging allowance. My digs were in Riverview Gardens. There were two of us. Derek Anderson and I shared a bedroom and the Irish landlady provided breakfast and an evening meal. Most of the trainees were always short of cash, but I found I could save a little, and was able to buy a Grundig tape recorder within a few months.

For our first year, we trainees were based at The Hammersmith head office. So every morning I walked over Hammersmith Bridge to get to work. We were attached to the Quantity Surveying team under George Vickery who produced Bills of Quantities for tenders throughout the country which were then passed to Central Estimating to price. Our task for most of that year was squaring the dimensions. There is a chapter in Elements of Quantity Surveying by Arthur J Willis (our bible for that first year) which explains all this.

The following example shows how measurements are taken off and set down on dimension paper.

Of course, these are in in feet and inches and it was our job to do the calculations in duodecimals. So you see that the third column below now has these figures.

This was all done by hand, no calculators for us in those days for duodecimals. There were the first movements towards mechanisation, but as Willis says in his More Advanced Quantity Surveying, "One cannot but feel that machines are excellent as an aid to the human brain, but that we are professional men (wow) not machine minders and that our brains have a part to play".

So our brains were worn out squaring dimensions all day, every day. Even more taxing was the checking of another's squaring. We were told that any errors were down to the checker, not the original squarer. It was therefore a relief when were able to take the process to the next stage of casting the dimensions and preparing the abstract from which the final Bill of Quantities would be produced.

I guess the idea was that we would become familiar with the measurements we were squaring, as the taking off of those measurements from a pile of drawings was then the fundamental business of a Quantity Surveyor.

Ghosts at the Oxford Playhouse

This is not a comedy. The only laughs are from those of a nervous disposition. This is a dark, dark play. Ibsen described Ghosts as "a family story as sad and grey as a (Norwegian) rainy day". I guess they must have a lot of those there. The director is Stephen Unwin in his swan song after six years as artistic director of Rose Theatre, Kingston in a co-production with English Touring Theatre that Stephen founded in 1993. Stephen is a huge Ibsen fan having directed six productions, five for ETT. His translation has a really modern feel. Ireland in the not too distant pass comes to mind. This play caused a huge scandal when it was first performed, and it was banned in many places, particularly in Ibsen's home country.

It is Mrs Alving (a stand out bravura performance by the terrific Kelly Hunter) who confronts her ghosts. The portrait of her long dead husband is almost a ghost in itself. When Pastor Manders (Patrick Drury) reminds her of how he persuaded her to return to her husband after running away, she cannot remain silent about the unhappiness she suffered. But in  the Pastor's words (of consolation?) "To pursue happiness in this world is to be governed by the spirit of rebellion. What right do we have to happiness? No we must do our duty, Mrs Alving. And your duty was the cleave to the man you'd chosen and to whom you were tied by a sacred bond". The revelations that Mrs Alving then reveals are the crux of this powerful and, at all times, gripping play. The cast of five are all excellent and the first half (actually three quarters of the time) goes so quickly. But the sunshine after rain is a contrast to the over melodramatic ending. These days, playwrites would  have had it finish five minutes earlier.

The Casual Vacancy, The Catcher in the Rye and Heartbreak Hotel

I have never been keen on soaps on TV and The Casual Vacancy is the literary equivalent. I didn't expect great writing from JK Rowling so I wasn't disappointed. What we did get was a tightly plotted but uneven drama full of nasty, argumentative people mainly being horrible to each other. I'm not sure what kept me going, probably I was hoping that something interesting might turn up. I guess it does, but only on occasions. As I said, pretty uneven. Some fairly tedious sections interspersed with a rare brilliantly constructed episode. A party and a break-up come to mind. So why did I give it as much as three stars? For one reason. The writing for the teenage characters was absolutely wizard. (Get it?) There are quite a few of them, and their stories take up a good chunk of the book. Here, the writing suddenly takes off. I'm sure it was not just my imagination.

My occasional dabble with classics led me to The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I felt it was a bit of a let down. I found the first half of this short novel to be sharp and original. However I eventually found Holden, our seventeen year old narrator, to become quite tiresome and repetitive. Although the descriptions of New York in the fifties were very well written. I just wished I had had read it when I was a lot younger.

After the intensity of having just read "The Garden of Evening Mists" for Book Club,  I plumped for a change in style with Heartbreak Hotel by Deborah Moggach. I was thrilled with this funny and frivolous story for those of us of mature years. OK, it was fairly predictable as a number of lonely people descend upon ex-actor Buffy's run down B&B come hotel for his "Courses for Divorces". But the warmth of the storytelling is so powerful, it towed me a long in it's witty and manipulative wake. There is a feeling that, after the success of the movie "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" that was based on the author's novel "These Foolish Things", this is a film script instead of a book, but there is too much to enjoy to quibble. Yes, the British acting establishment will be queuing up for the roles of Buffy, his ex-wives, his children and hotel guests, and it would make a decent movie. Except that some of the best stuff here relies on reminiscences of the character's previous lives, and at the same time being a study of city versus country as they are today. As an antidote to something serious, this is just the ticket.

My Favourite Songs in Films and TV

I have always been a sucker for great popular songs stuck in a film or TV programme just at the right time. No surprise then that twenty one made it to my list of 131 Songs.

It all started when, as a teenager,  I went to see Antony Newley in the 1959 movie Idol on Parade. The song I've Waited So Long is not very good. But it's impact has lasted long in my memory. So has I Should have Known Better, the song The Beatles sing in the guards van in the movie A Hard Days Night. And who could forget their running and jumping sequence to Can't Buy Me Love.

And so the list goes on from Song Number 63 to Number 84. All except a Christmas favourite in the middle. What made me think of these again were two recent  belters. The first is in the movie About Time. The Cure's Friday I'm In Love is perfect for the montage at the art gallery. The latest is by The Proclaimers. There are some great songs in the movie Sunshine on Leith, and my favourite was the brilliantly staged I Would Walk 500 Miles. Check out the film's trailer.

 Here's the full list, published mainly for my benefit.

Number 63   I've Waited So Long by Anthony Newley - posted on 10.11.10
Number 64   I Should Have Known Better by The Beatles - posted on 10.11.10
Number 65   You Never Can Tell by Chuck Berry - posted on 10.11.10
Number 66   El Matador by Los Fabulos Cadillacs - posted on 24.11.10
Number 67   Hotel California by The Gipsy Kings - posted on 24.11.10
Number 68   Ballad Of Lucy Jordan by Marianne Faithful - posted on 24.11.10
Number 69   Let It Snow by Dean Martin - posted on 12.12.10
Number 71   Earth Angel by Marvin Berry - posted on 18.01.11
Number 72   Come Up and See Me by Cockney Rebel - posted on 18.01.11
Number 73   The Sound Of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel -posted on 18.01.11
Number 74   Don't Worry Baby by The Beach Boys - posted on 18.01.11
Number 75   Time After Time by Cyndie Lauper - posted on 18.01.11
Number 76   Cat People by David Bowie - posted on 18.01.11
Number 77   Hold Tight by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky Mick and Tich - posted on 18.01.11
Number 78   Love On The Rocks by Neil Diamond - posted on 18.01.11
Number 79   In The Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett - posted on 18.01.11
Number 80   Slipping Through My Fingers by Abba - posted on 18.01.11
Number 81   Can't Buy Me Love by The Beatles - posted on 18.01.11
Number 82   One Of These Mornings by Moby - posted on 03.02.11
Number 83   Shelter From The Storm by Bob Dylan - posted on 03.02.11
Number 84   Take The Long Way Home by Supertramp - posted on 03.02.11

A Career in Construction - Part 1

Instead of starting at the beginning, I want to fast forward to 2nd May 1977. That was the day I re-joined Henry Boot Construction after a five month spell with a small builder in Dunstable (more later). Little did I know the fledgling Southern Division would have seven changes of management in seven years. A period of exciting skulduggery as managers conspired to oust their predecessors.

In 1977 there were two major housing contracts in Harlow and Cheshunt, both won and run by the Midlands Region. I joined as Area Surveyor, based on site at Cheshunt, and reported to a Birmingham Senior Contracts Manager called Henry Atkinson. When rumours grew in 1978 that the company was serious in expanding in the south, we all expected that Henry would be first in line to manage the new division.

However, the Midlands Region was struggling. The success it had with huge housing contracts in the early seventies ( particularly the spectacular profit on the second of the Peterborough phases of housing where I was resident) came rapidly to a halt with a number of  loss making contracts. So in the second half of that year came the first of the many changes.

Our two contracts were transferred to the Yorkshire Region that was run by Regional Manager Peter Horth. He and Regional Surveyor Ken Ottley only visited us occasionally as, more importantly, a new Senior Contracts Manager arrived. Tony Whale joined the company from Bovis, a hint of things to come as David Woolf from that same company was taking over as Managing Director at the company's headquarters in Sheffield.

Things suddenly started happening towards the end of 1978. Plans for the Southern Division became a reality. A small Projects Team under Colin Brooks was set up in the company's house/office at The Boltons in Chelsea. Another Senior Contracts Manager started. Mike Stafford was another ex-Bovis man. He was given the first new contract won for the south, a warehouse and offices in Brentford. In the absence of any new surveying staff, he relied on me to do the business. We were running the operation out of a back room in The Boltons office, at the same time I was dashing to Sheffield and back to report on Harlow and Cheshunt.

By the end of the year, the company had found a new Divisional Office in Castle Street in High Wycombe. We were still having regular management meetings at The Boltons, so it was a huge advantage when we finally moved into the High Wycombe office on 3rd January 1979. The first shock came when we found that the Divisional Manager would not be Peter Horth, who was moving down from Yorkshire, but Colin Brooks. His small Projects Team were primarily responsible for finding work and I'm not sure if Colin had any experience of running construction operations. So Peter Horth moved into the office next to his, and next along was that for Ken Ottley as the now permanently resident Divisional Surveyor.

Only his occupation of that office didn't last a day. On the 3rd January he was sent to Birmingham to close that office and it's contracts. He still had some responsibility for the old Harlow and Cheshunt contracts, and I did meet him in Birmingham on the odd occasion. But in the south we Surveyors were left without a leader for the new contracts. That was resolved when I was made a Regional Surveyor. I already had been given an office in High Wycombe, the first time in my career that I had not  been site based.

However by September, we only had three of the new contracts, Brentford at £715,000 and two even much smaller jobs. Brian Gregory had joined the surveying team to look after these two at the Architect Association and IBM. When we won the prestige  refurbishment and restoration of Nuneham House at Nuneham Courtney in Oxfordshire, we were making progress. Then in October 1979 we hit the big time. White City Industrial Park turned out to be a massive warehouse and office contract that did well financially. I was interviewing for new staff while setting up both of these highly dynamic projects.

During this time, management was going through an interesting time. Brian Warren had joined as another Senior Contracts Manager. That made three with Tony Whale and Mike Stafford. All three we ex-Bovis and got together to form an informal and secret Divisional Operations Board. I was co-opted as the top operations surveyor, and attended the first Divisional Operations Board Meeting on 13th July 1979. No Peter Horth, no Colin Brooks. The writing was on the wall for both of them. This new cabal had only one thought in mind, their exit. And it was probably in September that Peter Horth left.

I cannot remember many more such meetings. Brian Warren had a personal friend from Bovis in Brian Gregory to look after his jobs, small as they were initially. Brian Warren was obviously instrumental in getting the other Brian the position of Regional Surveyor of which there were now two. We actually got on pretty well, we ran surveyor's meetings between us, co-operated on reports to senior management. I knew the Henry Boot system very well, Brian was experienced in the cost recovery type of jobs, and this was where his specialism lay.

Early 1980 was a busy time starting the new big contracts. Mike Stafford had moved to Head Office in Dronfield to get involved in management contracts. I visited him there to finalise the account on Brentford. It was not until June 1980 that we had the next big upheaval. Colin Brooks left the company and was replaced by ...... Brian Warren. So that was Midlands Region with Henry Atkinson, Yorkshire Region with Peter Horth, Colin Brooks and now Brian Warren, all in two years.

Brian was a lovely guy, Bunny to all his friends. The next year would have been great except for one thing. He promoted Brian Gregory to Divisional Surveyor. So instead of running the commercial side together, I now reported to someone I knew was my inferior. The only thing that kept me from leaving was that I was left to supervise my own contracts exactly as before. White City was taking up a big chunk of my time and it was turning out to be very successful. We won the second phase, and then later, the third. I was working very closely with Tony Whale who was now pretty much deputy to Brian Warren, as I was to Brian Gregory. Tony and I were on Cheshunt together, before the Southern Division had become a reality, and we had worked on the same contracts together since the beginning.

It was a good thing I stayed. In March 1981, less than a year into his job, Brian Warren left and Tony Whale took over as Divisional Manager. The fifth change of leadership. But nothing changed on the surveying management. Brian Gregory was still in charge. For a meeting with Tony on 31st March 1981, I had kept a note in my diary. There are hardly any such notes of a personal or political nature. However this time I wrote "We discussed the new management chart. I made it clear that I accepted what he had done was the only possibility at this stage, but that I was unhappy with my personal circumstances, and that if I didn't think the situation could be changed , I would find things impossible. Tony mentioned that possibly by December things might change, so that was a good date to work to."

However I only had to wait until 24th July 1981 when Brian Gregory left the company. Tony promoted me to Divisional Quantity Surveyor, a position I was to hold for the next three happy years. However, there were still a few major surprises to come, most of them unpleasant.

Another year another Divisional manager! Tony resigned in June 1982. Our biggest contract at that time was the Holiday Inn, Croydon. It was destined to become a huge problem, and the rumour was that the Managing Director only took on the project to appease Tony who wanted it badly. So when it ran into trouble, I guess Tony thought it might be a good time to depart. So who would take over this time? John Marshall had been based in the Dronfield head office in charge of Management Contracting. He was parachuted in to run the Southern Division in his own inimitable way. We were onto number six.

John Marshall relied heavily on Mike Ellis, who was now the Senior Contracts Manager and myself. Mike and I had worked together on the division's biggest contracts. First Cheshunt, five years previously, where he was Site Manager, White City and now the headache that was Holiday Inn, Croydon. (I can remember being on site one day when an operative plonked a second world war bomb on his desk, that had been found during excavations. More of that later).

It wasn't long before Mr Marshall decided that he needed to strengthen the surveying management, and brought in Joe Scroxton in January 1983 over my head. Joe was an ex President of the Institute of Quantity Surveyors before that Institute was absorbed by the RICS. So he was coming towards the end of his career. However we never really knew what his role was to be. All the day to day commercial work went on as before with all the Surveyors still reporting to me. Joe seemed to be in a kind of consultancy role as I was still attending the quarterly meetings of Divisional Quantity Surveyors in Dronfield.

There were more changes in the autumn of 1983. First John Marshall announced on 21st October that he had resigned to take up the post of Managing Director of Mowlems. Roger Coombes from the Civil Engineering Division took over on the 31st. The following month saw a huge reorganisation  of staff with massive redundancies, almost one in two of all staff. I know from conversations later that either Joe Scroxton  or myself had to go. The committee who had to decide apparently had to cast their votes. It was no surprise that John Marshall voted to keep Joe. But in the end, he was outvoted, Joe left that day, and I started to work with my seventh boss in seven years.

I liked Roger very much. We had a difficult time with the decimation of our resources, and 1984 turned out to be a momentous year in more ways than one. Croydon was at last finished, although the financial situation was disastrous. Amazingly, we were recruiting in the Spring. A large contract at Ipswich was about to start and a number of smaller jobs were underway. Mike Ellis had left to join Farrans, and I knew that if that went well I might be joining him in the autumn. But there was still time for one last reorganisation. In the summer of 1984, the Southern Building Division ceased to exist. The company amalgamated Civils and Building and split the country geographically East and West. It was the head of Civils Quantity Surveying that was appointed to lead both Civils and Building in the East, so I was back to square one.

But I didn't have to get used to the new structure for very long. I left Henry Boot on 31st October 1984 to join Mike at Farrans. These seven and a half years had been possibly the most exciting of my career. I worked with some great people, and some not so great. But that goes for any industry. In the end I am so glad I was there at the start of a new venture for the company in the south, and to see it grow. It was just on the wane as I left. I was very lucky.

My Most Treasured Book

A Cheltenham Literary Festival Special in the Saturday Times a couple of weeks ago featured some well known authors describing the books they own and prize above all others. Simon Schama chose his Collected Works of Shakespeare that was given to him as a present at his Barmitzvah. It reminded me of The Works of William Shakespeare that was given to my father in recognition of his performance as a boy in Sheffield Repertory Theatre's production of "Sing a Song of Christmas" over the holiday of 1930/1931. It was signed by the whole cast and crew.

Then Brian Sewell chose Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows given to him by his mother on his seventh birthday. His was a 58th Edition bound in green cloth. Mine was from Gran, my father's mother, on my fifth birthday, Christmas 1949. Mine is a ninety second edition, and it is amazing that there have been so many editions since it's first publication in 1908. Sewell mentions the chapter "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn". What a title for a chapter of a book. Rat and Mole rowing down the river and a bird piping as the sun comes up. The whole chapter is so beautiful, I never realised quite what a genius the author was.

Prisoners, Blue Jasmine and Rush

I thought Prisoners was a very impressive crime drama. Everything seemed to work together, which if they didn't, it might have been just another dozy story about a kidnapped girl. I guess it all starts with a very decent script. Aaron Guzikowski actually wrote it in 2007 and it has taken this long to see the light of day. Then director Dennis Villeneuve has created something nailbiting and atmospheric and lead actors Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal are on top form. The editing is superb; whenever a scene might go on too long, it doesn't. And then the Georgia landscape is beautifully photographed, in fact all the cinematography was brilliant. It was Roger Deakins again! This is a long film, but it always held my attention.

The critics have all gone mad for Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine. It does have much to commend it, but it's one big failing left me disappointed. The central character does not have a single shred of anything attractive. Surely Allen could have found something that might have elicited our sympathy. But no. This does the movie no favours. So I was left with a sour taste as Cate Blanchett's disgraced financier's wife Jeanette/Jasmine dissolves in a puddle of self pity. There is not a laugh to be had as she holes up in her sister's crumby apartment. But here Sally Hawkins gives a superb performance. Allen is heavy handed as he contrasts her blue collar friends with Jasmine's cultured background. I found the portrayal of working class America, up close and personal, to have a certain merit. Blanchett is heavily tipped for an Oscar, and indeed her performance is quite staggering. Shame about the script.

Another critical success is Ron Howard's Rush.  I thought it was awful. Poor script, even worse acting, and I just hate all the revving and screaming of the F1 engines. If what had gone on in between races  had been remotely interesting, I might have enjoyed it more. As it was, it turned out to be the worst movie I have seen for a long time.

1984 at the Oxford Playhouse

Who Controls the Past Controls the Future, Who Controls the Present Controls the Past

More memorable to me than the novel by George Orwell was the movie that was released in 1984. John Hurt gave one of his best performances as Winston Smith and Richard Burton matched him as O'Brian. In the Nottingham Playhouse production at the Oxford Playhouse, we have a highly theatrical adaptation of the novel. This has been created by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan for Headlong, the company that presents provocative and dynamic work, such as The Seagull that I enjoyed in May this year.

This production presents a multi media experience, with filmed images, both recorded and realtime, and dramatic sound and lighting effects. This is not for the faint hearted, nor should it be given the crux of the story. Just thank goodness we didn't get real rats! There are many thought provoking moments. The all seeing state, can terrorism be ever justified, who can we trust.

I found the dialogue a little stilted, which may have been why the classy cast seemed to slightly struggle. But I was impressed by the direction and the last half hour was superb. It was strange to see that the audience was 80% under eighteen. It must have been a set book for their English Literature exams.

Yet another week in Cornwall

Or in this case nine nights, courtesy of the National Trust having two spare days at the end of our week. Our twelfth successive year at Port Quin and the fourth at Lacombe. We had planned on some nice relaxing days now we had more time. Little did I know.

It rained for over two hours on Thursday for our journey down, but as usual the sun had come out as we arrived. We dumped our cases inside and took a late afternoon walk up to the headland overlooking Doyden where we used to stay.

We looked back to the tiny harbour and Port Quin itself. Our cottage is the white one on the far left.

Friday started cloudy and after the journey we didn't want to go too far. So we headed into Wadebridge and from there did a 5 mile run down the Camel Trail. Back to the cottage for a shower and some lunch. The sun came out in the afternoon so we parked the car in the NT car park above Lundy Bay. A short stroll down to the beach where we sat on the rocks and watched the tide come in.

It was still warm when we arrived back at the cottage so we took our cups of tea to the harbour and sat on the wall in the sunshine, just before high tide.

Saturday started drizzly and misty. Alison went for a run along the coast while I went for a stroll around Polzeath and bought a paper. When I got back, I joined Alison who was climbing over the rocks in the harbour as it was low tide, something we had never done before.

After an early lunch, the weather seemed to be improving so we headed for Lanhydrock, a very impressive NT property that we had been to a few times before.

Although we couldn't remember the herbaceous borders in the High Garden. They were spectacular even at this time of year.

 

There was still time for a cup of tea sitting outside the main building, and still a warm 20C. In the evening we went for dinner at The Granary, our favourite café in this part of Cornwall.

 

On Sunday we did what we usually do. I drive to Padstow, park to car and hire a bike to cycle down the Camel Trail to Wadebridge and back.

 At the same time, Alison runs from the cottage along the clifftops to Polzeath and then on to Rock. here she catches the ferry to Padstow where we meet up. It was a cloudy but warm morning with the odd spot of drizzle. But it brightened again as we walked into Padstow centre. I was looking forward to my usual fish and chips at The Quayside café. But horror of horrors, it had changed hands and was serving mainly pizzas. And it was deserted. Hopefully it might change back next year. We found another café for lunch and fish and chips was on their menu. An early afternoon stroll up to the Monument to find a bench for the panoramic over Padstow, Rock and Daymer Bay.

Padstow was becoming very busy, so we left as we had to visit the supermarket for some provisons. We were back in the sunshine so sat outside for tea and read the papers.

Monday was to be our day for an excursion to somewhere new. This year we wanted to walk from the Lizard to Kynance Cove. The weather forecast was reasonable, although it was cloudy when we started off. However, when we reached the other side of Truro, the mist set in. We diverted to Helston to have a cuppa while the weather improved. It didn't. Not far away was the port of Porthleven so we headed there. It turned out to have a lovely seaside harbour and some attractive  shops.

It also had a fabulous beach where the waves were truly spectacular.

We had our sandwiches and it was still very cloudy, so we headed back. As it had on previous days, the sun came out in the afternoon, so we diverted to the north coast on the other side of Newquay. As we reached Mawgan Porth, we saw a beautiful beach, so we parked and enjoyed a great couple of hours paddling in the surf.

Alison went and found some take away coffee and we sat on the dunes in the sunshine. Further up the coast was our original destination, Bedruthan Steps. We parked at the NT car park at Carnewas and walked along the clifftop for great views of these superb stacks.

We already know that next year we shall be walking much further round the cliffs. But the view in the late afternoon sun was particularly fine. We didn't get back to Port Quin until after 6.30, as it turned out, it had been a wonderful day.

We had left it until Tuesday for our usual coast walk from the cottage to Rumps. It was warm and sunny from the start, with very little breeze. We sometimes go on past Rumps to Pentire Head, but we stayed instead and had an early lunch on the clifftop.

On the way back we stop at Lundy Bay. The tide was out and we sat on the beach until it clouded over.

In the evening it was dinner at Fifteen at Watergate Bay, our most extravagant meal of the year. As usual it was excellent. They do not charge more for a table next to the full height window screen overlooking the bay, but to us, this is worth a lot.

On Wednesday, we awoke to another sunny morning. Every day seemed to have sun either in the morning or the afternoon. It was a bit warm for another run from Wadebridge down the Camel Trail, but we managed. We stocked up at the baker and butcher and had lunch outside back at the cottage. Ad it had clouded over, we went bodyboarding at Polzeath. The waves were great and the time flew by.

Another cloudy start to Thursday, so instead of our planned return to Bedruthan Steps, we took the short journey to neighbouring Port Isaac.

As it was still cloudy, we went to Wadebridge and had lunch at The Granary. Well I actually has their "small" breakfast. Bacon, sausage, egg, tomato, mushrooms, baked beans and toast all for £4.95. The best value in Cornwall. We headed back to the cottage, it was great to have a quiet day. But again the sun came out so what did we do? Bodyboarding again. Not quite such great waves, lots of seaweed, but lovely in the sunshine.

Friday was our last day and true to tradition we went to Padstow. This year we did something different. We started with a run down the Camel Trail. It was a bit too sunny and warm on the way back. After getting changed, we again walked to the harbour and had a cup of tea. On walking past some shops on our way to the benches above the town, we found The Picture House where we actually found a print and a glass artwork that we both liked. We spent an hour on a bench, we never get tired of the view. This time the tide was only just going out.

Back at the centre, we had warm sausage rolls followed by ice cream sitting by the harbour. The sand banks were just beginning to appear.

We always end the day looking round the shops, we have certain goods to buy to take home. Back at the cottage it was time to start packing to come home. But it was still sunny so we sat outside and had dips and beer. We have this little garden and a trestle table with a view we would not swop.

We left early on the Saturday, and we met the rain that was promised through Devon and Somerset. But we had been extremely lucky with the weather. I can remember one shower as we were getting changed after the first bodyboarding session, and the odd bit of drizzle. So although it was cloudy a lot of the time, it was warm and there was hardly any wind except for the last Friday. And the sunny times were wonderful.