Cuddington Walk

Once a year I try to find a walk that I have never tried before. We have been to Cuddington a few times, for choral society quiz nights etc. and the countryside looked very nice. So this route described in the Sunday Times seemed ideal.

Alison had gone to stay with her sister for a couple of days, primarily to go to see her beloved City play on the Saturday afternoon. So it was a beautiful Friday morning when I drove what was only twenty minutes to Cuddington. I ended up parking very close to Tibbys Lane where the walk started, passing the attractive village church.

I immediately wished I had brought my compass as the first path seemed to be going in the wrong direction (the route description was no help at all). So I doubled back and took what turned out to be a parallel and much more attractive path towards Nether Wichendon. I'm glad I did otherwise I would have missed this lovely village on the way. Just before the first houses is a bridge over the River Thame.

Nether Wichendon is a quite spectacular and secluded  village. Nether Wichendon House looks amazing and apparently is open to the public in May, so a note for a visit next year.

The church in the village has a prominent location.

So a promising start to the walk. Unfortunately that did not last. The next two and a half miles is along the Thame Valley Walk, a very boring flat route along the edge of fields.

There are no nice views and the only thing of interest is the small planted woodland.

Approaching Bridge Lodge, where you leave the Thame Valley Walk to join the North Bucks Way, I encountered a major problem. Somehow the path had not been well marked as I ended up the wrong side of a barbed wire fence. Although I searched, here was no way through. So instead of doubling back (where I had no confidence of finding the right way), I headed uphill along the edge of the field. In the distance I could see what was a decent track and skirted more fields to get there. All this time I was not on public footpaths, but it didn't seem to be a problem. The view back from the top of the incline was as good as I would see.

I ended up on what seemed to be a parkland road. It turned out to be a private road, part of the Eythrope Park Estate, but apart from one tractor, it was deserted. It brought me out on the main road near Waddesdon Hill. I wanted to see the next village, Upper Wichendon, so I walked down the edge of this fairly busy road before turning off to look at the church and views across the hills.

Leaving the village, I was back on the right route and stopped for lunch alongside a small valley.

After that it was another unattractive trek across many fields with no views. After crossing one field full of cows and calves, it would have been nice to have had this sign at the beginning rather than at the end.

Somehow I lost the path again (I was getting fed up with this) and ended up back on the Thame Valley Walk and retracing the same route back. At least I got to see Nether Wichendon again. The weather had been sunny for the first half but clouded over for a while. So probably the most disappointing of  any walk in Bucks. I will stick to walks  in the Chiltern Hills in the future.

Othello Live from the RSC Stratford

To see Othello live from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, I went to the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre's Second Space. A 200 seat compact but well designed small auditorium, steeply raked seating but limited leg room and not the most comfortable seats for a three hour play.

I had only seen Othello once before and that was the RSC touring production at the Oxford Playhouse in 2009. I preferred this version. The staging was brilliant and the director, Iqbal Khan, did a terrific job. Hugh Quarshie is not a natural Moor, I guess his never ending role in TV's Holby City doesn't help.  But he speaks the verse well and his anger is painfully obvious. But I have severe reservations about Lucian's Msamati's Iago, the subject of much discussion as the first black actor to play this role. I had nothing against this in principle, in fact I thought it a worthwhile experiment. It's just that I missed three quarters of his words. And his natural comic background sometimes is a disadvantage in his expressions. But that is the downside of a close up camera for a theatrical production.

No such problems for the rest of the cast, Joanna Vanderham particularly good as Desdemona. It was also interesting to see many of the cast from last weeks visit to Stratford appearing here. Brian Protheroe was again excellent, this time as Brabantio. The televised production was again very good so what we lose in missing being there, we gain in the close ups and the sound.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Mistress America and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Another fun outing for the MI guys, although I couldn't help but wonder if Tom wasn't trying to tell us something at the end of yet another stunt. Maybe "I'm getting to old for this"? OK, there were some serious plot holes, a copy of a Bond Opera sequence and an unappealingly grumpy Simon Pegg. But the set pieces and especially the music were top drawer.

Mistress America, despite it's good reviews, was on a seriously limited release. And after half an hour I could understand why as I wished I hadn't bothered. But then the relationship between Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke starts to make sense and we are in are then in for quite a treat. So I have to give this movie five stars for ambition from the director Noah Boambach and his co writer Gerwig. It's jam packed with smart modern dialogue (although I have never met anyone who speaks like it) even if at the same time a lot sounds modernly dull. The stagy setting for the later main scene is enjoyable with the addition of some funny (peculiar) characters. I might have not understood why a corridor was trashed early on, but I'm glad I didn't when it was revealed why near the end. I had hoped for a typically cool soundtrack but it was disappointing in the end. The 80's feel could have been done better than the likes of Hot Chocolate, OMD, Suicide and Macca.

It was strange to see a British actor playing an American, an American playing a Russian and a Swedish actress playing a Brit. But that was the three leads for The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I must have seen Henry Cavill in previous roles and the same for Armie Hammer but there names rang no bells. Unlike Alicia Vikander who was brilliant in Ex Machina and Testament of Youth. However this time round no acting skills were required. Another fun movie with added wit. Guy Ritchie has done a reasonable job with his other writers, but it's all in the action and magnificent sets, so it's his direction that keeps things moving along. And you cannot go wrong in Rome.

The Merchant of Venice at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford

The last time I went to see The Merchant of Venice was on 28th May 1988 at The Barbican Theatre, that's twenty seven years ago! Shylock was played by Anthony Sher (who I saw recently in Death of a Salesman), Deborah Findlay played Portia and  Phil Daniels must have been a hilarious Launcelot Gobbo. But the most amazing piece of casting then was a certain Gregory Doran (now Artistic Director of the RSC) as Solanio. 

Last night was a very different production. Modern dress, a very modern staging complete with mirrored floor and back wall and modern speaking of the verse. This is not a nice play and I think this way helped the cut down narrative (two hours ten minutes plus an interval obviously meant chunks were omitted).  We still get Portia's suitors trying to pick the right box (a superb piece of staging as they descend from above a few feet away from my seat), a typical neat Shakespearean diversion but which seems to be from another play altogether. At the back we have giant swinging metal ball counting down to what? Pawnbrokers (or moneylenders) had three golden balls as their sign? Counting down to the day when the debt becomes due?

In the acting department, head and shoulders above the rest of the cast (in acting terms if not stature) stands Patsy Ferran as Portia. Only graduating from RADA last summer she has already won high praise for her parts in Blithe Spirit and Treasure Island. I saw her in October at a quarter full Oxford Playhouse in The Angry Brigade. From that seriously sharp performance I could not see her cast as Portia but she is virtually unrecognisable as the same actress. Her voice this time is so soft and highly pitched but with such marvelous projection we catch every word. Her eyes and hands work magic. This is one actress destined for big things.

Makram J. Khoury, the Palestian playing Shylock is another matter completely. He is undoubtedly a very fine actor and he gives a subtle and understated performance. It's just a shame he mumbled most of his words. However Jamie Ballard was outstanding as Antonio and Brian Protheroe gave us a brilliant cameo as Aragon. Polly Findlay is to be congratulated as director of a very enjoyable and memorable production.

The Bearbook 10K

If there was one race I had to do it was my home village 10K, starting from Aylesbury Rugby Club a short walk out of Weston Turville. The only problem is that it always takes place in August when the weather can be very warm. No problem last year when it rained, but last Sunday it was sunny all the way round, as you can see from the photo taken in our village. I was pleased with my time of 55.15 given the weather and the hill from Wendover to Halton. I might even be tempted to run it again next year.

How to be both, Funny Girl and Nora Webster

I have always been a big Ali Smith fan, all her books are on my shelf. I think she is a very adventurous and challenging writer. I have only given two of her books (she blurs the line between traditional novels and short stories) five stars; "The Accidental" and "There but for the." Unfortunately in How to be both, she is at her experimental worst. I never thought there would be a day when I gave up on something written by Ali Smith (I even persevered with the highly academic "Artful") but this time I didn't get past halfway.

My book started with George, (other prints start with the other story) a cacophony of musings on bereavement and art. Her (yes "Her") section finishes halfway through the book, although there is no ending as such. It was an almighty struggle to find anything to enjoy. The occasional clever constructions of language (a Smith hallmark) were not enough to find the way through the mess. So when it came to the second half and the artist from the fifteenth century turns up, I gave up. I have more than enough great books to read without wasting my time on this stuff. Ali, please read again "A Visit from the Goon Squad" and take note.

I cannot help but wonder how this book got rave reviews and won such respected prizes. I started to wonder if it was me, or something about the Emperor's new clothes? But then again, I'm a big fan of the author. Only not this time.

P.S. When you pick a French singer of the 1960's, try someone better than just the photogenic Sylvie Vartan, the blonde on the cover. Such as her husband Johnny Hallyday? Just started Nick Horby's latest "Funny Girl". What a wonderful relief. It's already brilliant.

Yes it was. I always look forward to a new Nick Hornby and his latest was as good as ever. Witty, smart and consistently highly readable, Funny Girl has some big emotional tugs all the way through. But mainly it's like being wrapped in a warm fleecy rug on a cold winter's night. The book is partly a tribute to the iconic comedy writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson (Hornby gives them a special mention in the acknowledgments at the end) and the author does them proud. So why only four stars? It is no literary masterpiece, but unlike the last book I read, I loved it.

Not nearly as good as his Brooklyn, Colm Toibin's Nora Webster was pretty slow going even for a family drama. The first third was quite boring as the author obviously wanted to portray the recently bereaved Nora in a somber light. But then the story picks up and from then on was mainly very good. There was still a tendency to delve into some pointless past with some less interesting descriptions of place. But I liked how Nora gradually gained confidence and became the person she was before she married. It often felt like you were her late husband listening from above, and cheering her on.

Self/Less, Southpaw and Ant-Man

Despite the mainly sniffy reviews, I thought that Self/Less was a pretty decent sci-fi thriller. When the terminally ill Ben Kingsley has his body swopped with Ryan Reynolds, there follows an interesting but conventional and sometimes confusing identity crisis. However, the pace is good and director Tarsem Singh has made the film look sharp and sleek. It was OK.

Jake Gyllenhaal deserves every penny he was paid for his role as light heavyweight boxing champion Billy Hope. He definitely looks the part and goes through many a trauma which only suggested to me the mental impact of taking so many blows to the head. There are only so many themes for a boxing movie and this one mines most of them. so although we have seen it all before, director Antione Fuqua and his writers do their best to make it seem fresh. Unfortunately co-star Rachel McAdams only has a limited role. A great pity.

Ant-Man is a surprisingly fun super hero movie, far more to my taste than some of the more serious action blockbusters. Hot Fuzz writers Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright have put their stamp all over this film and it works really well. Paul Rudd is tolerable as our reluctant shrinking hero although Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly struggle to convince. But overall I really enjoyed the tone of the movie that reminded me on occasions of Innerspace, and that says a lot.

Witnesses

What elevates Witnesses above many police dramas is the location. This French series is based in Le Treport, a town closer to Dieppe than Calais. It is a strange mix of an old fishing port, light industry, a marina and now a holiday resort complete with a casino. Oh yes, an abandoned prison also makes an appearance.

It's towering white cliffs would easily slot into those on the opposite English coastline. You can also just make out the funicular railway which goes up to a tunnel halfway up the cliffs. Another dramatic setting.