New Boy, Zennor in Darkness and Rose:Scenes from a Vanished Life

The fourth book on my list of Hogarth Shakespeare publications, New Boy is a modern retelling of "Othello". Tracy Chevalier has set her story in a suburban school in Washington D.C. The students are shortly to move to a junior high school so are 14 going on 15 despite some reviews to contrary ages (even that in The Guardian). Osei is the first black boy to arrive at the school. Well we are in the 1970's.

It is interesting how the author weaves elements of the tragedy into her version of race and power. There was a point about halfway when I did get a little tired of the playground bickering, but ultimately this short novel delivers an emotional punch. Though what Shakespeare would have thought about the skipping rhymes would be something. 

Helen Dunmore's first novel gives hints of what is to come. All her other ten novels on my bookshelf are better, but Zennor in Darkness is still worth reading. I thought at first it seemed very ordinary, but the story and the writing soon picks up. It is an interesting mix of fact and fiction. The central character is a young Clare Coyne who lives with her father in St Ives, a short way from Zennor where D H Lawrence has taken a cottage with his wife Frieda. The writer was actually there in 1917 when the book is set, and the fact that Frieda is German makes for a tense atmosphere with many of the locals.

When Clare meets Lawrence they strike up a friendship. Clare is encouraged to visit his wife as she knows no women there. Clare retorts "Is that sufficient recommendation - the fact that I'm a woman". I preferred the fictional relationships of Clare and her cousins family, making do with the limited resources of wartime. The trauma of those relations who died or return damaged is eloquently described as is the impact on the community. 

Not everyone has a great childhood. Despite a mother, not exactly from hell but definitely not heavenly, who packs her off to boarding school at the earliest opportunity, Rose Tremain did "enjoy" an education far superior than many and which paved the way for her later success as a writer. So this memoir is a story of ups (her relationships with her sister, school friends and teachers are the best part of the book) and the downs of a mother who was selfish and self centred. I wasn't interested in the descriptions of places where she lived, but I did feel transported to this early part of her life. At the end there is an Afterword of three pages. I hope this will form the basis of the next chapter of her autobiography. 

Manon - English National Ballet at Milton Keynes Theatre

For the last few years English National Ballet have included Milton Keynes Theatre on their autumn tour and we have been lucky to see a few wonderful performances. Last night it was Manon, a ballet we had never seen before. After a late afternoon shopping trip we had dinner at ASK and perused the Wikipedia brief of the story and it's background. Who needs a programme.

Inside the theatre we had superb seats with a great view of the orchestra. Everything about ENB performances in top drawer. The soloists were great, especially Begona Cao in the title role. She was just fantastic. The group dancing was spectacular and colourful, the story was easy to follow, the staging, lighting and music was excellent. With a forty piece orchestra, the English National Ballet Philharmonic never played a wrong note.

The theatre was disappointingly only two thirds full. I hope that will not stop ENB visiting MK.

KLER, Bad Times at the El Royale and First Man

KLER is an exceptional Polish Film. The title translates to "Clergy" and is a condemnation of the priesthood in that country that takes well over two hours to unfold. Just who are the villains and who are the victims? It takes time to decide. It is not just about child abuse but much much more. Writer-director Wojciech Smarzowski uses a surprisingly big budget to get his message across. Gripping.

One of the best screenplays of the year comes with Bad Times at the El Royale. So it was not surprising it was written (and directed) by Drew Goddard. From big TV hits like Lost, Buffy and Alias to successful movies such as Cloverfield, The Cabin in the Woods, World War Z and The Martian, he now has a CV for screenplays that would let him make any film he chooses. This time we have a mix of Tarantino and Hitchcock as seven strangers meet at this isolated hotel. We know we are at the end of the sixties, just listen to the superb songs on the soundtrack. The cast is OK, although some more classical actors might have given a more dangerous twist. When just after the start, the agent's boss tells him (in capital letters) "DO NOT INTERFERE" we just wait for the first disaster. While the plot is fairly formulaic, I enjoyed the conversations, the set (just the hotel) and the music. Too many songs to mention, see the list on Tunefind. From the Isley Brothers'"This Old Heart of Mine" to Deep Purples "Hush". All from the hotel's jukebox. This is my kind of movie.

Am I in the tiny minority who (once again) are not enthralled by a Damien Chazelle film? OK, it is a highly impressive piece of film making. But it is mainly so boring. To me, this is a silent art house film about nuts and bolts crossed with a family drama. I much preferred the latter, but even that was ordinary. Ryan Gosling did his usual brooding self (lighten up man) but thank goodness for Claire Foy who was outstanding, given the lightweight script. But then, every so often we were back to the nuts and bolts of the mechanics of space flight. I pity anyone who will watch this on anything but the biggest screen.

The Great South Run - 2018

I think it was the late start that did it. The white wave (predicting over 1 hour 30 minutes for the ten miles) did not get away until 10.52 am. You would not believe that in mid October it would be so warm. The skies had been cloudless for the last couple of days and so was Sunday. Absolutely gorgeous weather, just a t-shirt to the start and staying warm to meet up afterwards with many of Alison's friends from On The Run. So despite the heat for the run, I would not have swapped the whole experience.

Especially that the day before, walking along the Millennium Way in shoes I don't usually wear, I felt a pain in the bones of my right foot travel up my leg and stay there. It was there all the night before, but seemed better in the morning. However as soon as I started running, it was back, and stayed there for the first two miles. I was occasionally limping which was not good. I said to my self that if it got worse, I would have to stop. But after those first two miles it disappeared.

I was running at the pace I wanted: nine and a half minutes a mile. The idea was that I would ramp up the pace in the second half to the nine minute twenty second pace of last year. Given that I managed a nine minute and five second pace for the 10 K two weeks ago. So I was going along quite nicely, enjoying the support of the crowds, listening to the bands, and by half way felt fine. I had been dodging into shade wherever I could find it.

But miles six to eight became really hard. We were running parallel to the sea front with buildings on one side but no shade whatsoever. It was sheltered and very warm with no breeze. So instead of getting faster, I was getting slower. I watched as the pace on my watch went down and down. By mile eight I was at nine forty pace, which meant that I was running for the last two miles at ten minutes a mile.

Fortunately, as we turned to run along the seafront, there was some breeze, although still no shade. With a mile and a half to go there was some loud music. As I approached, A-ha broke into "Take on Me". What a brilliant running song, perfect for my stride pattern. It took me some way, and when out of earshot, I still sang it in my head. It got me to the line in 1 hour 37 minutes and 30 seconds. Over three and a half minutes slower than last year, but who cares. Yes, I do not run well in the sun, but I would take that over the gales of last year for all the reasons above.

A few stats. My place was 7,391 out of 15,853 runners and twelfth of 55 men in the 70-74 age bracket compared with being 16th out of 80 last year. So pretty comparable. There is a "Great For You"  scoring system with Silver being over 650 points. My 651 makes me laugh!

Portsmouth for the Great South Run

After we enjoyed last years visit to Portsmouth for The Great South Run, we booked for this year back in November. And what a weekend it turned out to be with not a cloud in the sky for the whole of the three days.

We drove down on Saturday morning, arriving around midday. Although our room at the Holiday Inn (fifteen minutes walk to the start line) wasn't ready, we settled down in the lounge with my laptop to watch a very exciting Chelsea v Man Utd lunchtime game, with tea and a sandwich.

We unpacked after lunch and headed out to the sea front. Instead of turning left towards Southsea as we did in the raging gale of last year, we turned right and walked along the Millennium Promenade in warm sunshine with no wind. There are all sorts of old fortifications starting with the Spur Redoubt just past Clarence Pier.

Then past the the Long Curtain Battery, the only remaining ramparts and moat that enclosed the town. Next the Square Tower and the Round Tower and other historic features all the way to The Point where there are great views to Gunwharf Quays and Spinnaker Tower.

On our way back, we met a few friends from Alison's running club and walked with them back down to Clarence Pier and beyond.The walk along the front in the superb mid-October sunshine was amazing.

In the evening we had booked for Carluccios at Gunwharf Quays. We had to walk from one end to the other to find the restaurant at the Waterfront. Inside was huge, extremely busy and acceptably noisy. We had a lovely meal and the service was fine.

Afterwards we walked around the harbour and the foot of the Spinnaker Tower.

Sunday was the day of the big race. More on a separate posting. We were quite tired in the afternoon, but still managed the same walk as the previous day, this time finishing with an ice cream! In the evening we met up with some more friends at the Brewhouse and Kitchen where we were this time last year.

We enjoyed our great burgers and sampled some of their beautiful beers made on the premises. All outdone by the superb service. Tiny tots of the beers to decide what to choose and even a final bar service at the table which is very unusual.

We left the hotel on Monday morning and drove the very short distance to the underground car park at Gunwharf Quays. We came out again at the Waterfront, this time in the daytime.

However the purpose of the morning was to go to the Asics store in the huge, modern shopping centre. We both bought new running shoes "etc".

There was no time to explore any more shops as we were meeting my brother John and his wife for lunch in Lyndhurst. The food at The Forage was excellent, a perfect end to three glorious days.

Crazy Rich Asians, A Simple Favour and A Star is Born

What else to say but a good fun movie. The cast are likeable but not great actors. The script is funny but lacks depth. The direction is vivid and entertaining. I loved the street food at the Newton Food Centre. The main reason I would visit Singapore.

A Simple Favour is a terrific comedy thriller. Anna Kendrick plays that perky role she made her own in the Pitch Perfect franchise. A very different type of mother to that of her new "friend" Blake Lively. When the latter disappears leaving her son and husband finding solace with Kendrick, things start to snowball with twists and turns along the way. Well written by Jessica Sharzer and Darcey Bell from her novel, Paul Feig has directed with aplomb, giving us suspense and joy. I thought it was great.

The first hour of A Star is Born is simply fabulous. Such a shame that the second hour is so boring. In that first half, we always suspected that Bradley Cooper's tired rocker would gradually disintegrate at the same time as Lady Gaga's Ally would hit the big time. However it is how they meet and fall for each other that grips us early on. But I was not convinced by Cooper's deterioration, his acting seemed hammy which was very strange. Lady Gaga was predictably brilliant while singing, but whilst she gives the part her all, she is a second rate actress. If Cooper is to direct again, he should know that award winning movies do not have to be well over two hours long. This one could have done with a half an hour cut. Sam Elliott brings dignity and heart to his role as Cooper's brother. He should get an award nomination at least. But forget any others!

South Bucks 10 K

My first time at Black Park for the South Bucks 10 K. Alison had run it a couple of times before and said what a friendly event it was. I didn't like the sound of running on unclosed country roads, but as there were only 189 runners, it was never a problem. I wore the long sleeve top that Zoe gave me for Christmas as it had good visibility.

The weather was sunny but very chilly first thing. We ran in 7 degrees but mostly in the shade. The roads were lined with trees which made for a very pretty course. We both decided to use the race as a warm up for the Great South Run in two weeks time. So I started off steady which felt very comfortable. After half way I increased the speed and finished in 56 minutes 19 seconds. I was very pleased with the pace at 9.05. Alison was also happy with her 1.04.20.

Somehow I managed to come first out of four runners in the MV70+ category. There might have been a trophy if I had waited around. But Costa Coffee in Amersham was calling.

Anything is Possible, Munich and The Swimming Pool Season

Elizabeth Strout is such a brilliant writer. Her prose is simple yet so clever. She takes you to the heart of people's lives which is sometimes devastating, sometimes funny but always interesting. Having read and seen the play "My Name is Lucy Barton", there were times when that earlier story resonates with an emotional kick. In the first part when Tommy Guptill visits the old Barton house, where Lucy's brother Pete still resides, I was hooked.

In fact, each of the nine sections is like a little short story, each concentrating on one of the characters from the poor town of Amgash, Illinois. But these stories interlink in a masterful construction. Don't be fooled by the back cover telling us it's about Lucy returning. We have to wait until over halfway for that single chapter. But boy, is it worth the wait. 

This was the fifth Robert Harris noel I have read and by far the most disappointing. It seems to be just a collection of the research the author has carried out with a bit of a story bolted on. There is an extensive bibliography at the end. The first part contains mainly speeches and letters from the politicians at the heart of proceedings. Chamberlain especially is balancing diplomacy against popular opinion and that of his own party. It reminded me of something going on in the politics of today.

The book is light on characterisation, and the writing is as bland as it could be. The two main protagonists, one British, one German are friends from Oxford, and are now assistants to those in power. The way they become involved is contrived and boring. If only Harris had written a factual account of what happened in Munich, it might have been a lot better. 

If you need an uplifting story, this is not it. I would almost say it was mainly depressing, but the author writes so well, I just enjoyed every page. Whether a major or minor character, the people who inhabit this book are so well drawn. Their relationships with each other in the tiny French village of Pomerac are never less than interesting. Tremain cleverly switches from one to another to keep a narrative flow.

There is little plot. Events unfold slowly but gather pace in the second half. Some of the dialogue is truly outstanding. don't be fooled by the description of "a love story" on the back cover. Much of the love in the book is unrequited. 

Tring Book Club - A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

A quite extraordinary book. I cannot remember reading anything like it. Very much a history lesson about British colonialism in India in the early part of the twentieth century. There is a semblance of a plot, that which made the movie so popular, but this is heavily outweighed, especially in the first and last sections, by interminable descriptions of the social structures between the British and the local population. Sometimes the writing is perceptive but sometimes confusing.

However, the middle part does have much better pace even if it does rely mainly on conversations. Here the British hierarchy, in their opinions about the Indians, are at their devastatingly worst. It was unusual to read such a linear construction of a novel, being used to modern switches in time and character.

Having a central character, Dr Aziz, who is a Muslin was probably, in hindsight, a mistake on the part of the author when India was 80% Hindu. In the region where the book is set, Muslims were in a minority. But Forster's great friend Sayed Ross Masood was Muslim, so that was why. 

There are two English characters who come out well. Fielding has a large part to play but not so Miss Derek who should have a book of her own.

P.S.  When I looked again at certain parts of the book to update my notes for book club, I was far more impressed than on first read. I may read it again in the future.

A Cornwall Holiday

After fifteen successive years staying in Port Quin, last year we went to Northumberland instead. This year we were back to Lacombe, an NT cottage overlooking the tiny harbour.

On the Thursday we travelled down, we stopped off to see (brother) Paul and Miranda outside Bristol so we didn't arrive at the cottage until 5pm. We encountered some heavy rain on the journey but it was dry while we unpacked.

Despite both of us having developed a chesty cold and cough, we were able to go for a run down the Camel Trail from Wadebridge towards Padstow. Friday was quite windy but stayed bright so we were able to have lunch at The Granary before heading back for a quiet afternoon.

On Saturday it rained from Dawn until 4pm. I dropped Alison off at Polzeath to walk back to the cottage. I went in to Wadebridge to find some tablets for the cold and we spent the afternoon reading the paper and listening to football reports. In the evening we met (brother) John and Jan at the Pityme Inn and enjoyed a lovely evening.

Unusually, we had not taken a photograph for those first three days. This all changed on Sunday when we set off for our regular walk along the cliffs to Rumps. This time there was a large herd of cows blocking the path below Doyden Castle.

It was a much brighter day with some sun but very windy so the waves were quite spectacular.

We stopped at a deserted Lundy Bay where the tide was out.

By the time we reached Rumps, the wind was really strong and we had to find a sheltered spot to rest.

There were good views from here across Port Isaac Bay towards Tintagel.

On our way back the wind was at it's strongest. Not great for walking, but the waves were now incredible.

Monday and the wind had died down. I took the car to Padstow and ran 5 miles down the Camel Trail while Alison ran from the cottage to Rock and took the ferry across. She had to walk further along the beach at Daymer Bay to catch the ferry than we ever had previously.

Lunchtime, and it was time for lunch at Stein's Fish and Chips. I had hake for a change and Alison had grilled sea bream. In the afternoon we had a tour of the shops and a walk up to the monument where we sat on one of the many benches overlooking the estuary. The Camel Trail runs along the edge of the sea and across the bridge in the distance.

Back at the cottage in the late afternoon, it was warm enough to sit outside. There was a beautiful sunset in the evening.

Tuesday was a lovely sunny day for our trip to Fowey, somewhere we hadn't been for perhaps thirty years? We parked at the main car park high on a hill above the town and walked down the many steps to the harbour. I had no recollection of where we arrived, there was the ferry to Polruan which did not ring a bell. But it was a lovely spot and, amazingly,fairly quiet. We sat on a bench next to the harbour and Alison went off and found two take away coffees. Wonderful.

We walked along the main route at the back of the harbour, lots of shops, all the way along via Albert Quay with views across to the house that belonged to Daphne du Maurier.

However, when we reached the end of the road, there was the Boddinick car ferry which I could remember. We found another bench to have some refreshments.

Back to the main harbour, Alison calling in at the RNLI shop, and the ferry across to Polruan with views back to Fowey.

At Polruan it was a very steep hill to the other side of the small peninsula which faces the sea. A short walk along the cliffs before a rest in the sunshine.

On the ferry back, this was the view to Polruan.

A last bit of shopping and it was time to take the bus back to the car park to save our legs. I was so impressed with Fowey and Polruan. All the houses seemed very smart, there had obviously been a huge influx of money spent on them over the years.

On Wednesday, we headed for the NT car park at Carnewas above Bedruthan Steps. Starting with tea and cake outside the tearoom, we then climbed down the steep steps to the beach.

It was low tide, so we knew we had a long time to explore.

We were there for over two hours and it was 2.30pm before we had our lunch on a bench near the car park. In previous years we would head in the direction of Mawgan Porth but this year we went on the coast path in the opposite direction. Here we had the best views of Bedruthan.

We were amazed to see one of the (now isolated) beaches covered in sea birds.

Again it was warm enough to sit outside at the cottage in the early evening.

Instead of heading straight home on Thursday, the weather was again so good that we parked early in Padstow and ran the Camel Trail for the last time. We again walked up to the monument for a rest on a bench looking towards Rock.

A little further along the cliffs, we had a good view over to Daymer Bay.

We bought a sandwich back in the town, found another bench with a superb view over the harbour on another glorious day.

Leaving Padstow in the afternoon meant it was starting to get dark when we arrived home. Another great week in Cornwall.