Wednesday February 8, 2012
Sign of Leo
...all things are liquid...
We braved the extreme cold weather (predicted tonight) and went to a private viewing of the work of Jim Stitch at the Hampton Hill Playhouse. It was an informal gathering in friendly and comfortable surroundings.
Rob was smitten and bought the work "Union"; I preferred "Town and Country" of the paintings, but my favourites were the pair: "Cast Iron Red" and "Granite Blue" - these are 3-D sculpture pictures. I think the overall favourite was the sculpture "All things are liquid 1 - Chain", which can be seen as a series of photos here
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 11:37 PM. Category: Art and Culture. | Comments (0)
Sunday February 5, 2012
Just snow
I have to admit that the "winter wonderland" scene in my garden is becoming a bit of a habit. But even if it happens every year - it is really wondrous when you wake up and find a virgin blanket of snow. Later on in the day, you find out how much wildlife activity there really is in your garden!
Posted on February 5, 2012 at 8:36 PM. Category: The Garden. | Comments (0)
Tuesday January 31, 2012
Books in January
- Who Guards a Prince? Reginald Hill [read by Ian Redford]
I am a great admirer of Reginald Hill but only more recently started to read books outside the Dalziel and Pascoe series. I think he is a marvelously inventive writer as well as being able to tell a thrilling tale, (this one perhaps less plausible than some but I am more than willing if there is a need for any suspension of disbelief).
So you can imagine my dismay when, on my own birthday, George stated with casual bluntness "he died recently didn't he?". I'm afraid I did not register the fact before and I am very sad - for him and for us. My only consolation is - I still have many of his books still to read. - The Speaker of Mandarin by Ruth
Rendell [Read by Michael Bryant]
In the 1980s and 90s I read all "the latest" Wexford mysteries as they came out. While I don't pretend Ms Rendell's popularity has ever faded, her books became less essentially fashionable than they seemed to be in the 1980s, and I realise that since then I have not read any - until Rob gave me The Monster in the Box, which made me realise she was still writing new "Wexfords", despite declining to be involved with any more TV adaptations. This book is from 1983 and I really enjoyed it - the murder mystery was not so mysterious, but the storyline was great and very interesting. Makes me look forward to more, and, encouraged by the Guardian's list of "Crime Novels everyone must Read", I plan to read some of the "other" novels as well as those written as "Barbara Vine". - The Geneva Mystery by Francis Durbridge [Read by Toby
Stephens]
A Paul Temple Mystery. Interesting to listen to as a "retro experience" and well-read. Paul made his first appearance in 1938 - but he and his wife "Steve" seem still in their prime in this story written in 1971, apparently set in the 1960s. Best known as a radio series from 1938-1968, with a few remakes in the 2000s, many of the early episodes now being lost. I fondly remember the TV series starring Francis Matthews from 1969-1971. - House of Shadows by the Medieval Murderers [Read by
Paul Matthews]
When I started listening to this book (on a long car journey) I thought it was deathly dull, and I did not understand the authorship. It got a little better - and I think the concept of the book - which is a collection of short stories by different authors around a common theme - is pretty interesting. The Medieval Murderers seem to be authors and performers - anyway you can read about them yourself here. I was interested to see C J Sansom is one of their number, though he did not contribute to this book.
Posted on January 31, 2012 at 9:16 PM. Category: Books of the Month. | Comments (0)
Sunday January 29, 2012
Eat Me
Karen has taken up cake decoration and made this wonderful gem for me - not only looks fantastic but tastes good too....!
Can't see myself eating him somehow.
Posted on January 29, 2012 at 2:13 PM. Category: Red Letter Days. | Comments (0)
Saturday January 28, 2012
Why the big paws?
A bear walks into a bar and the bartender says: "What will you have?"
And the bear says nothing for a while - and then finally , "....I'd like a beer"
So the bartender fetches the beer and says briskly: "Anything else I can get for you?"
The bear considers a while and then says: "............ and some of those peanuts."
The bartender says: "Sure, ...but why the big pause?"
Posted on January 28, 2012 at 12:29 PM. Category: Oddments and stray thoughts. | Comments (0)
Thursday March 31, 2011
Books in March
Bedtime listening. Yawn.
- Fresh from the Country by Miss
Read [read by Gwen
Watford]
I really enjoyed the gently humorous homely tales in "Over the Gate". However this book is not written in the same mould at all. It's an account of a newly-qualified female teacher's experiences in the early 1960s, and I found it rather tedious with little substance. I also disliked the representation of the "perfect" and patronising head teacher who was clearly the potential role model for the heroine; one can only hope that the very tiny intimations of romance might swiftly blossom into the traditional marriage proposal and acceptance, thereby rescuing her from such a fate for good (!).
One of the problems may be that I cannot relate to the story in the same way that perhaps those in the teaching profession could. Nonetheless, I think some of her other stories are much more pleasing and fun. - Depths by Henning
Mankell [read by Sean Barrett]
This is a very gloomy book - all icy wilderness and barrenness bleakness, set during the First World War. It was hard for me to empathise with this hero, and as it's told from his point of view, (and he is clearly psychotic), it's hard to get to grips with how others view him. He is deeply disturbed throughout, and entangles himself in a web of deceit, leading to multiple murders, and fairly inevitably, as his duplicity is unravelled, his own demise.
(It reminded me a little of Zola's "Thérèse Raquin", and to confirm me as a Phillistine, I did not like that much either.)
And yes - I am one of those idiots who thought this would be a Wallander novel.
Posted on March 31, 2011 at 9:56 AM. Category: Books of the Month. | Comments (0)
Sunday March 27, 2011
More birthday delights
Helen dropped by on her way home from a trip to Italy, so I was able to present her with the woolly gifts. Unfortunately the cushion pads didn't turn up in time, (in case you were wondering), so she'll be collecting them on another visit.
Posted on March 27, 2011 at 8:57 AM. Category: Knitting. | Comments (0)
