Random Jottings

Two Vans and a Nissan Micra (Part Deux)

I have just received an email from the company I wrote to yesterday informing them that they had a Moron on the staff.  Many apologies and an assurance that the driver of the van has been 'reprimanded'.  I immediately wrote back and said that in this case I hoped reprimand meant b********g.

Just thought you might like to know..

Recently Received

Delighted with this lot I can tell you and, as mentioned in a previous post, am thoroughly enjoying  Becoming Queen and will write about it later on in the week. 

The Hensher book, which came to me from the Amazon Vine programme, is ENORMOUS and 500+ pages in length.  This is going to take some reading and you know what I am like with Booker books (ie - useless).  I nipped over to the Booker Doyenne aka Dovegreyreader and pulled up what she had to say about this one in the Bookerathon and it seems she carried it around with her for ages, but each time she started to read she was back in the swing immediately.  This sounds promising so I am going to give it a crack and I do hope this is one of those on the List that I enjoy.  I do so want to like books nominated for this prize and I do try, but I fear I am a hopeless case...

Will let you know how I get on.

Two Vans and a Nissan Micra

I do wonder about people sometimes.  I really do.  I nipped over to Ipswich this afternoon to see my ma and was happily trundling down the A12 when it became clear there was a major tail back ahead.  This turned out to be due to a three car pile up in the right hand lane so we all slowed to a crawl and then pulled over to allow two ambulances and three police cars through.  As we moved forward we had to filter into the left hand lane to get past the accident scene and as I edged across I looked to my left to see if the driver next to me would let me in.  No.  He was driving a van and he just wagged his finger, shook his head, grinned and pulled a stupid face and he and his mate laughed like drains and obviously found this all frightfully amusing.  These were men in their thirties at a guess, not a gormless Kevin the Teenager type , but supposedly fully grown up adult and we were at a major accident scene which made this behaviour even more moronic and pathetic than it already was.

The driver behind let me in with a wave and a smile and, without wishing to be sexist in any way, it was no surprise to me that it was a woman....

Once past the crashed cars, ambulances etc the traffic then returned to normal so I signalled, pulled out into the right hand lane to overtake The Moron when he shot out in front of me and blocked my way for the next ten minuts all the way to the big roundabout on the outskirts of Ipswich.  He would not pull over even though he had plenty of opportunity to do so.  Once we arrived at this roundabout I came up alongside him and instead of slowing down, as we are all meant to do, The Moron put his foot down and shot off in the direction of Bury St Edmunds, tyres squealing in order to avoid having to actually look at me.

It had obviously never crossed his mind that I would take a note of the company's name emblazoned all over the van nor the registration number, but I did.  I have tracked down their website, obtained the name of the Managing Director and have written to bring to his attention that, unknown to him, he is employing a Cretin.  I await a response....

Had a nice visit with my mum, tea and chat and then two hours later started the return journey.  All went well, no problems, good driving from all and sundry in the dark and the rain until I got to the turn off for Colchester which is two lanes.  On my left a lorry and on my right, suddenly out of nowhere a van, WHITE one this time, shot in front of me.  I could not go left without crashing into the lorry (driver had slammed on his brakes) and so had to hit the brakes myself and missed a crash by a whisker.  The white van accelerated off but came to a halt at the set of traffic lights ahead and I fetched up next to him.  I then decided I was not going to let him get away with this so I pulled in front of his van, got out of my car and marched back to confront him.  I kid you not, he tried to duck down under the wheel and hide from me, but I held my ground and made him open the window.  I counted to three, waited for the mantle of Lady Bracknell to fall upon me, and then told him in my snottiest and the poshest tones I could summon up (think Edith Evans) precisely what I thought of his dangerous and reckless driving.  He did not say a word but just sat there looking at his feet.  When I had finished I swep off, got in my car and drove home.

I am now sitting here with cup of tea and pondering on just why people drive in this way.  It has not escaped my notice that incidents such as this which used to happen regularly when I drove a little Red Nissan had dropped off when I purchased a blue one and all was gemutlich.   However, this has just been replaced with a new model and, yes it is bright red and I have had it one month and this is now happening to me again each time I get on a motorway or an A road.  The saying Red rag to a bull or in this case, Red Nissan to a Van, seems to be apposite again.

Perhaps I ought to have it resprayed..

Becoming Queen - Kate Williams

In 1964 I worked in a library at Highgate where the readers who came in to borrow books were an interesting and well read bunch.  When I look back I can trace my reading journey back to the summer of that year when I read two books recommended to me by a Mr Smith and a Mrs Lawrence which influenced  my choioce of reading matter from that moment on.  I am very grateful to both of them. The first was A Man of Sorrow, a biography of Patrick Bronte (Dudley Green has just written another biography of this subject, the first since then which is now waiting my attention) and this started me off on my love affair with the Brontes and all things connected which has never faded.  In fact, last month I was back up in Haworth again and letting the spell of the moors take me over just as they always have.

The second was Victoria RI by Elizabeth Longford.  This was the first detailed biography of the Queen for, well not sure how many years really, but it was a long time and it was a massive bestseller.  I still have the copy I acquired when the five copies we had were surplus to requirements at the end of the waiting list and two of them were withdrawn.  I pounced, took one home and it is in front of me as I write.  It came complete with library jacket which, over the years has become very grubby, so just a few weeks ago, I managed to separate it from the book with no damage done and underneath found a pristine cover as fresh as the day the book was published.

This biography started me off on my other obsession - Queen Victoria, her life, Albert, her children, the fact she became grandmama of Europe, her letters, her journals - I am fascinated by this woman who I think is one of the great, if not the greatest, monarch this country has ever had.  She is feisty, strong willed, witty, trenchent and, though she felt very ignorant when she compared herself to her Beloved Albert, she was clever and forthright with a grasp of politics that many an politican then and now would envy.  I could write about her for hours but you will be pleased to know I won't - well not today anyway.

This week I received a copy of Becoming Queen by Kate Williams , duly signed by the author and with her best wishes for my enjoyment of her book.  I knew there was no doubt that I was going to love it, and I am.  One third of the way through and have just come to the tragic death of Charlotte, Princess of Wales.

I have also just watched a programme on the young Victoria, presented by Kate Williamas last night on BBC2 as part of the Timewatch series.  My feelings about the presentation and the way the Beeb persist in producing history programmes in a manner which drives me barmy are well known to regular visitors.  The subject matter is totally fascinating and I was curled up on the sofa prepared for a good hours viewing but, as in the Channel 4 documentary on the Romanovs a few months ago and about which I was fairly cutting, the same with this one.  We have actors playing the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Conroy, Baroness Lehzen et al.  As they don't utter a word but just look meaningfully at the camera and each other, I am pretty sure their payscale will be less than if they open their mouths, it is all very annoying.  We hear at the start of the programme that George III was very family minded and of course he produced a large brood of children who he loved.  Cue picture of an actor in wig and clothes of the period romping around under tables and round sofas with children.   Victoria was taken by her mother to the Isle of Wight as the Duchess of Kent decided to boycott the Coronation of William IV, cue pictures of cliffs and lots of sea and shots of the Westminbster Abbey; the Duke and Duchess of Kent lived in Sidmouth for a while (in fact the Duke died there), cue more pictures of sea and rocks; then back to Kensington Palace where Victoria wrote in her diary how dark and gloomy it looked, cue shots of a disconsolate teenager wandering throught the corridors, and so it goes on.

I remember the long ago days of Kenneth Clark's series, Civilazation, when the great man talked to the viewer direct and gave us fascinating historical stories and details with none of this fake acting.  I can only assume that the TV producers think all those watching these programmes must be idiots and incapable of understanding anything without it being illustrated.  They ought to try us some time, I think they might be surprised.

However, espite my animadversions and bearing in mind that I am in full Grumpy Old Woman of Colchester mode so can be totally ignored at will, please do watch if you can as the locations are wonderful and it is fronted with grace and enthusiasm by Kate Williams and, to show that I can be just as frivolous as the next person, would like to say that she has the most glorious red hair and was wearing a jacket that I fell in love with on the spot. 

I would also like to say that I am loving Kate's literary style - Becoming Queen is pacy, written with great verve and enthusiasm and the lifestyle of the Prince Regent and his despised wife, Queen Caroline, is portrayed with huge panache and I was totally engrossed at the truly appalling behaviour of this ghastly mismached couuple.  Brought up on Georgette Heyer as I was, one tends to view the Regency times in a different way and we never hear of the vulgarity and debauched life of the royal family (though in Regency Buck it is made clear that Prinny is fat and repulsive), and it can come as a bit of a shock to view it in such a Hogarthian way.  It is simply great stuff and am looking forward to the rest of this absorbing book.

More on Queen Victoria later on in the week....

Yes it's Friday again

And I have that glorious feeling once more of not having to go to work until next Wednesday. I know I keep going on about it, but after so many years of working non-stop it really is such a joy to have this extra time.  So feet up tonight and no reviewing but as I have just started Kate William's book, Becoming Queen, all about the young Victoria and am loving every minute of it so far, I fully intend to spend many happy hours over the next few days engrossed in its pages and will review.

In the meantime I am putting a link into this post below which was very kindly placed in the comments section after my blog on Variations on Jane.  Do have a look.  There are some fascinating items there.

http://www.imdb.com/find?s=tt&q=jane+eyre&x=20&y=8

Au reservoir

Booking through Thursday

I have to thank Simon over on Stuck in a Book for the subject of my post today.  He constantly inspires me to write about all sorts of topics and I could not resist this quiz.  If you want to do it, please blog about it yourself or if you want to leave any of your answers in the comments section, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Here we go:

What was the last book you bought?

It sounds insufferably smug to say that all the books I have acquired recently have been sent to me, which they have, but a couple of weeks ago I bought three of Angela Thirkell's Barchester novels, and then a copy of Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer by Jane Brocket.

Name a book you have read more than once

Dozens.  Austen, all of them over and over again; Middlemarch; Bleak House, David Copperfield; all the Anne books of LM Montgomery; the Barchester Chronicles; Jane Eyre; all Georgette Heyer's output which I have read regularly since discovering them as a teenager; Ngaio Marsh and OF COURSE, Diary of a Provincial Lady.

Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?

Jane Eyre. I have bored everyone with this before but will say it again, the moment when Jane claims equality with Rochester.  Had a huge impact on me as a teenager and still makes my hair stand on end each time I read this particular passage.  No wonder Victorian Mamas didn't want their daughters to read this book. 

How do you choose a book? eg - by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews? 

A mixture of all three but I have been known to be seduced by a lovely cover

Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?

I don't prefer one over the other but would say I read mostly fiction

What is more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot? 

Has to be the writing. Bad writing makes me cringe and renders a book unreadable no matter how wonderful the plot may be.

Most loved/memorable character (character/book)

Lady Catherine de Burgh in Pride and Prejudice.  She is just so monstrously awful I am agog with horror each time I read P&P.

Which books can be found on your nightstand at the moment? 

Patrick Bronte by Dudley Green, Becoming Queen by Kate Williams, County Chronicle by Angela Thirkell

What was the last book you have read and when was it?

Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh which I finished about half an hour ago.  I am half way through my re-read of Ngaio Marsh which I do every few years, as mentioned above.

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?

Pinkerton's Sister. Cannot remember the author now.  I actually gave up after about 40 pages as it was such excruciating twaddle. I remember throwing it across the room and as it was about 500 pages it made a satisfying thump.  Also, Winnie and Wolf by AN Wilson which was on the long list for the Booker last year.  Heaven knows how it got there.  My interest was aroused as it was all about Hitler and Wagner and as a Wagner fiend, thought it would be interesting.  Well it wasn't. ANW embarked on long tendentious rambles about German philosophy and abandoned the narrative for pages at a time.  Tedious.

I have to mention that while pondering on this I have been listening to the radio and Classic FM has an evening of Mozart currently being broadcast. Have thought about my answers to the wonderful Piano Concerto 21 with the gloriously beautiful slow movement, and am now enjoying the clarinet concerto before I go to seek my bed.  What a lovely way to spend an evening.

I

Variations of Jane

After my post last nigh on Jane Eyre and the Graphic Novel, I was idly doodling and writing down the names of the films etc I have seen of this book and as the list was getting longer and longer, I thought I would do a  bit of a hunt on Amazon and see what I came up with.  Total trivia but I thought you might be interested to see what I found:

First of all, there were three BBC versions.  One I have never seen is the first with Sinead Cusack as Jane and her Rochester a very young Michael Jayston.  I may get hold of this out of sheer curiousity.  I rather liked the Timothy Dalton, Zelah Clarke one which I remember very well and, of course, the latest one which I thought was wonderful, even if they did muck about with Charlotte's words, as I found Toby Stephens just right as Rochester and Ruth Wilson quite heartbreaking and vulnerable as Jane.

Then various film versions (love the blonde one on the left!)  The Wells/Fontaine one had the impossibly beautiful young Elizabeth Taylor playing Helen Burns if I remember correctly.  The John Hurt, Charlotte Gainsbourgh version was of monumental dullness with Hurt totally charisma free as Rochester.

Next up, George C Scott, totally over the top and a gormless Susannah York portrayal.  On the right, Samantha Morton looked the part but did not shine and her Rochester, Ciaran HInds, who I thought would have been excellent, seemed curiously lacking somehow.  This version, from ITV, also had Elle McPherson as Blanche Ingram.  Enough said I think.

And, finally Jane Eyre - the musical.  I kid you not, but as we are breathlessly awaiting, Pride and Prejudice, the musical I am hardly surprised to find this is in existance, and of course we have had Heahtcliff, starring Sir Cliff Richard, the awfulness of which is beyong my powers of description. 

I can hardly wait to see what we will get next.

If anybody can think of any others that I have missed, do please let me know.  I would love to lay my hands on the Virginia Bruce version, but it is not available over here.  Just hope it turns up on TV.

                                     

Quai-Hai!

Right, I hope that now the job is settling down a bit I can get back to normal on Random and start reviewing books again and not just stick in a photo to keep you all happy.  I let Sunday go by in sloth and idleness with the satisfying knowledge that I did not have to get up this morning and go to work and that I am now a part-time commuter, for the time being anyway.  I am going to have to be a bit disciplined with all this spare time or else I will spend nearly all of it doing nothing at all, though reading Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K Jerome last year made me realise the joy of being lazy.

Anyway I am now going to rave about Major Benjy by Guy Fraser Sampson.

As everyone will know by now, I have discovered Mapp and Lucia this year and have been so delighted by this that I have rocketed around telling simply Everyone how wonderful and marvellous they are and that Everyone must read them and not waste years and years as I did of being totally ignorant of these glorious books.  To my certain knowledge, I have managed about six converts so far and lots more visitors have promised me that they will give them a whirl. 

I galloped through the six E F Benson books in record time as is my wont, and then read the two written by Tom Holt, bought the DVDs and watched them all and then came to a grinding halt with the ghastly realisation that I had binged once more and I had no more treats in store.  Then Lo and Behold, Simon over on Stuck in a Book (who I adore and think he is a genius and has a wonderful blog) wrote about Major Benjy by Guy Fraser-Sampson and I was miserable no longer.

In the introduction the author says "There are in fact only two things wrong with the Mapp and Lucia books.  The first is that there are only six of them....second problem is that because of this there are gaps in the narrative which are never filled in, into which holes some characters fall without explanation to be never seen again"

The particular tome is set just before Lucia arrives in Tilling for the first time and rents Elizabeth's house for the summer.  We have already met the main resident characters in the earlier books and it is ajoy to once more meet the Major, Quaint Irene, the Wyses and all the others, but I will freely admit that Lucy, who lives with Irene ("the precise basis upon which the two shared Taormina was something upon which polite Tilling society preferred not to speculate"), was not a character who had impinged upon my consciousness.  However, I understand that she had fallen into one of these 'holes' referred to so in Major Benjy we learn more about her and just how and why she left Tilling.

No need for me to elaborate on the content of this utterly glorious book as all LuciaandMapppites will fall upon it with cries of rapture and read and, unless you are feeling most contrary, will adore.  I know I did. 

May I please ask the author to seek out other 'holes' in E F Benson's narrative and write more about them?  I would love to hear about the young Lucia and how she met Pepino, like to learn a bit more about Georgie and what happens after the glorious finale of the books when the Duchess of Sheffield comes to stay with Lucia and Elizabeth is utterly routed.  One cannot believe that she would really not bounce back and try something else.   Reference is also made to Lucia meeting Elizabeth when she visited Riseholme and took up her phrase of Au Reservoir.  Would love to hear more about that as well.....

My misery, of course, has now returned because once more I am Mappless, but I have decided that over Christmas, I am going to spend some profitable sofa time with reading them all over again.  They now join the list of books that I re-read on a regular basis and of which I never tire.

Thank you Guy for this labour of love.  You should be dubbed Sir Guy on the spot for outstanding service to all Mapp and Lucia lovers.

Saturday Saturday Strictly Strictly

This year's Strictly Come Dancing has been going for about four weeks now and I have refrained from inflicting my burblings on you all with a self control I can only admire and be amazed by as this series is shaping up nicely.  I know I use that phrase every year and every year I mean it.  We have a really good collection of celebs from right across the show business field: tv presenters, sportsmen (swimming rugby), actors and actresses (Cherie Lunghi, the obligatory has beens from Eastenders, plus a gorgeous guy Tom who I gather is in Holby City which I have never watched); two ex-models and the star of the show as far as I am concerned, John Sargent a political correspondence and journalist.  It was John who was caught standing outside the French Embassy during the Margaret Thatcher leadership challenge (against her) telling the nation what he thought the Prime Minister would be doing at that moment, totally oblivious that she was coming down the steps right behind him.  Great bit of TV and it is constantly shown.

First week everyone expected him to leave but he came out with a simply luscious blonde Russian partner and did the most delightful and charming waltz which captivated everyone.  Bruno said it was like watching Winnie the Pooh dancing.  Last week he did the tango very creditably and when asked if he liked this particular dance replied "well it has all the attributes that people associate with me - rhythm, passion and a kind of raw sexuality" totally corpsing everyone in sight. 

Out of the men the two stars are Austin, the rugby players who is absolutely wonderful and a natural, but he is being closely chased by Tom, from Holby City, who is almost as good and there is a great and friendly rivalry between the two of them.  So far the men and women have danced alternate weeks as there are even more taking part this series, but next week they are altogether and then it will be interesting to see what happens.

The judges are the same: Len, Bruno, Craig and Arlene who, as usual, already has her eye on the good looking men and goes all wobbly when Austin and Tom appear and last week called Mark Foster (swimmer, all 6 foot + of him 'a Greek God'). Bruce Forsyth is still holding it all together and is a consummate professional, but he really is perhaps a little out of touch now and sometimes his jokes are embarrassing.  It is when he is dealing with the judges and is off script that he is at his best.

So every Saturday night until Christmas is booked - sofa, tea, chocolate biscuits and me cheering them on. As usual, I am addicted and I love every moment.

Friday Friday

Thought I may as well wrap up the week the same way as the other days.  I have finished my first foray at my new job. As I said, three days training and two days at my desk and coming to grips with things.  Went quite well I think, managed to produce work and get used to the systems and everyone is kind and patient.  In a few weeks when I have settled in more, I shall feel much happier about it all.

BUT oh the joy of realising that I now don't have to go back to the office until next Wednesday!  I am so looking forward to getting into bed tonight and know that I can curl up and not get up in the dark and cold for four whole days.  No more Mondays for the next six months of this contract.  I am going to relish every moment.

And, finally, the last picture of the week though I may post more over the next month or so as I took so many.  Two shots of Skipton Castle.

Hopefully, normal posting will be resumed in the next day or so when I actually write about a book or two....