Various ramblings by the small hobbit

brumeier did this, so I thought it would be fun to share some of the pictures we have on our walls.  We have a lot, so I've selected those with particular meanings for me.

( pictures )

When I'm stuck for a subject to blog about I either go for a meme (I keep a note of any which interest me) or I look back at posts from the same time the previous year.  This time, when I looked back, I found I'd been writing about audiobooks, so I've decided to update what I've been listening to.

First up I spent most of the year working my way through the abridged Albert Campion stories by Margery Allingham.  They're all read by Philip Franks, and I've enjoyed listening to them.  The final story is still in my car, two of the three CDs still to be listened to, but I haven't driven anywhere for the last eight weeks.

Audible-wise I've listened to the next three Jackman & Evans books: The Fourth Friend, The Stolen Boys and The Patient Man, all of which I've thoroughly enjoyed.  Read by Richard Armitage, and I have no problem imagining him as DI Jackman.

Other RA audiobooks I've listened to were A Nearly Normal Family by M T Edvarsson (co-read with Emily Watson and Georgia Maguire) which initially I wasn't convinced by, but drew me in.  The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (co-read with Emilia Fox).  A retelling of fairy tales (perhaps better folk tales) which I didn't expect to like, but enjoyed.  Romeo & Juliet: A Novel by David Hewson - good for a Juliet who isn't going to be pushed around by the world.  Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel by A J Hartley and David Hewson - interesting insights, but rather too long, I felt.

I also listened to RA reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.  Which was about as interesting as you might expect, but did sterling duty when stuck in traffic queues due to roadworks last November.  And Voices of History: Speeches that Changed the World by Simon Sebag Montefiore (various readers).  Too often the introduction, by a female voice I found wearing after a while, was longer than the actual speech.  Also, the speeches chosen reflected overmuch the bias of Montefiore.

I do have a few non-RA audiobooks, and I'm enjoying Benedict Cumberbatch as Horace Rumpole (John Mortimer) in some of the short stories.  However, with one credit per month, I generally chose to use it for RA!

I'm currently listening to The Other People by C J Tudor.  It's an interesting concept, and I'm waiting to see how all the strands are brought together.  I'm making a point of listening every day now - I normally listen while travelling - either driving or by train/coach - but this isn't happening at the moment, and I hadn't realised how much I missed just listening to a story until I saw I'd heard nothing in April and decided to do something about it.

I currently have a number of pre-orders - all RA, why do you ask? - including a Poirot which should be released in October.  There are two, I'm just waiting for my next credit before pre-ordering the second.  So my listening for the next few months is assured!

I've now listened to all the available Ngaio Marsh CDs while in the car.  I've tried various other CDs, but none have been particularly exciting.  There were some Agatha Christie short story dramatisations, but I didn't realise they were modern versions, and I didn't care for them.  I'm currently listening to some Sexton Blake short stories - because the company I ordered the Christie from sent me Blake by mistake and didn't want it back.  It's very gung-ho, but passes the time on the journey across town to visit my mother.  I've just ordered a couple of Margery Allingham Campion stories which hopefully will play their part in the traffic.

I'm still working my way through Audible's collection of stories read by Richard Armitage.  I've enjoyed the two Joy Ellis stories 'The Murderer's Son' and 'The Fourth Friend'.  I listened to Jeffrey Archer's 'Heads You Win' (probably the only way I'd encounter one of his stories), and it was ideal for when lying in bed with a heavy cold.  And also C J Tudor's 'The Taking of Annie Thorne' which was okay but really my sort of thing.  On my journey back from holiday on the coach I must have listened to about six hours worth of audio books, every so often swapping between two stories, so a definite plus.

And currently I have a subscription to Stitcher because they are broadcasting a weekly podcast of Wolverine: The Lost Trail, with RA as Wolverine.  Such devotion.  In fact, I'm really enjoying it, as a gripping story well told.  I put my headphones on (I listen on my phone), shut my eyes and I can see it all.  It's difficult to explain, but to me, although it's an audio experience, it's very visual.

I've hardly watched television for the last couple of months.  More4 are now showing Season 2 of Berlin Station, but so far I haven't liked it as much as Season 1.  I'll continue to watch, although since it's not broadcast to past 10pm, half the time I watch it on catch up (which eliminates the adverts as well).

And, thanks to a recommendation from moth2fic I've ordered the DVD of 'Desperate Romantics'.

The more astute among you will possibly realise I rather like Richard Armitage.  Even the guy at work who transferred all my phone details to my new phone probably knows this, although he may not realise who it is.

So, recently RA did the voice for one of the characters on Castlevania, an anime of a computer game thingy on Netflix.  I do not like anime, I don't play computer games and I don't have Netflix.  But ...  It turned out with Netflix you get a one month free trial before having to start paying - so there was nothing lost.  And there were only four episodes of about 20-25 minutes each, which meant I could space them out nicely over four days.  Or in fact, watch all four in an evening.  Much to my surprise I enjoyed it, and am now looking forward to the new season next year.  Yes, there is a lot of swearing, and blood and gore (but if I can sit in the front row for Titus Andronicus I can cope), but in fact it was fun.

RA has also been in a film called Pilgrimage.  At first I wasn't going to watch it (lots more violence and unpleasantness) but the premise sounded interesting, and the question of the role of religion in the lives of the people is one I'm interested in.  So, when vix_spes  said she'd got a copy of the DVD for £7 from Sainsbury's I nipped into one on my way to work - and it went through the till for a fiver.  It's an interesting film, which I might watch again.  A proportion of the film is in Irish or French, and the subtitles weren't very easy to see - or at least not from my position behind the ironing board (no guilt whatsoever to watching a DVD during the day if I'm doing the ironing!) but I was taken with it.  And not just because of Raymond de Merville.

And I'm still waiting for Berlin Station to make it to Netflix UK!

Another three points make a post.

I have worked one day at my new job and am in the middle of three days not working.  I've sorted my bedroom and taken two large bags of clothing to the charity shop.  I suspect some of the dresses in my wardrobe are the daughter's - one is bright pink, so definitely not mine.  I've sorted paperwork, binned dentist appointments from last year, recycled umpteen envelopes, shredded receipts for the past year and filed a year's worth of bank statements.  And SM and I went out for lunch and a walk by the canal this afternoon, since it had managed not to rain.  I'm not sure when I last had such a comprehensive clear out - obviously more than a year ago!

I watched the season finale of Hannibal last night.  It was dramatic as would be expected.  Unsurprisingly I was very taken with Richard Armitage's portrayal of Francis Dolarhyde, but wish there could have been more done to show why he acted as he did.

And lastly, because this is a pairing everyone should ship I bring to you china_shop 's Making Good Use of the Time which is Tobemory(Wombles)/Gonzo(Muppets).

Small Hobbit over and out!

This afternoon moonlightmead and I went to see the screening of The Crucible at Cineworld in Gloucester Quays.  The story of why Mead was with me, and the detour that we made, will have to be another post, this one is purely about the play/film.

I was delighted when they decided to film the play, and even happier when I realised I could see it locally and that the second screening wasn't on a Brownie night.  I would have liked to see the play again, but it was a sell out and going to London isn't always that easy (or cheap).  I understand that some cinemas sold out - Gloucester isn't the height of culture and there were plenty of empty seats, but the utter silence from those watching is testament to how much those who were there appreciated the opportunity.

I'd read that they'd tried to do something special with the filming of the play and to me it worked very well.  Although they had captured the play in its entirety it felt like we were watching a film.  For the scenery changes between acts the actors were made to look ghost-like which worked extremely well.  There were occasional shots which included the audience but there was never the feeling that they were being filmed for their reactions.  At times we could see the microphone lines taped to the actors, but that was really the only indication that this was a filmed play.

I found the play just as compelling as when I saw it live and it dragged me through the same set of emotions.  A few times it lacked the power it had on stage - when the girls are mimicking Mary in the courtroom scene was one - purely because watching live you have the ability to look around more, rather than having the direction of your view dictated.  And I no longer felt I was having to restrain myself from going onto the stage, either to confront the judge or comfort Proctor.  But that's inevitable when watching a screen rather than from the third row.  I was sitting next to someone who had been in the upper circle at the Old Vic and they were delighted at being able to see the action from much closer.

And yes, watching Richard Armitage go through the range of emotions once more was wonderful.  I was so pleased that I had been able to see John Proctor again.

The Rules: during the next five days, post three positive things about your day and ask three people to do the same so the positive attitude can gain some ground.

What do you do when you know you should be blogging, and you don't know what to write - hunt round for another meme of course.  So thank you to vaysh for nominating me.

1.  Yesterday we put up the posters I bought when I went to see The Crucible.  So today I have been wandering around the house smiling at Richard Armitage.  I have one poster on our bedroom wall, opposite me when I sit up in bed - those of you who have seen the posters can probably work out which one this is ;)  There is one by the living room door, which I look at every time I come down the stairs.  And the last one is watching over me when I sit on my settee.  The posters themselves are quite dark, so we had to be strategic in where we put them, since our living room isn't particularly bright, but they go very well.  It may be, of course, that I am biased, but they fit in two spaces were rather well.

2.  I led Morning Gathering at work today and told the story of Edith Cavell.  I'm not sure whether it was because I was telling the story rather than reading it, but it seemed to hold everyone's attention really well.

3.  Afterwards I went to find one of the residents who had gone to the wrong workshop.  When I told him I'd come to find him because he was doing art, he linked arms with me and we walked back up arm in arm.

And now I'm nominating scfrankles complexlight and owlbsurfinbird.  Who can either take up the challenge or throw cake at me - either will do ;)