Molemaison

Things change quickly here!

2012-02-09T17:28:00.000Z

So, since my last post (which was only a few days ago) a major thing has happened in the life of the Wardens. We are moving house! We have lived happily in our wee flat here in the centre of Lincoln for 2 years but we were both beginning to feel like a new challenge might be in order. On Saturday (did I mention this?) we went to see the most beautiful house in the country. I then spent three days agonising and, yesterday, decided that we would go for it. It reminds me of those incredible country houses in Austen novels (a la 'Sense and Sensibility' after the move rather than Pemberley, you understand) and I think we will have a wonderful, peaceful place for us both and, hopefully, for all our friends and family to visit. It is in a little village called Nocton, only 7 miles from Lincoln. But it feels like proper country with woods and little post offices and long walks and a massive garden. We feel amazingly blessed (though a little shell-shocked) and it is only costing us a little extra per month. The sweet gentleman who owns it showed us round and clearly loved the place. We feel like custodians for something very special indeed. Anyways, in preparation I am going to spend the next few weeks reading 'Mansfield Park'. I can finally be Fanny Price. This has been my dream since I was a little girl, at least since I decided that Fanny was a far more interesting character than Elizabeth Bennett. Imagine me wandering through the grass each morning drinking tea. In fact, best of all, why not come and stay for a few days. Will update all our mates on our new address in due course.

Only the packing, the cleaning and changing all those addresses to go now. Yuck!
CSW

Reflections on writing a book

2012-02-04T20:28:00.000Z

Blimey, not sure what happened there - apparently we found ourselves in the second month of the year! Anyways, all is well here in Lincoln although we've just slip-slided our way into our car park with the snow falling down.

So this week has been mostly proof reading the final copy of the Book. Talking to my research mentor yesterday, I realised that there is quite a lot of me in the book. I get to certain sections and hear the music I was listening to as I wrote - Trevor Rabin soundtracks, beautiful John Wetton vocals, exciting Peter Gabriel tunes. Or I see certain rooms or landscapes - chapter five reminds me of sitting in the Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH), Edinburgh looking out over students enjoying sun-soaked picnics on the Meadows; the Introduction reminds me of arriving in Lincoln and having to grapple once again with my theoretical framework; chapter four sometimes reminds me of wandering around the National Museum of Scotland searching for inspiration amidst the Medieval paintings and Celtic artefacts; any mention of a MacColl play takes me right back to the North Reading Room of the National Library of Scotland. Occasionally a section of an argument reminds me of a conversation at a conference or a fortuitous chat with a colleague. I suddenly find myself proofreading a moment that was particularly difficult to write or provided a stimulating moment of revelation. It's really rather amazing (and frightening) that so much of me is in a non-fiction book! This project has been my primary focus for ages and has been my (sometimes irritating!) friend through my PhD, through testing times of unemployment, through a wonderful three months at IASH, through my postdoctoral teaching fellowship where I had to get to grips with Canadian literature in three weeks and on through my first full lectureship learning about performance and the joys of the workshop space.

And now it's coming to an end and will be on the shelves (or at least on the cyber-shelves of Amazon in a few months). It feels as if I am saying goodbye to a mate but also as if I am finally taking off a particularly uncomfortable pair of shoes! I'm now looking forward to getting on with other projects and leaving British Avant-Garde Theatre to make its own way in the world. Apologies for the prosaic Saturday night ramblings!

CSW

End of another week

2012-01-27T17:52:00.000Z

Evening folks,
So it's the end of a slightly strange but certainly educational week. Academia (and life in general) can be odd at times. Anyone else noticed? Anyways, many wonderful things to rejoice in including my first real Zumba class (I've been doing Zumba for a couple of weeks with the Wii at home but this is the first time I've made a fool of myself in public - fortunately there were lots of other happy fools there too!), burgers at our new favourite Homemade Burger Co, playing a couple of games of Rayman with D (I like computer games where I get to help!), looking forward to the Royal Rumble at the weekend and listening to Australian radio for the tennis. The more I sit here and think about my little world, the more happy I get!

Tomorrow night I am off to watch Encore, our student-led production at the LPAC. They have all worked super hard and I'm looking forward to a couple of musical numbers. Before that I'm hoping to manufacture a tidy house (I think that involves me actually getting the duster out though I live in hope that my special cleaning fairy will arrive) and eat breakfast somewhere delicious with D. We have been discussing this year's holidays and, after the adventurous travels of last year, we are hoping to explore some new corners of the globe and, in true Warden style, meet some new great people. This week I came across Tolkien's great quote again: "Not all who wander are lost". I think that's probably true of me in many ways. I am a bit of a wanderer by nature (not an intrepid traveller, you understand, just a wanderer) and am hoping for some new inspirational wanders in 2012.

Have a brilliant weekend.
CSW

Borgen and Bullseye...

2012-01-23T18:56:00.000Z

...this has been the slightly odd televisual combination chez Warden this week. Last week was a great start back to university. There were some brilliant classes with some inspiring students. And then two (count them) full research days. I sent off three articles and nearly finished the fourth. On a roll! And then we had a very happy weekend looking at cars, eating at Uncle Henry's and stroking beautiful horses.

And so to our TV watching. I am a little obsessed with Borgen, the Danish political series. It is incredibly acted and avoids cliche very effectively. I'm in love with the fabulous Birgitte and, at one point today, actually thought 'how would Birgitte respond to this?' Hmm... They are showing Bullseye late at night on Challenge and it makes us feel all nostalgic, even though I didn't catch it first time round. Great jumpers, magnificent hairdos and the marvellously natural Jim Bowen at the helm. Watching this shows you, not just how much television has changed, but how much society has changed.

This evening I am crashing on with reading book proofs, watching University Challenge and preparing for tomorrow's documentary theatre class. All fun and games.

CSW

Big day...

2012-01-17T20:43:00.000Z

...my new book is now available for pre-order on UK Amazon. How exciting!

This topped off a great start to the new term. Today we had 6 straight hours of Documentary Theatre. Lots of fun had by all - lots of laughter and meaningful chat. Tomorrow is Modern European Drama and then I have two days of hard core research. I am loving this term so far!
CSW

Goodbye 2011

2012-01-13T22:56:00.000Z

So, I realise that I appear to have written the last two posts the wrong way round, but it only just occured to me that I hadn't really reflected on all the good things to have happened in 2011. I like a bit of reflection so let me share some of the things that have happened:

We travelled...a lot.
As a Scotsman D is a natural-born traveller. I am less so, often preferring the everyday comforts of home to living out of a suitcase for a week. Actually, given that our family live all over the country, that we enjoy taking holidays and that I am doing a bit of travelling with work, we probably spend a fifth of the year living out of bags. I have no idea why we bother with wardrobes! This year we have had the pleasure and privilege of swimming in the sea in Norfolk, exploring the beauty of the Scottish Highlands (I have to do this twice a year no matter what, otherwise I start going a little crazy - thanks to Charlie and Liz for always being so gracious in opening up their home to us!), climbing the Great Wall of China and wandering through the parks and streets of Beijing, and revisiting our fab friends in Seattle and journeying up to Vancouver and Whistler. If we haven't bored you with the photographs, then you can bore yourselves - check out our photo albums! Add this to jolly weekends at weddings and gigs and we really have been 'out and about'.

We listened to some amazing music
I now feel like a seasoned gig attender. This year I have seen Yes, Iron Maiden (I know, cool huh?), Roger Waters and Whitesnake. In a couple of weeks we are catching Steve Hackett and then in June we have tickets to see the wonderful Bruce Springsteen. There are two guys I still want to see live: one is him. I love how gigs challenge your expectations and bring you into a community. I am very glad to have discovered new music over the past few years, though my heart is still with the folkie tones of Rudsambee!

We explored Lincolnshire
While we don't live in the most exciting place in the world, there is a lot to be said for this county. I love heading up to the farmers' market and talking to my hummus man. The cathedral is still as beautiful as it was when we first arrived. Trips out to Doddington Hall and Uncle Henry's are always so fun, as are walks through Whisby Nature Park or Bransby Horse Home. Yes, it is quiet and sleepy, but Lincoln is a fun place to be.

I watched a lot of theatre
I guess this comes with the territory but I have found myself in darkened auditoriums a lot this year. Other than my students' work, my favourite productions have both been at the Sheffield Crucible: Othello and Company. Both absolutely amazing. Live theatre is just the best, even if I do get a little too much of it on a day-to-day basis.

We made new friends
For us, 2011 was a year of either making new friends or strengthening relationships. We've had great times of intense chat and bright days of waterskiing (there is a picture of this somewhere!). I am very grateful that, even while we are both so far away from our buddies elsewhere, we have made new friends here.

I finished a Book
It has been quite an exciting year work-wise with a raft of new challenges. And I actually finished British Avant-Garde Theatre. It is exhilarating and a little sad to finish such a major project. It has dominated our lives for a long time! And now there are a load of new projects to grapple with! I am so glad to have such interesting work and I'm looking forward to all that 2012 will bring.

There is probably plenty more to say but overall 2011 was categorised by a spirit of thankfulness - for our families, friends, health and happiness. Good times, undeserved.

CSW

January silliness

2012-01-12T20:14:00.001Z

At this rate you will only get two posts in the month of January! Wow, it has been non-stop so far! As soon as we got back from Auld Reekie, we were straight into final marking and assessment modulation. This is a rather long-winded admin task. Every term it confirms that I am no administrator and renews my respect for those people who are! We are nearly done but I am still online at nearly 8pm awaiting the final marks. It'll all be sorted by tomorrow though.

And then I got sick...again. Actually felt pretty rough this week and now poor old D is a bit sniffly. I have just about recovered. The new courses are coming together nicely and I had some research encouragement from Stateside - new publication on its way this year! Apart from all this, I've been finalising arrangements for the two first year courses I am coordinating. Am excited about both of them!

Last night to celebrate me feeling better and to give ourselves a little time out, D and I went to the cinema. We had tea at Homemade Burger Co., our current fave, and then spent a lovely evening with RDJ and Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes: game of shadows. Interestingly, here is a film that gets better as you go on. It starts rather slowly really but by the final chess game, it is really all quite enthralling. I like what everyone is dong with the Sherlock Holmes' stories right now. The BBC series is very different but equally compelling.

So, as for New Year Resolutions which I promised to share with you, here goes:
Get things in order and keep them in order. I have systems for everything but so often they all fall apart. I would like to have plans/schemes and stick them this year.
Try Zumba. D got me the game for my Wii Fit and, now I'm feeling a little better and have done a new year yoga stretch (ouch!) I feel ready to go. I like to mix up my fitness regime sometimes. This past 6 months hasn't been brilliant as I've been under the weather a lot. Determined to regain the fitness levels I had this time last year.
Read more. It may sound rather odd, given my job and the amount of reading I do each week, but I don't actually do that much 'reading' e.g. enjoying or meditating over a really brilliant book. Hoping to do a little more of that this year.

So, there we go. I'm going to put our Tesco order away - thank you Mr Tesco Man for helping me carry everything up the stairs! To leave you with an interesting image: I managed to eat a whole can of mushy peas on my own tonight. Wow! How good are mushy peas? D and I have very different ideas about fish and chips. For me (North England lass) they are naked without mushy peas. For him as a Scotsman (actually specifically as a Edinburgh laddie) they need salt and sauce. If you haven't tried Scottish chippy sauce then...I wouldn't.

Anyways, on that culinary note I'm off to finalise the marks for release tomorrow, to sort through the shopping and to drink more tea.
CSW

Happy New Year

2012-01-06T14:10:00.000Z

So, we're back in Lincoln after two weeks of travelling around the UK seeing family and friends, eating far too much food and climbing mountains in waist-high snow! We've had a wonderful holiday and, despite racing about like mad things, we both feel pretty rested and ready for 2012. We both did remarkably well for Christmas. I am still getting to grips with my iphone but can now tweet on the move (hoorah, you say?), I have a lot of new clothes and am looking forward to spending vouchers for weekends away and meals out. We feel pretty blessed by everything really.

Just so you don't presume I spent all the festive season lying on a sofa eating chocolate, I also spent a day in the National Library, finished the marking and completed the new module handbooks. All is coming together for the new term although the house still needs a bit of a sort out (Christmas paper everywhere) and I still have some lectures to write and dissertation supervisors to assign. We are, however, getting there and my jolly half hour of planning in Edinburgh's Valvona and Crolla has helped to sort out the next few months. I foresee a busy few months of research and teaching. Go me!

And so, I'm going to carry on with the second marking. Will post more about new year's resolutions later in the week. I have made some for what it's worth. They are mostly based around my new Zumba Wi game!

Oh, and happy birthday to Big Dave, world's best father-in-law and avid reader of Molemaison.

CSW

Happy Christmas one and all...

2011-12-24T10:46:00.000Z

...and here's to a peaceful and contented 2012!

New year's resolutions? Check out my new post for Phd2published on risk taking.

See you in the new year.
CSW

Christmas is coming!

2011-12-20T22:20:00.000Z

So, last week we ended up with an unscheduled trip up to Scotland for D's Granny's funeral. It was a very peaceful event and we even sang 'How Great Thou Art' outside with the birds singing. It was sad but we were glad that the whole thing went so well. D then returned to Lincoln and I stayed in Edinburgh for two days camping out in the library. I managed to combine 'new project' reading and 'old project' additions. Lots of interesting stuff.

We then had a happy, quiet weekend enjoying afternoon tea and lunch with friends. It is really nice to have a weekend like this just before the busyness of Christmas arrives. And since then, I've been bashing on with marking, although today I took a wee break to enjoy our students performing The Snow Queen at the LPAC. What a great job they did! The children were absolutely engaged, the set looked beautiful, and even us jaded academics joined in the songs. It was lovely to finally see all the hard work pay off given that I have seen a load of 3rd years wandering around looking exhausted for the past few months. I can see why now! They did the department proud!

Here is a video of them in rehearsal:

While not trying to sound like a total slacker, I have actually taken a day of annual leave tomorrow so that I can take my Mum to watch Company at the Sheffield Crucible. It has had amazing reviews so far and I'm very excited to see the great Dan Evans playing Sondheim live!

The rest of the week is taken up with Christmas parties, final wrapping, house tidying, marking, article refining and packing. We are looking forward to a great Christmas break with family and friends. And hopefully some snow! Anyways, I'll give a wee Christmas post before then. Cup of tea and more marking beckons!

CSW

Saturday morning in front of a screen

2011-12-10T11:01:00.000Z

So, I am currently jiggling around with an application for a research opportunity (ooo, that sounds cryptic) so I thought I'd take a quick head-space break and write a post.

The flat may still be in a bit of a mess but our tree is now up, complete with home-made fairy (the nearest I get to craft!). I'm not feeling particularly festive but preparations are getting done, slowly but surely. The second half of the week was spent calming dissertation students (I was only partly successful with this role!), filling in more grant applications, writing module handbooks, reading Romantic Moderns and catching up with the washing. Today's jobs are: tidy house, make macaroons (the easy way - cheers Nigella!), do the ironing, work on applications, rejiggle a journal article, and go out for dinner with friends. A lovely, varied day in store. The wind has abated here which is certainly good for us residing, as we do, on the third floor.

And the big question of the day - can you make ground almonds by just grinding almonds in my food processor? I will try it out and report back.

Anyways, on with the application. I feel as if I am waiting for so many reviewer's reports and grant decisions at the moment. It does make checking your inbox slightly more exciting! Hope you enjoy a peaceful Saturday.

CSW

Post-show sleepiness

2011-12-07T18:42:00.000Z

If you were to walk around the University of Lincoln's Performing Arts department today you would find a great crowd of folks wandering about like zombies, perhaps searching for a last minute costume or perfecting a dance move. This goes for staff and students alike. The tech team seem particularly worn out. We are gradually reaching the end of a mammoth two weeks of performances. Late nights, early mornings and (last night) running around trying to find cardboard boxes to make into robots! But it has been a lot of fun despite the general exhaustion and we have seen some great performances. I was particularly proud of my first year class last night who pulled off a really interesting version of Capek's R.U.R. complete with blue robot blood!

What else has happened in the past week? Well, the Christmas Market came and went. We had two wonderful girlies from my undergrad days to stay. It was so good to see them. There is something about spending a couple of days with people who know you so well! The market was unbelievably busy but we did have a go on the dodgems which was fun (D drove, I had my foot on the accelerator!) and ate chestnuts in the cold. Other than that, I've been reading the wonderful Romantic Moderns by Alexandra Harris: an incredible, inspiring book! I also had a new article posted at PhD2Published. Check it out, particularly if you haven't read through this remarkably useful and well-edited website. I have lost a number of ladder matches on WWE12, have had my heating on a little too much and have eaten just a little too often at the Engine Shed, Lincoln's student union.

And that is my world up to tonight! Research time is on its way. I still have two articles to finish before Christmas, as well as a couple of grant applications. Our house remains undecorated, although I might shove the tree up tonight. We spent Saturday night watching Peter Gabriel on DVD and making snow flakes so I might stick those up too.

Hope everyone is getting in the festive spirit. If you are in Edinburgh or Stockport then we are so looking forward to seeing you over the Christmas period. If you are awaiting a card from me then I promise they are on their way. And if you, like me, are crawling towards the end of term then "strengthen ye the feeble hands and confirm the weak knees"...

CSW

AcBoWriMo

2011-11-30T17:56:00.000Z

Evening folks,
So the title may look a little cryptic but today is the final day of the Twitter-tastic AcBoWriMo. What is that? Well, it stands for Academic Book Writing Month and has been run by the good people of PhD2Published. In November a bunch of scholars from across the world have been trying to write as much as they can. Now, my contribution to this scheme has been a little limited for two reasons: 1) I have had a crazy teaching schedule and 2) I have finished my big book project and have spent the month faffing around just improving syntax here and there - this never adds up to a big word count, sadly.

But this week has been much better as I've combined writing with Shakespeare assessments, and have sent two articles off this week - Hoorah! Go AcBoWriMo friends! The Shakespeare has been excellent. Monday night was a Victoriana version of 'Pericles' and last night was a particularly bloody take on 'Titus Andronicus', surely old Will's weirdest play. The second years have done us proud.

And so the rest of the week is taken up with meetings, reading (inter-library loans are in!) and more Shakespeare. At the end of the week the Lincoln Christmas Market is in town and we have wonderful friends coming to stay. What fun in store!

Hope everyone is doing great!
CSW

Celebrating!

2011-11-25T18:16:00.001Z

So today is my birthday! Thanks to everyone for making it special! Tonight we are off out to a new restaurant called Melanies in Louth. D booked it as a special treat. This is after having a wonderful lunch out with my friend, Ali. Food all the way today. On top of that I have spent the day rejigging a journal article that I'm hoping to send off tomorrow.

Despite my best intentions, this has been a week of marking and meetings. Next week the research starts again properly, coupled with some of the second year Shakespeare productions in the LPAC. I am hoping to find some quiet corners to finish off some ongoing projects, fill in some more grant forms and get some conference proposals sorted. Am very excited about this!

My two other big bits of news this week: 1) I finally sent the very final copy of the book to Palgrave. It is due out early next year so get your copy ordered! and 2) I was awarded an HEA fellowship which means that I have a certificate to prove I can teach! For this I had to write a 5000 word project which I really enjoyed getting to grips with. It feels great to have this under my belt.

Other than that, D and I have been trying to master the old Sonic the Hedgehog games (we have a retro games compilation on the PS3). Unfortunately I am as rubbish as I was when I was 11 and borrowed a friend's Sega Mega Drive while she was on holiday. I have absolutely no idea at all! Oh, and D did another mega online shop, this time including ten more cans of sweetcorn, ten large cans of garden peas, eight large jars of pasta sauce and enough bottles of juice to form a small bridge leading from our lounge to our bathroom. Hmmm, the culinary opportunities are endless!

CSW

Is that term over?

2011-11-19T18:18:00.000Z

Well, the answer is 'yes' insofar as teaching has come to an end. This term has been a little on the crazy side so, I must admit, I'm glad to get back to a little research. And, with my first years doing such an incredible job with R.U.R., I don't even have a performance to worry about! So looking forward to seeing the final production! I've continued my ponderings that began in Edinburgh, though I haven't come to any particular conclusions yet. That's tomorrow's job. I have four projects to finish before Christmas. It might be a little ambitious!

We've had a couple of happy days with our friends this week. Last night we enjoyed the Bellowhead gig at the Engine Shed with Darren, Ally and familia. Today the wonderful Luehrmanns travelled down from Leeds. It was so good to see them all and to meet baby Liam for the first time. We feel very fortunate to have such good mates. Tonight is peaceful - online food order, a bit of music, a bit of left-over work, and perhaps a film. It is much colder than it has been and I'm afraid I have succumbed to the central heating. Saying that, I really like the hot water bottle and rug approach.

And, apart from setting myself the challenge of re-learning a beautiful Gaelic Christmas song called Taladh Chriosa in time for the festive season avec guitar chords, that is about it. This week it is meetings, tech rehearsals (nothing more exciting than getting the studio lights on!) and research projects, including the very final read through of the Book. Oh and someone's birthday...though this has passed me by entirely up to this point.

Hope everyone is having a great Fall/Autumn
CSW

Wonderous Stories

2011-11-15T21:21:00.000Z

And yes the title is right, before you ask. So, I am feeling loads better although my throat is still a little dodgy. Health always feels brilliant after you've been sick. I even played netball tonight for the first time in probably 17 years! Woah, how old am I! Any old hockey friends reading this, I should say that I did let out a wee smirk when they told me you couldn't take more than one step and there was to be no contact. We always used to mock netball girls as wimps. Tonight, however, my legs are pretty sore!

We had the most wonderful weekend in Edinburgh. Sorry to all those I wasn't able to catch up with! We enjoyed seeing friends and family so much. I had the most fabulous of days in the National Library reading some plays and, most importantly, reconsidering my research ideas. In typical Dickensian fashion I went for a walk around my favourite thinking space: the Museum of Scotland. It is a great place full of shadowy corridors and places to hide. I did so much thinking and reassessing over the weekend about a whole load of stuff. It was encouraging, challenging, inspiring and fun. I might blog later about all the things I have learned.

Saturday night we headed over to Glasgow for a Yes gig. Man, those guys played well! Geoff Downes was on fire and had on a lovely pair of trousers. We had a great night and, as I sat in the SECC, I turned to D and said, 'I am about as happy as a person can be'. I just felt overwhelmingly blessed in every way.

So, here we are in the final week of teaching. Inevitably my flat is a bit of a heap. But D and I are enjoying a replay of Monday Night Raw (wrestling) amid the mess while drinking tea and eating Tunnocks tea cakes (a wee nod to Auld Reekie there).

Hope everyone is feeling really good.
CSW

Getting better!

2011-11-09T19:09:00.000Z

Dearest blog fans,
Sorry for a lack of posts recently. This has been the past week...sore throat, first year assessments, grant application panic, coughing, trip to Oxford for the CLSG conference on heroes, very quiet illness-dominated Sunday, second year assessments, more grant panic, trip to Liverpool for the wrestling arriving back at 2.30am, teaching, more first year assessments, sore chest, delicious chicken dinner....erm, that's taken us up to about fifteen minutes ago.

Phew, what a week! I just can't believe how chaotic life has been over recent days. So, let me fill you in on a couple of those things. The British Academy grant application is now in and done. Huzzah! While I'm not really expecting anything to come from it I am very glad to have gone through the process and just about survived. Grant applications are very odd indeed. Anyways, D and I went on a jolly to Oxford on Saturday. I attended the Christian Literary Studies Group Conference. I really like this conference as, not only is it really interesting, it also suggests that you can be a person of faith and not a moron or intellectually deficient. I find that encouraging. And it all takes place in the beautiful surroundings of Corpus Christi college. Ah, academia!

And Monday night we finally made it to a live wrestling event at the Liverpool Echo Arena. It was WWE Raw to be precise and anyone who doesn't get my growing obsession with Pro-wrestling should feel free to switch off now. The atmosphere was great - a real mixture of people (hence the forthcoming academic paper on audience ) - and the crowd gave a real welcome to CM Punk and booed Cena mercilessly but with good humour. There were a lot of Zack Ryder fans but, for me, Dolph Ziggler and the fabulous Vickie Guerrero stole the show. There is no way he should have lost to Morrison (a wrestler I like very much) and he sold the moves brilliantly. Anyways, after trying to navigate the world's most ridiculous road system (have you tried to cross the country recently? Road works everywhere!) we finally arrived back at 2.30am. All in all a great night. OK, so it wasn't the best Raw show ever but the whole experience was terrific.

So, I have one more day of assessment and then I'd better get it all written up and sorted. That's next week's job. And then finally get this book finished. Being ill has put the whole thing back a few days. I'm hoping that recovery is just around the corner. My voice has sounded ridiculous all week.

We are enjoying our post-tea cup of tea (ain't the British weird with their tea thang?) with D's new Rush DVD. It is the show he saw some months back in Manchester. Those guys sure play an energetic and impressive set. I'm not a huge Rush fan but their music is constantly on D's ipod so I have developed a certain appreciation of their music over the past few months. That said, on Saturday we are seeing a band I am really looking forward to catching again...but more of that in the next post.

CSW

With a husky voice

2011-11-02T19:50:00.000Z

So after a very jolly weekend in Cardiff with Smelly and the 'rents I woke up on Monday morning with a bit of a sniffle. Off to Boots I trotted and strong pills have kept the symptoms at bay. However, my voice sounds extremely interesting and I'm hoping it'll hold out for our rehearsal tomorrow. I have even succumbed to putting the heating on.

Life continues on apace. I'm hoping that things will calm down pretty soon but until the Book is finally completed, all my outstanding grant applications are in and teaching has finished I am not expecting it will. D and I try to take a little time out in the evenings where we can and are currently enjoying an early birthday present in the form of the Shawn Michaels v Bret Hart DVD. The Hitman looks nervous and tense, Shawn (on the whole) seems pretty relaxed. We'll see how they go when they start talking about Montreal! It seems the perfect warm up for next Monday's rather mad trip to Liverpool to watch Raw. In a joyous break last night I got to spend a happy evening watching the Disney film Enchanted and eating pizza with two of my favourite girlies. It was such a lovely treat after a long day of assessments.

So, here I sit tonight with the Manchester City game gently pulsing in the background, proofreading the Book one final time. Friday is this week's research day and I'm going to lock myself away with only the Book to keep me company...and perhaps Kermode and Mayo on Radio Five. Can't wait! Until then it's evenings only on the Book.

Hope everyone is doing well. Isn't it exciting that Autumn is coming? I love this time of year - it is beautiful and expectant.

CSW

Nothing to report

2011-10-27T17:14:00.000+01:00

Life in the Warden household continues apace with a mixture of sports, films, home jobs, meeting with friends and work. D and I have both been putting in fairly long hours in our respective workplaces recently. I always find that life gets quite chaotic at this time of year. Suddenly your 'to-do' list has doubled in size! We are very glad that, on the whole, we both enjoy our work. Evenings (when they've finally arrived) have therefore been quite quiet. We are on the last episode of the first season of Treme. We have so enjoyed this magnificent series. It won't be for everyone but I love it. Last night's penultimate episode was a terrific case in point. There are so many characters, so many incredibly complicated situations but the narrative never feels rushed or over-populated. David Simon et al are geniuses. The only comparable writer I can think of is Charles Dickens. In amazing novels like Our Mutual Friend and even shorter ones like Great Expectations, he manages to keep all his characters and landscapes under control. Simon and friends do likewise.

But other than that there really is nothing to report. Over the next few weeks we have a number of exciting things going on but right now all is quiet. Today has been dominated by grant applications (officially rubbish at them!), my wonderful first years (I told them they were inspiring this morning...and I really meant it) and faffy admin all amidst the swirling rainclouds of the East Midlands.

While things seem to just continue on at the moment I do feel as if I am learning a lot about all sorts of things. It's funny how you can find yourself in those sorts of periods sometimes. As I was walking to work this morning in my trackies (wet trousers are horrid!) I suddenly felt like going on a long hike somewhere in the mountains. I ended up at the LPAC (which isn't really the same thing) but the desire to go a wanderin' did not abate. Perhaps I'll get to go on a little trip this weekend...

CSW

Third Shakespeare in a month

2011-10-22T22:15:00.000+01:00

Last night Filer Theatre Company brought their rather crazy version of A Midsummer Night's Dream to the LPAC. It was such fun and even D, who likes his Shakespeare pretty traditional, enjoyed it. Bread fights, blue lycra and musical interludes!

Today has been pretty chilled out. We've been to the bank, done a little shopping and sorted the washing. I'm just about to do a little work while D watches Match of the Day. Currently the dulcet tones of Alex Salmond can be heard chez Warden. It is often pretty difficult to follow Scottish politics in England - the media is unbelievably biased. We enjoy it when Westminster journalists take on Wise Old Owl Salmond. He makes everyone look utterly ridiculous. Anyways...

So, we are halfway through the teaching term. It has gone unbelievably quickly! This week I have been mostly meeting with students, attending meetings, trying to fill in grant applications and finishing my HEA teaching project. On Wednesday night I judged a very high quality house drama competition at Queen Elizabeth High School in Gainsborough. We had a fun night of pirate-related theatricalities. I was amazed at the high quality of submissions.

Anyways, Salmond is getting increasingly passionate ("nae limits fer Scotland") and I am going to crash on with a little work. Looking forward to a restful Sunday tomorrow and then on with another week.

CSW

Hot water bottles and woolly hats

2011-10-18T20:44:00.000+01:00

So, autumn has arrived. The wind is cold and I wore double jumper layers today. Always glad for hot tea and hot water bottles. Anyways, we had a rather excellent and chilled out weekend, drinking coffee and eating Chinese food with friends, coming third in a quiz, looking at houses (just being nosy) and listening to a couple of great preaches. All in all it was exactly what I needed. This is, rather unbelievably, week 4 which means that we are nearly halfway through teaching for this term. Madness! It is all going well and last night was topped off by our journal reading group where we discussed a guy that actually looks like a cat. Academia!

Tonight I'm finally getting to do a bit of work on a grant application I've been meaning to sort out for a while. And I think an early night might go down well, especially given that I am turning all Simon Cowell tomorrow night as I judge the drama competition at Queen Elizabeth High School, Gainsborough. Last year the standard was remarkably high so I'm looking forward to it. Another relatively quiet weekend in store. I am loving relaxing weekends at the moment. D and I are just spending a lot of time hanging out, watching films, doing household chores and reading stuff.

We are also really enjoying our new box set Treme. It is set in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina and, as usual for a David Simon/HBO combo it is thought-provoking, challenging and uplifting in equal measure. These HBO series are often a bit bleak and sweary but they provide such a wonderful insight into communities and their issues. Not knowing a great deal about the Hurricane and the devastation it caused, I have really been struck by the unbelievable decisions, oversights and social problems. Unusually for TV, this series does not try to provide easy answers or to romanticise society. Like The Wire it challenges your expectation of television in profoundly disturbing ways.

Other than that it's been work all the way really. Not even watched University Challenge yet as I was at the gym last night while D and his buddy played squash. After a couple of wee frustrations during the day I ran on the treadmill until I could run no further. Exercise is just mega! In total agreement with good ol' Apostle Paul.

Anyways, onwards. Peter Gabriel's super-duper new album New Blood is in the background. I have tea and a hottie. Everything is ready for a couple of quiet hours of grant application. It's at times like this that I feel so unbelievably blessed to have a cosy peaceful house, to know that D is working his way through the Smiths' back catalogue in the other room, and to just feel that everything is working together for good. Ace, huh?

Hope everyone is doing really well.
CSW

Capek turning in his grave

2011-10-13T22:46:00.000+01:00

So, after a few long days I've finally managed to chop Capek's play RUR down to 20 pages. This was extreme textual vandalism and we are left with a jolly ditty about robots taking over the world. I did a read through with the first years this morning and it all seemed to go rather well considering we were also trying to battle our way through Lyotard's The Postmodern Condition. Pretty hard core for first year!

Things are a little chaotic to be honest. I feel as if I'm running around like a crazy thing and it's only week 3. That said we seem to have happy students and contented faculty teaching teams so that's all that one can ask for really. Today I also found out about the true power of Twitter. Over the weekend I went on a search for a copy of the Times Higher Ed as last week saw the release of the university league tables. Could I find a copy? No I couldn't, and we tried everywhere. I tweeted my disappointment about the lack of magazines in the Lincolnshire area and the lovely folks from THE tweeted back saying that they would send me a copy. It duly arrived this morning. Seriously, Twitter is the best! Cheers to the fab folks at THE.

This week also saw the arrival of two new CDs. The first is a proggy little number from Steven Wilson called Grace for Drowning. It is beautiful, varied and challenging. The second is Peter Gabriel's latest offering New Blood. It is a collection of some of his best songs reimagined by an incredible orchestra. It is a genuinely moving album. I LOVE Pete and this album shows that an old rocker can still have ambition, can still be pushing the boundaries of genre and challenging himself. Terrific.

Anyways, D is going to try and download IOS5 on to my iPad. It took him three hours to update his iphone earlier on today. Here's hoping for a straight forward software update. Apple continue to do Steve Jobs proud even in his sad absence.

Hope everyone is doing really good. We've been watching a lot of Treme this week and I'll post about it properly at some stage soon.

Have a great weekend when it comes.
CSW

Autumn arrives

2011-10-08T20:56:00.000+01:00

I has rained all day in bonny Lincolnshire and the temperature must have gone down 20 degrees in a week. I wore my cape today for the first time this autumn. Hoping to be able to wear boots and tights next week. I love autumn clothes! We paid a visit to Louth today after a morning game of squash. It's quite a sweet little place and we had a lovely day.

This week I have been very thankful for my Apple products. D and I are total Mac-heads and we were both very sad to hear of Steve Jobs' death. He seemed to be a wonderfully inspiring guy, able to provide techy goods for techy idiots like me. We watched his Stanford commencement speech this week and much of it has remained with me all week. I particularly like his view of death - it means that we have a limited time to accomplish everything. Urgency leads to great things!

Teaching has been fun this week, by and large. I am particularly chuffed with my first years who fully understood semiotics on Thursday morning and even managed to produce some great practical work that explored the ideas. It is really lovely to work with them and I'm looking forward to our version of R.U.R. This week the Times World Uni Rankings came out which was as exciting as election night. Harvard was pipped to the post by Cal Tech, Edinburgh did wonderfully well as always, Aber (my undergraduate institution) was on the long list and there was a good showing from our Pacific North West (Go Dawgs!) and Canuck friends (BC). Lincoln isn't on there quite yet. There were two post-92s on the long list so they proved it is possible to break through. I was talking to a colleague the other day about the amazing progress Lincoln has made in the ten years it has been around. Really outstanding for such a young institution!

Research-wise I have been reading a lot of depressing (in some cases very depressing) plays about Iraq. They are mostly incredibly bleak with startlingly terrible language because, apparently, (and I can't quite believe this) all soldiers are unbelievably foul-mouthed. Ho hum! Some of them, that said, are quite interesting. And they make fascinating contrasts with the 1914 Flecker play Hassan. Boring bit over!

It's Saturday night and I am sorting out my research submissions. D is listening to some terrible, little-known 80s music. Both these things mean that all reality TV passes us by. I'm going to do a little house sorting, read some books, probably challenge D to a PS3 game and drink some more tea. Let me tell you, this is what aspirational twenty-/thirty-somethings do with their Saturday evenings.

CSW

Blimey, it's nearly Christmas!

2011-10-05T20:23:00.000+01:00

Time seems to be flying by at a startling pace. Not only has it been a week since my last Molemaison post but we are also nearly at the end of week two. Assessments will be here before we know it. This week I have learnt the following things:
1) there are lots of women younger than my Mum who look considerably older. It is a constant source of amazement to me. I am hoping this means I have great genes!
2) when you trust D to do the online Tesco order you get 8 cans of sweetcorn, 12 bottles of Pepsi Max, 16 bottles of water and a tub of Cherry Garcia frozen yogurt for me. The poor Tesco man nearly freaked out when he saw our stairs, the lack of lift and the many bags of heavy groceries. I thought he was going to expire on the stairs.
3) in England folks respond really well to ceilidhs. I was a little sceptical about a ceilidh to celebrate Lincolnshire Day on Saturday but it was great fun if totally baking hot. Everyone danced, food was good and I even got asked to dance by a stranger - yes! Still got it ladies and gents!
4) contemporary plays about Iraq are universally brutal. I need to read a jolly Christopher Fry comedy or something.
5) 'Eat Natural' bars are really addictive and actually aren't that healthy when you eat them so regularly.
6) tea costs nearly fifty pence more at our newly improved LPAC cafe than in the architecture building just across the way.
7) disappointingly, England are a little better than Scotland at rugby. They are certainly dirtier players. Consequently, I realised that in this derby match I was actually cheering for Scotland. Strange! Also realised the rugby union was very boring compared with its Northern, more dynamic cousin, rugby league.
8) the yoga camel pose is really very sore when performed the day after the first squash game of the new term (I lost...miserably).
9) carnations last very well even in a hot room.
10) dance students are much more violent and enthusiastic than drama students when they play the game 'Bang!' as a warm up.

And those are the things I have learnt this week. A mixed bag, huh? Term is going well all in all. It's pretty full on but full of fun. Continuing to send off a load of proposals, papers and reviews. I'll post when decisions come through. I am hopeful! Anyways, I'm off for a cuppa before we watch the first episode of Treme from The Wire guys. The lovely Clarke Peters is starring - it'll be good to see him back on the small screen after watching him tread the boards last week.

Hope everyone is doing really well.
CSW

Sheffield: city of steel and stellar theatre

2011-09-28T22:52:00.000+01:00

So, despite the fact that I have spent the last few days in seminar rooms, in meetings and trying to get my first term admin up to date, actually our standout experience of the week took place last night in the wonderful Sheffield Crucible Theatre. If you have never been to a production at this incredible venue then go...right now! It is fast becoming my second favourite theatre (after the Royal Exchange Manchester which will always have the number one spot). Last night we went to see a truly awe-inspiring version of Othello with the fabulous Wire boys (Clarke Peters and Dominic West) in the lead roles. In typical D fashion we had the best seats in the house on the very front row. In the Crucible this means practically resting your feet on the stage. The performance was a mix of the traditional (cod piece alert!) and the modern. The fast pacing, well lit sparse stage and connection with the audience all signified a contemporary approach. One of the surprising and wonderful things about the Crucible is the age of the audience members. For the first time ever in a theatre (and I do not say this lightly) I felt old! All were impeccably well behaved and the young audience brought a real sense of dynamism and excitement to the whole piece. I came away thoroughly inspired, remembering that this is the artistic world I am part of, albeit in a small way in an East Midlands' outpost. Man, I am one blessed girlie.

So there is my Wednesday night gush. Little else to report; Othello has taken up most of my mind space since last night! Hope everyone reading this has similar moments of inspiration and excitement in their lives right now.

CSW

Our trip over the water

2011-09-26T22:20:00.000+01:00

So, as promised here...finally...is a post about our trip to the States and Canada. Rather than go through a blow by blow account (two weeks is a long time!) I thought I'd just write a wee list of things we did:

Spent some wonderful time with our friends - Ann, Tim, Jack and Maddy in Seattle and David, Megan and their sweet family in Vancouver
Watched a winning game from the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field
Ate some wonderful food...in fact too much wonderful food!
Did a lot of hiking
Climbed a lot of mountains
Bought clothes at half the price you'd pay at British shops
Revisited Mars Hill
Frightened ourselves silly on zip trek through the Whistler mountains
Went on far too many chair lifts and gondolas for my weak and wussy stomach
Had a special 'Mole' day with a visit to the art gallery and afternoon tea at the Fairmont
Enjoyed a magnificent, intense yoga session in Whistler
Took the train overlooking the Puget Sound
Watched some inspiring dance performances at the Bumbershoot festival
Saw the amazing Alphine flowers at Mount Rainer
Wandered round the beautiful city of Vancouver
Watched the Huskies win against Hawaii
Took a trip to Bainbridge Island to see the poignant exhibition on Japanese-American experience during the War

Phew, that's surely enough for the time being. I'll probably add to the list when D arrives home as he'll remember hundreds of things I've forgotten. Do check out the photographs. D did a great job. And what is my overriding memory of our trip? I think it'd have to be just hanging out for two weeks with D. Having two whole weeks to spend together and enjoy so many exciting experiences was an amazing blessing. And it was made all the more wonderful by our friends. I had just a little cry when we left as I was genuinely sad to leave Seattle and the friends we love. We'll be back as soon as we can.

Anyways, that's your lot. It was the first day of teaching today and I am strangely exhausted! I don't have the energy to post coherently about it right now. Suffice to say, everything went just fine and it was great to have the students back in the LPAC. Off for tea and a snooze.

CSW

Sorry...where did that week go?

2011-09-23T22:30:00.000+01:00

So much for my empty promises about an in-depth holiday post! That will come next week. I promise to keep my promise this time! So what's been going on chez Warden, I hear you cry. Well, this week has comprised of a couple of interesting theatre performances, lots of teaching prep, some work on the wrestling paper (more of that in later posts), a jolly trip to Manchester (check out my university blog for more about this AHRC/BBC workshop), meeting with friends and the genuine joys of induction week. Lots of new students all raring to go. So, you can see, in consequence, Molemaison has been sadly neglected. In the meantime two special babies have been born - Hello William in Leeds and Eva in Edinburgh.

When I got back from a long day at work tonight D had a Waitrose lobster bisque waiting for me (what a guy!) as preparation for a night of packing. We are off to the wedding of our friend Malky tomorrow and I have to dig out our party frocks. We're staying overnight in a lovely B&B and might try to get to Stonehenge on Sunday before travelling back. I keep going very Spinal Tap whenever I say 'Stonehenge'. Next week is the first week of term. Start at 9 am Monday morning with The Musical - I have my tiara and sequins all ready to go! But other than teaching, next week is a little quieter so I'll get round to that holiday post. As I said last time D's pictures are already up under 'photos' - I think they are amazing.

Have a fab weekend.
CSW

Photos are up!

2011-09-18T00:20:00.001+01:00

Hey all,
Just to let you know, the photos from our trip are now up on Picasa. Follow the 'photos' link above. Sorry that there aren't the customary little comments or indeed a proper blog post about our travels yet. This week has gone past in a bit of a blur! I will get to this job some time next week in case you're interested.

This week there have been a lot of meetings and chats. It's all been very positive and I'm excited about the new term. We've been particularly glad to welcome three new members of staff all of whom are fabulous additions to the department. I've been trying to get to grips with the new courses I am teaching and can't wait to get back in with the students. It is quite difficult to fully plan classes until you start interacting with students again. I love the university atmosphere-it is so vibrant and exciting! Anyways, I've started the preparation and feel pretty calm about it all.

Today has been spent sleeping, working, doing the washing (I can nearly see the bottom of the laundry pile which is exciting) and visiting friends. It has been just lovely but has gone too fast. Tomorrow we have church lunch (I shamefully admit that I sent D out to buy cake rather than make anything) and then I am off to Stockport. On Monday I am heading into Manchester for a day with the BBC. This comes out of a project earlier this summer called New Generation Thinkers. We get to pitch our ideas for new programmes and learn from some great Beeb folks. It should be really exciting. I don't expect to become the next Prof Brian Cox but it is really useful to have some media training. I'll write about it on my Lincoln blog next week.

Anyways, it is late, I am sleepy and I still have some jobs to do before bed in preparation for my trip. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and feeling positive about the oncoming autumn chill.

Rock on friends
CSW

Module handbooks and excited anticipation

2011-09-14T22:09:00.000+01:00

Despite the post-holiday sleepy haze, the past two days have been good fun and extremely profitable. Yesterday was our departmental day away, a chance to discuss the future and enjoy some time together: lots of exciting plans most of which included beanbags. It was a very reinvigorating day. And today I've been finally catching up on emails and jobs in the office, attending my yoga class (a little different from the class I took surrounded by the Whistler mountains last week!), preparing material for a meeting tomorrow, writing my new goals list for the autumn term and doing the ironing. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to do a little more teaching prep for the new term. Now we have moved to a ten week term there is a good deal more prep time. This is a great feeling especially with four new courses to get my head round!

I was thinking about how much I love this time of year. September is a brilliant month. It is a perfect time to take stock, start wearing boots again and buy new stationery. I get more of a sense of 'new beginnings' at this time of year than I do in January. I was talking with a friend today about goal-setting. I now have mine sorted for the next month and onwards up to Christmas. I'm hoping to get back into my exercise regime which took a bit of a backseat after getting sick in late Spring. I've got a lovely new Bible study plan and I am quite determined to approach the new term with all calmness and joy. And we have a good many things to look forward to including a wedding next weekend, a trip to Sheffield to see my favourite 'The Wire' guys in 'Othello', a trek back up to Glasgow to see our annual Yes concert and a journey cross-country to see WWE RAW. Somewhere in there is my birthday and hopefully lots of autumnal walks in the countryside, parkin and cosy nights in. I hope your Autumn (sorry American friends, 'fall') goals are going well.

Anyways, I'm off for a cuppa. D is uploading photographs as we speak so in the near future you will have a couple of posts about our America/Canada trip and a heap of pictures to enjoy. Yes is currently providing our music of choice and I'm going to get an early night.

Hope all's well with you all.
CSW

Back home

2011-09-12T22:59:00.002+01:00

Me enjoying a day at the Bumbershoot Arts Festival in Seattle. Saw some great dance pieces!

Phew, that was a quick couple of weeks. So here we are back in Lincoln. We arrived about an hour ago, after dropping in at my folks for a lunch treat and a little snooze. Their proximity to the airport is proving to be most useful! What a great trip we had! We spent some great times with our friends in Seattle, including boats trips to islands, watching entertaining TV shows about dogs, eating steak and witnessing a Mariners win (baseball). We then headed up to Vancouver and Whistler for a couple of days of sunshine (the weather was incredible for the whole fortnight), hiking and adventures. The photos will tell more of a story than I will be able to here - suffice to say, imagine me standing on a little wooden ledge about to throw myself down a zip wire over a huge ravine. This was my most terrifying moment and we have photos that clearly capture that terror. It was a great trip made possible by our wonderful Seattle friends - thanks guys! Keep popping back to Molemaison if you are interested in stories and (much more importantly) photos a la D.

Tomorrow we are both back to work. I am participating in a departmental away day and am really looking forward to getting back into things. Holidays are fab but I do love inspiring days of research and teaching. Before you ask, there really is no sarcasm in this sentence! I made this term's plans on the long flight back and am ready to dive back in...just as soon as I've had a sleep.

CSW

Good morning from the Pacific North West

2011-08-29T19:24:00.000+01:00

Here we are in Seattle and I've remembered how much I love this city. We arrived yesterday and spent a wonderful afternoon and evening with our friends, catching up and enjoying the mixed blessings of American cable. And here we are this morning in Starbucks (where the coffee is much better than in the UK) in the University district. We've had a slow start after a great night's sleep and are just about to head to UW for a wander around. I am so excited to be here and to have the chance to enjoy two amazing weeks of adventures and relaxation. Tomorrow we are off up Mount Rainer and on Wednesday we have a wee tour of the Capitol Hill area and then we're off to the Mariners' game. Man, life is good.
Hope everyone is doing really well.
C&D

Leaving rainy Blighty

2011-08-26T12:47:00.000+01:00

Goodness, it is really raining in the East of England today. I've got to nip out to do some jobs and am putting it off. Fortunately we are off to sunnier (hopefully) climes - America and Canada here we come! We are going to enjoy a couple of jolly weeks with our wonderful friends. The bags are just about packed, house is relatively tidy and jobs are just about done. In preparation I've been enjoying a whole load of big American plays from Williams and Miller. Have one more to battle with this afternoon - 'A View from the Bridge'. I like my coffee skinny and hot, my weather warm and sunny, and my plays depressing and American. Anyways, I'm going to crack on with some more jobs and grab some lunch. There might be a post while we're away but there might not. Hope everyone has a magnificent start to September.

CSW

What to do to avoid reality T.V.

2011-08-22T21:22:00.000+01:00

So, as we come to the end of the British summer, reality TV has taken over our screens. You even have a choice if you like - either celebrities you've never heard of sitting in a house doing nothing on one channel or a mixture of the truly terrible and marginally talented on the other. Goodness, decisions, decisions. I have made the decision to avoid both at all costs and here's what I've been doing this week to ensure I hear absolutely nothing about either:
1) rewatching the Steve Coogan/Rob Brydon series, 'The Trip'. I absolutely loved this the first time round and it is just as good when you watch it again. I'm not often really moved by television but this show makes me laugh aloud and feel strangely sad in each half hour episode. There are a lot of lines that have become catch phrases chez Warden.
2) tidying our flat. So the big tidy up is nearly completed. There are a few dodgy cupboards left over but they can just wait. I'll do them one at a time during term. The whole place feels a lot better.
3) reading American plays. Every summer I try to give myself a reading challenge. I did this when I was a kid and amongst the topics I tackled were monkeys, the poems of Rupert Brooke and the life and times of Richard III (who wasn't half as bad as Shakespeare suggested). This summer I'm trying to read as many American plays as I can. I've been working my way through Tennessee Williams and have now reached Arthur Miller. I've had a bit of Elmer Rice thrown in there too.
4) planning our trip to America/Canada. Man, we are getting excited about this! We've booked lots of special days out and some exciting adventures. Tonight we spent half an hour drooling over menus.
5) finding new blogs. I find blogs by women quite problematic. They can be a little predictable. Recently I've found a whole load of new blogs by some wonderful, creative ladies across the world. They are inspirational traveller types, happy to engage with a range of topics, write witty posts and provide some lovely pictures. One blogged about her recent reading matter - 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' by Marquez. This is genuinely the strangest, most beautiful book and anyone who battles all the way through it without getting totally lost is most certainly a friend of mine.
6) finishing projects. I'm slowly ticking off projects, getting to the point where I can leave them and come back to them during the busy first semester. It's all going quite well. There's one on Flecker's weird ol' play, 'Hassan', a couple of papers on wrestling (shush, don't tell anyone), an article on performing the archive and my HEA teaching project.
7) enjoying the sunshine. Man, the weather in Lincoln is truly sensational all the time. I take a jacket with me wherever I go out of habit but never really need it at this time of year.
8) reading together. D and I are enjoying reading a book out loud together at the moment. It is called 'Mirror, mirror' by a guy called Graham Beynon. It is a Biblical look at self-esteem. It is really interesting and deals with an issue that we all struggle with at times.
9) eating chocolate fudge cake. We had a friend over for dinner yesterday and, rather than make a pudding, I was really lazy and bought an amazing cake from our favourite farm shop at Doddington Hall. Man, it was really good and there was even enough for a little bit tonight.
10) hitting golf balls. On Saturday I turned a golfing corner and hit balls consistently off the grass rather than the tee. I was very proud of myself.

So, that's your lot. Hope you're finding elegant ways of avoiding rubbish telly. Right now, D is listening to Pink Floyd on YouTube and I am hankering after a cup of tea before I tackle the ironing.

I'll post a little something before we go away. Hope everyone is doing really well.

CSW

Married to a pilot...

2011-08-18T23:30:00.000+01:00

...actually not really but yesterday D did take a flight in a very small plane with his mate who's a RAF officer. He even got to take the controls for a short while. They left from Waddington which I can see from our flat. I waved as they went...except they took off the other way so actually I waved at another plane entirely. Hope the pilot appreciated the mad woman on the balcony. Anyways, since Sunday it has been a mixture of writing, resit marking and module handbook compiling. It seems hard to believe that the new term is around the corner. And, of course, we've been doing some further planning for our trip Stateside. We've booked some great trips in the mountains and have even lined up a zip wire trek in Whistler. I must be mad to have said yes to that one!

So here we sit watching old wrestling matches on YouTube and contemplating a cuppa. The flat tidy continues apace and the office is now done. It feels brilliant. We're on to the kitchen on Saturday. We're also hoping to have a test drive in a car we might buy and hit a couple of balls at the driving range. In recent days we've been enjoying opening our home to new friends. D and I really like having folks over, cooking a meal and chatting into the night. We have two more opportunities to do this at the weekend. Our fridge is full of food in preparation. My other aim over the weekend is to avoid the onslaught of reality TV. It seems to be taking over again and I am going to pretend it isn't there from now until we predictably have a new Christmas number one. University Challenge is the only thing that keeps me sane!

More jolly posting over the weekend.
CSW

On the range and the court

2011-08-14T23:09:00.000+01:00

So, since my last post the riots have calmed down and we are in the 'coming up with simplistic answers' phase which I am trying to ignore. Instead of pondering the ins and outs of it all, D and I have been indulging a few sporting passions. We enjoyed a bit of tennis this week. Lincoln has some free (yes, really free) courts near the common so D and I dusted off our rackets and did our best Federer impressions. After a couple of games of utter rubbish, we started to improve a bit. Two summers ago we played loads of tennis so it was good to get back out there. Yesterday we took to the driving range and hit a few balls. I have to say I was ten times better than I thought I'd be. It's been a good long time since I played so I was quite pleased. My trouble is that whatever the club, the ball always goes about 100yards. It doesn't matter if it's a driver or a 9iron. And today we visited my horse friends at Bransby. This horse home is one of my favourite places to go. D and I remembered what a great place Lincoln is to live. Yes, it is a bit dull but you can be in the country so quickly and just take a peaceful walk with some fresh air. Lovely.

Anyways, we are beginning to plan our trip to the States/Canada and are looking forward to seeing our friends and enjoying two weeks of food and fun. Before then I have two weeks of new projects (all seem to be going well) and organising. I am in the middle of a big house reshuffle at the moment that I might have mentioned briefly before. This week I took four big bags of clothes to Barnados and threw out some old stuff that really wasn't worth keeping. So now my wardrobe feels a whole heap better. I've got to do the kitchen and the office this week. I have dreams of a lovely, peaceful minimalist household but I don't actually have the heart for it. I am a sentimental hoarder by nature! But I have good intentions!

Anyways, tea beckons before a snooze. D is shouting at Match of the Day which must mean that the Premier League has started again. I have no interest in football any more. I used to love it but money and moany players have taken over the game and I just don't care very much anymore. Every time I see my beloved Eric Cantona on the telly promoting hair products or sporting goods or whatever, I feel a strange twinge of nostalgia for happier footballing days when my bedroom was covered in posters and you could still bump into David Beckham in HMV in Manchester. Ah well.

Have a great week folks.
CSW

Dirty Old Town

2011-08-11T08:55:00.000+01:00

So I suppose we can't go on ignoring the riots that have appeared across Britain. I must admit I've spent the last couple of days feeling a bit depressed about the whole thing and have thought long and hard about the issues involved.

In fact, in a strange juxtaposition, today I have finished a book chapter on Manchester-Salford and a fictional riot in response to the lack of decent post-War housing. The similarities are striking: inequalities, ghettoisation of communities etc etc. There are also differences of course. In the 1950s they appeared to be rioting for a house rather than a telly.

Over the past few days three things have occurred to me:
1) how easy it is to simplify complicated issues and just create 'baddies'. It is the 'Hitler was an evil maniac' logic. In saying such things we vilify an individual/individuals thereby making ourselves feel better (e.g. I am not an 'evil maniac') and allows us to ignore bigger issues by categorising people. Such simplification is a bit of a relief and a natural reaction to panic, but isn't tremendously helpful in the long term. It goes no way to really addressing the underlying issues which are multitudinous and complex.
2) there is nothing new under the sun. Many people feel that the the world is getting worse. Actually irritating 24 hour news has compelled us to believe this lie. Go and read a couple of paragraphs about Medieval torture or about Roman occupation or the horrific deaths of millions in the pointless First World War and then tell me that society is worse. Society is the same and, more importantly, humanity is the same. We might not like humanity but it hasn't really changed. It's just found new outlets. I always turn to the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible when I feel despair coming on. Ever has it been thus, my friends - there is 'nothing new under the sun'.
3) this is what happens when we base our identity on stuff. Now, I don't want to bash on about the perils of capitalism. Again, it is a complex issue and I have no wish to oversimplify. But when life becomes entirely about the latest phone/computer/pair of trainers then something is far wrong. This is as true for the rich guy with his tenth posh car as for the looter stealing (apparently based on tonight's news) a couple of t-shirts or some nail varnish. In today's market-driven, advertising-mad, materialistic world, it is entirely unsurprising that everyone wants the latest stuff by whatever means. It is also inevitable that some people will have more (in some cases much more) and some will have less. The question of how we can address this I will leave for other blog posts by other far more intelligent people.

During the course of the past few days I've moved beyond the panic phase, largely thanks to long conversations with my ever-patient husband. In fact I have been thinking more broadly about our world. While Britain reels from the shock of some smashed shops, Syria has sent in the troops, East Africa suffers from one of the worst droughts in many years, the poor families in Norway still mourn the loss of their young people, Mexican drug gangs are committing unthinkable atrocities and Japan is still coming to terms with the unbelievable tsunami. I feel extremely sorry for the small shop owners and residents who have lost so much; I feel particularly sorry for the dignified father of one of the young men killed in Birmingham. His testimony is an inspiration. But, as D has helped me to see, we are citizens of the world with all its joys and troubles. From the BBC's 24hour panic coverage over the past few days you wouldn't know that the rest of the world existed at all.

Good on the communities who have cleaned up their cities (particularly in my home city Manchester- Mancs are never defeated!) and hooray for the weather which has dampened spirits a little. Respect for all those who are just trying to help others at this time, not jumping on bandwagons, making arrogant assumptions or forming vigilante mobs but just showing love and care to their neighbours. Hoping and praying for peace and good folks who can take on the challenge of addressing society's problems.

CSW

Fair thee weel thou first and fairest

2011-08-08T19:22:00.000+01:00

On Saturday night we arrived back from lovely Chequers near Belvoir, where we had a delicious meal, and enjoyed a bit of Scottish folk singing. This was in honour of the visit of Charlie and Liz, D's aunty and uncle. We went from Killicrankie to Ae Fond Kiss via Shoals of Herring. A wee taste of the Highlands in the centre of Lincoln. We had a very jolly weekend with them. You can really find some great old folkie stuff on YouTube! Check it out!

Friday was a momentous day - I sent the final draft of the book to Palgrave. I can't quite believe that I've done it! I am proud of the final result and full of thanks to everyone who has helped me on the way. To remind me of happy days at IASH where this project started, I listened to a collection of Trevor Rabin soundtracks before switching to a bit of John Wetton for the final push. Celebrated with scampi and chips at the Elite. Too yum! I've spent the last couple of days on a forthcoming paper for the International Journal of Scottish Theatre and a book chapter for a collected edited edition due out next year. For the next few weeks I am finishing a range of projects, sending papers off, finalising drafts etc. All good fun.

But tomorrow I have taken a day of annual leave so I can reorganise the flat. I have wanted to do this job for a while now and have reorganised some corners already. The aim is to get the whole flat done before we go away in three weeks. So tomorrow is sort of a kick start for this process. Looking forward to listening to some tunes and getting the duster out. Tonight, however, is going to be taken up with dinner (in the oven), University Challenge (my favourite), a short workout and watching the highlights from the Wigan game. Lovely!

CSW

Finishing the book and other odds and ends

2011-08-03T19:39:00.001+01:00

Evening! The past week has been spent plugged into my computer and (drum roll) I have finished the book! But I've not sent it yet as I've got a fear of empty nest syndrome. When you've been working on something for so long it becomes difficult to let it wander off on its own into the big scary world. And it's not that the metaphorical nest is empty. I have another book chapter project to finish by the end of next week!

There really hasn't been much space for anything else in my head over the past week. After a 13 hour computer-based marathon on Saturday (not half as healthy as a real marathon) we enjoyed a restful happy Sunday, taking a walk in our favourite Whisby Park. I've been reading my Feynmann book, doing a few workouts, enjoying the unbelievably hot weather and spending some recently found old book tokens on the classic The Story of Art by Gombrich. And that's it. In my breaks from proofreading I've been working on my Higher Education Academy fellowship project. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before...it is the equivalent of a PGCE for university lecturers and a way of recognising my achievements (or indeed otherwise) as a teacher. It means I'm reading loads of fascinating books about teaching styles. I am really enjoying the process and it's really causing me to rethink my teaching strategies.

Otherwise I have mostly been listening to Dave Gilmour's album 'On an Island', enjoying treats from Waitrose after D grabbed a load of bargains and introducing D to the excitement of Baudrillard's simulacra.

When the book is finally set free I will write a couple of longer posts on some issues I've been thinking about recently. Until then you will have to put up with inane ramblings.

Ah, the storm has started outside. I'm hoping this will make my world a little cooler. It is truly roasting in Lincoln.

CSW

Up the irons!

2011-07-28T23:40:00.000+01:00

Last night we took a trip out to Nottingham and, after grappling with the world's most claustrophobic car park, we made out way to the Trent Arena to enjoy a night with Iron Maiden. I arrived wondering if I was the only person present who had done a midday yoga class and eaten sushi for lunch. We were certainly two of the few who weren't wearing Eddie t-shirts. And I came away with a hankering for a tattoo. But, as usual with recent gigs, the night totally defied my expectations. Everyone we met was wonderful - polite, kind and totally up for a big rock party. And crikey, it was loud! My ears are still slightly sore this evening!

My highlight of the night was definitely 'Fear of the Dark' which is my favourite Iron Maiden track, although I really enjoyed 'Coming Home' too. There was much air guitar and arms in the air. It was a night that would have challenged anyone's preconceptions of hard rock. Yes, they did sing 'Number of the Beast' but it's a far more interesting song that you might expect and, no, it isn't about worshipping the Devil. Yes, the iconography is all skeletons etc, but it really comes down to a group of nice old rockers and a euphoric, passionate crowd. As D said, the images are more Sharpe than Satan. Bruce even donned an army red coat. Brilliant. Anyways, all in all it was a great night but my poor ears need a break.

My days are full of proofreading and listening to the swimming world championships on the radio. This happy, relaxed lifestyle will continue through August as I get to grips with some new projects. Other than that I've been enjoying the wrestling with Triple H taking over the WWE, the return of JR and CM Punk strutting about in the belt. But that is for another post...

Cup of tea beckons...
CSW

Happy days

2011-07-23T19:54:00.003+01:00

Apologies for the lack of posts this week. I've spent most days chained to my computer proofreading so by the evening I've been less than keen to stare at a screen! But here we are. Today was spent with our dear friends from LEC. They have two children so we took them water skiing at Holme Pierrepoint. It was brilliant fun, though I was rubbish. D persevered and definitely got the 'crash of the day' award. It is a really intense sport and you go extremely quickly. Developed a love of wet suits - surely the world's most comfortable garment. We came back for computer games, pizza and homemade ice-cream. A great day, though I must admit I feel pretty sleepy this evening.

So, what else has been occurring in Lincoln? Well, University Challenge is back and we've been enjoying the new series, I've started my flat declutter and feel better about it all already and we've sorted out some of the arrangements for our forthcoming trip Stateside. I am so looking forward to seeing our friends and enjoying two weeks across the pond. It's going to be a very chilled out time of baseball, music festivals and exploring. Lovely! Apart from that it has mostly been work. It seems as if a lot of new projects are coming up at the moment, all with deadlines in the next two weeks. On top of the final book read it is all feeling pretty busy. It is brilliant to feel as if things are really taking off and I'm so glad for all the opportunities.

Anyways, I'm off for a rest and another cuppa. I might even watch telly for a bit. Saturday night chez Warden.
CSW

Not another wipeout!

A day in the library

2011-07-18T23:06:00.000+01:00

So, today I've been hanging about the National Library of Scotland, one of my favourite academic dens. And joyfully (and in a first for the NLS) I was even warm enough to take my cardie off! I thought you might like to hear a brief précis of my top three thoughts of the day:

1) I spent a lot of time reading poetry today...which was nice. And I found my new favourite short poem by Auden...

T.S. Eliot is quite at a loss
When clubwomen bustle across
At literary tea
Crying, 'what, if you please,
Did you mean by 'The Mill on the Floss'.

Cracking, huh!? I laughed for two minutes together.

2) I am doing a lot of work on a little known British poet called James Elroy Flecker. His work is a bit up and down to be honest but today I found two of his best: 'Doris' and 'Bryan of Brittany'. I mean, seriously, are there any less poetic names than these? Brilliant!

3) Over a bowl of delish NLS soup I enjoyed a chapter of Richard Feynman's first book. He is a bit of an inspiration for me - an amazing teacher and academic leader. And, rather brilliantly, in the chapter I was reading today he has the same thoughts about dreaming as I have always had. I have always been fascinated by sleep and dreaming, largely because my dreams are so vivid. Feynman did some experiments and found that he could control his dreams. I can do this too! I once died in a dream and then chose which other character I wanted to be. Perhaps this means I too will be a genius, Nobel prize winning academic. Or not...

And my study day was topped off by reading 'I am Baby' with my sweet niece. Definitely my reading highlight.

Back home to D tomorrow evening.

CSW

The Tree of Life

2011-07-16T10:57:00.000+01:00

So, if you follow me on Twitter you will know that we are in Edinburgh/Glasgow/Brechin this weekend seeing friends and fam and having a couple of days in the library. It's been a fun time of late nights and plenty of chat so far. Off for a special lunch out in a while at an old haunt: the Open Arms at Dirleton.

On Thursday night we arrived back from Brechin pretty late and went straight to the Cameo to watch Terence Malik's 'The Tree of Life'. Now, due to Lincoln's one cinema situation and distinct lack of independent movie houses (there is a definite business there for anyone who fancies) this film is not showing within a 50m radius. But here in the cultural hotbed that is Edinburgh there are plenty of choices. D was delighted to have the chance to see this film as he really likes Malik. He has dragged me to a number of his films over the years and I've really enjoyed them all.

So, what of 'The Tree of Life'? Well, it is a very weird film and I can understand why it divided the Cannes audience so much. On the one hand it is a film about a family in the 60's, on the other it is about the whole of the universe from start to finish. Hmm... Oh and there are dinosaurs! But what to make of this intriguing film? Well, as you might expect, D and I talked about it for ages and decided that actually there were probably as many reactions as there were people in the cinema. It has a fascinating and poignant Biblical side which meant a great deal to D and I, of course, but might leave an atheist unmoved (in fact I would be really interested to know what you made of it if this is you)and there were some amazing performances especially from the children. The cinematography was incredible, truly breath-taking. It was very long and felt very long, though I wasn't bored. The film contained a strange, unusual moving tempo; sometimes there was super quick cutting and at other times slow scans of the horizon. I enjoyed it very much though, be warned, pretentious hippy nonsense is ones of my favourite genres! Especially if it starts with the book of Job, one of the Bible's more confusing, challenging and, interestingly given the pacing of the film, long-winded books of the Bible.

Anyways, would be intrigued if anyone has seen it.

I'm off to drink first cup of tea of the day. I know it's late for a first one, huh? And to watch the golf. I become an Open junkie at this time of year.

CSW

Like a bridge over troubled water

2011-07-12T21:11:00.001+01:00

Evening friends,
We had a great time with the family at the weekend - the sun shone and all was well. Since then it has been two days of little faffy book jobs and new projects. I've got three new articles in the pipeline. Spent the morning feeling passionate about the first paper which is based on our spring student project. It connects with the brilliant student as producer initiative at the University.

Apart from that it has been super quiet. We watched a silly film, 'Knight and Day', last night. Thoroughly enjoyable rubbish! And I've been busying myself with house tasks and little jobs (phone calls, booking train tickets and the like). We're off to Edinburgh tomorrow for a work/leisure combo trip and there seem to be a lot of wee jobs to get finished before then. Glad to have one more day of faffing before we head off. As usual I'm looking forward to nearly five hours worth of musical gems as we head up the A1. D has been working on his iPod playlist this evening. I've heard wafts of Simon and Garfunkel and Dave Gilmour so it seems fairly promising!

Hope everyone has a great end of week/weekend. Lots of exciting stuff coming up over the next few weeks so I promise that more exciting blog posts are on their way about such varied subjects as academic blogging, the end of the book, America, BBC workshops and...Iron Maiden. Where else could you find such a mix?

CSW

Is there anybody out there revisited

2011-07-09T22:31:00.000+01:00

So here we sit (the whole fam as the Wardens and Youngs the Elder have arrived for the weekend) watching Roger Waters footage on YouTube. D and I reminisce quite a bit about 'The Wall' gig. It was so unbelievable. And when I see that incredible projection in 'Comfortably Numb' I always feel a bit funny inside! We've had a great weekend with the fam - weather has been sunny all day, had a great lunch out at Doddington Hall, ice-cream at Dairy Made in Skellingthorpe and a couple of brief walks around Lincoln. All very jolly.

The lack of posts since Tuesday have been largely down to two things: 1) a distinct lack of anything particularly interesting to say and 2) focusing on the last stages if the book.
My chapter five restructure has proven to be a good move and I feel so much happier with it. There have been some new projects and I've had the great privilege of writing a guest article for a brilliant site called phd2published which will be up and about in a week and a bit. Check out the website if you are between the Phd and your first big publication. These guys give super advice.

Anyways, more tea beckons and a wee bit of washing up to finish. Goodbye cruel world...
CSW

Raised in Captivity from a tidier office...

2011-07-05T21:06:00.000+01:00

...after many weeks of home office chaos I finally decided that I could cope no longer and had a big tidy up. While things are still in piles, at least all my playscripts are organised and I can find my research notes. The latter was particularly important today as, after many months of concentrating almost entirely on the Book, I finally decided that an afternoon on other projects may prove beneficial to my state of mind. I was right! Three new journal articles in the pipeline and they all feel a lot clearer now. The new ipad has been extremely helpful as I reorganise my research plans. Finally everything is in the same place in beautiful files. Ah, there is nothing like a spring clean for the mind!

I am writing this while listening to the new John Wetton album, 'Raised in Captivity' which arrived today. Now I have adored lovely John for a few years now and of all the music on my computer, his back catalogue is the stuff I listen to most. His lyrics are always beautiful and his tunes are so stunningly melodic. As you would expect for a guy who plied his trade with UK and King Crimson, he is an incredible musician. If anything his voice is getting better as he gets older. And after a brush with death and finally dealing with his demons, his music is consistently positive - all about living well, breaking away from past troubles, honouring others and making the most of opportunities. I have only listened to this album once but it is definitely a keeper. There are a few more nods to his proggy roots than you'd find in his Asia/Icon stuff, unsurprising given some of the top names he's worked with here. There are less ballads and more rock which I appreciate and I'm pretty sure it'll go down well with the UK/KC fans. D seems pretty happy with it anyways if he is anything to go by. But there's also some jolly folkie influences and, as this is my background, I'm always glad to hear some strummed acoustic chords. Go John!

It's 9pm on a Tuesday - I've got some green tea in my wee Chinese teapot to keep me company and my HEA fellowship material to get to grips with. It's rock n' roll all the way chez Warden! I have a few days of library faff, yoga, tea with friends, more work on the new projects and house sorting. We're looking forward to having the Warden/Young clan to stay at the weekend (the other reason for cleaning the office!) and are hoping the weather stays jolly. Lincoln is the warmest place in the world right now!

Have a great few days one and all.
CSW

Taking a break...

2011-07-02T10:57:00.000+01:00

...here I sit at my desk proofreading the final chapter. The sun is shining and I am catching up with Kermode and Mayo's film review on BBC iplayer. Man, I love those guys! So I thought I'd take a wee break and fill you in on the comings and goings of this week. Highlights? Being retweeted by the Guardian (fame at last!), faculty research day (a mix of inspiration and terror!), tennis (hoorah for Rafa, poor old Roger), book rejigging (in a fit of pique I have totally redesigned chapter 5 - I must be mad!) and D's birthday. Also much fun and fascination with the Guardian's live chat yesterday. Check it out if you are interested in academic publishing. It was really helpful.

Last night (after D's belated birthday tea) we watched 'The King's Speech'. I've wanted to watch this film for a while now and have heard unanimously positive things about it. So I guess I had very high expectations. I wasn't blown away (says I, ducking under the parapet while friends throw things). Colin Firth is good, but he is really playing Colin Firth with a stammer. I didn't find any of the characters particularly endearing and there is a bit in Westminster Abbey which doesn't make any sense at all. Historically it was very dodgy indeed. And, while I've spent the past few weeks watching inspirational and beautiful Chinese films, 'The King's Speech' just didn't move me at all. How the Tom Hooper beat Christopher Nolan to Best Director I will never, ever know. Sorry guys, I was quite disappointed.

Anyways, after that revelation I think I should get back to chapter 6. Kermode and Mayo are reviewing 'Transformers 3' - totally hilarious! As I battle through the final stage of the proofreading process, I am beginning to yearn for new projects. I have a long list and can't wait to get started. But my birdy friends outside my office window are keeping me company. There are three nests in the trees and they all seem to get along famously. The blue tits are currently playing silly games in the sunshine.

Enjoy the weekend
CSW

Waiting on the White paper

2011-06-28T21:02:00.000+01:00

So the government's White paper was the big news in academia. No surprises really. I was, however, pretty depressed by the comments in the Times Higher including one that read something like 'I wish I could retire'. My response? Well, do retire then and give your privileged job to one of my dear friends who have great research profiles, are inspirational teachers and yet can't get a full time post. It makes me madder than any government paper!

So we had our final exam board today and all was well. Was reminded by how wonderful our students are and how much hard work they put in last year. I've also been getting to grips with the ol' iPad and have transferred my research notes etc on to it. Am delighted with it and feel more organised already. Spent this morning faffing about with a mind map which really helped me to strengthen my structure in chapter five. When I've spent another couple of weeks faffing I'll post a blog post on academic apps in case anyone is interested.

We have been enjoying Wimbledon (go Roger!), a new offering from 'love film' ('The Fighter' with the always impressive Christian Bale - a bit sweary but very interesting), a lovely weekend with David's cousin and some fun reading. The book redrafting is going well and I'll get back to it on thursday. Tomorrow gives me a wee break as it's our faculty research day. Last year this event was really enjoyable and I'm looking forward to it again.

Anyways, a cup of tea beckons and some academic blog reading. All fun and games this end. Oh...and preparation for someone's birthday tomorrow...

CSW

Little dull book jobs

2011-06-24T20:05:00.000+01:00

Firstly, and most importantly, 'happy birthday mum'. Hope you're having a great day.

Since Tuesday it has been mostly book proofreading. I am two thirds the way through the third chapter so the introduction and chapter two are done. Lots of dull jobs like checking citation, making corrections and sorting out syntax. Fortunately I have Wimbledon to keep me company. The book was put on the back burner today as we enjoyed an afternoon of exam boards.

Apart from that I have been...losing at squash (though I played rather well), watching more Chinese films, tidying the flat, getting used to my iPad, learning more about twitter (still a bit of a mystery) and using my new tea set bought in Beijing. It's all rock n' roll here!

Anyways, D's cousin is arriving in a bit and there is still a bit of sorting to do so I'll leave it there. Have a great weekend one and all.

CSW

Manchester, is this love?

2011-06-21T19:33:00.001+01:00

Sorry about the delay in posting this week. The weekend was taken up with much jolliness and our Internet has been a little dodgy since our return. I have spoken to the good folks at Virgin many times now but to no avail. Ho hum.

So what has been happening since last Wednesday? Well, on Thursday night we journeyed across to Stockport. Friday was spent working on the book. In the evening though we caught the train the Manchester to see Whitesnake at the Apollo. Now I was a little nervous about the whole evening. My last gig at the Apollo had been a teenage scream fest (Boyzone - I know, I know!) and I remembered it as a total dump. Friday night was also my first ever proper rock concert. I'm used to the prog circuit now but this was something else entirely. I needn't have worried. There was more fleece than leather, and the crowd were the most respectful, kindly group of folks you are ever likely to meet. The actual gig was loud and fun. Now there's a man who knows what to do with a microphone stand. It was summed up by the sweet fans on the front row who threw tea bags on to the stage for Coverdale to enjoy post-gig.

We enjoyed a lovely walk in Styal Mill on Saturday. This is a place I remember with great affection and it was lovely to wander round round with the parents. Smelly (sister) returned on Sunday so we could enjoy our first father's day together for many a year.

And now we are back to a week of exam board meetings and finalising the book. Today I finished the final read through of the introduction and worked on my bibliography. The latter is a very dull job but does mean that I can have Federer on the telly at the same time as it requires very little actual brain power. I love Wimbledon!

We're continuing with our Chinese films. Last night it was Hero, another beautiful film that made me cry. I am such a wuss at the moment.

A cup of tea beckons.
Enjoy the week folks.
CSW

P.s. Apologies for the brevity and the slightly stilted expression. I am using my new iPad given to me as a present from someone very special. Thanks so much! It is going to make a massive difference...once I've worked out how to type with more than one finger!

...what the...what?

2011-06-15T20:32:00.000+01:00

This was my response to this week's episode of Game of Thrones. Well, we didn't see that one coming! This week has been a jolly mixture of book writing, HEA teaching courses (brilliant - the good folks at CERD are just terrific!) and some lovely play reading. It has been mostly the big hitters of Modernism: Eliot and Yeats. The Book is coming to an end. After the afternoon's session I can really see the finish line.

On Saturday D and I spent all day at home. We even got takeout pizza for tea. What made us so unbelievably lazy, you ask? Well, D was grappling with photographs so you good folks can enjoy our China snaps. He then redesigned my website. It now looks amazing! Check it out. I'm delighted with it. I am also now on Twitter. D has been on this social network for a while now but I have resisted. I am not on Facebook and have some ethical issues with social networks that I won't bore you with. But Twitter feels a little different. I am really enjoying engaging with folks through this medium. Lots of academic institutions now make their announcements via Twitter so it is definitely the way forward. If you are a Tweeter then you can follow me if you go to 'follow me!' on the new website.

Two new China-based films dropped through our doors from Love Film this morning so I'll look forward to seeing them. And we're off to Stockport tomorrow. On Friday night we are going to be enjoying the jolly rock sounds of Whitesnake. I'll write a wee review early next week.

In the meantime, enjoy the week.
CSW

Reflections on China: the full story

2011-06-11T16:38:00.002+01:00

So, as promised here are some thoughts about our trip to China. If you have time and a large cup of tea then check out our photos taken (mostly) by D with his new camera. There is a slide show flicking away to the right of the blog under my lists. This is the cut down album - we started with nearly a thousand so brace yourself...

China was a place I had wanted to visit for a great many years. As an excitable undergraduate living in Aberystwyth I had a number of friends who were fascinated by this great country, and their enthusiasm eventually rubbed off on me. I learnt a lot about Chinese history and about the missionaries who had travelled over to China during the nineteenth century. I own at least five Hudson Taylor books which I read cover-to-cover. And now China is in the midst of great changes economically, socially, politically. It has become a place where the old meets the new, where hutongs make way for skyscrapers and luxury German cars are becoming as prevalent as bicycles. So it seemed an exciting time to visit.

And so it proved. As we wandered around the busy streets of Beijing it all felt rather surreal. Given that I was fulfilling a dream simply by being there, D asked whether I felt a little sad. Often when we achieve something we have been working towards and thinking about for many years we can just feel a little flat. I can honestly say that I didn’t feel sad at all, just a little overwhelmed and very excited.

So here are the high points of our trip:

Walking the Great Wall

This was an incredible experience. I’m not sure what I was expecting but a complete wall snaking off into the distance with forts and breathtaking views was not it. It is one of the highlights of my life and also proved to be one of the toughest fitness challenges D and I had ever attempted. A four-hour hike (the first hour and a half up an almost vertical mountain) in 36 (ish) degree heat. Phew! You know those lists of things to do before you die…put this on it!

Seeing beautiful stuff

Beijing is full of incredible sights, from the architecture of the Forbidden Palace to the amazing parks at Bei Hai and the Summer Palace. At times it feels as if you have entered 'China World' as it is almost exactly as you would imagine, complete with temples, locals doing tai chi and dragon boats. But it really is like that. Take a scan through the photos (click to the right) and see some of the amazing things we saw. Every site was packed full of Chinese tourists, coming to visit their own history.

The Chinese people

Now it is tough to generalise about the inhabitants of a country that makes up 1/5 of the population of the whole world, but everyone we met was so friendly and welcoming. There weren’t many who could speak English (my knowledge of Chinese adds up to ‘hello’, ‘thank you’ and pointing with a grin) but there was a lot of laughter and smiles. On our trip round the old hutongs a lady welcomed us into her house. We had a good chat through our interpreter. Can you imagine this sort of thing happening in Britain? I miss the Chinese people very much.

Visiting Beijing Baptist Church

We love going to different churches on our trips and this one was no exception. Generally it means trips out into the desert or, in this case, to a tucked away hotel. We had a wonderful time with them and got taken out to lunch where they informed us that we shouldn’t eat anything that falls on the table…a useful factoid that stayed with us for the rest of our trip.

Seeing real Beijing

We had booked a guide for one day of our trip to show us around the real Beijing. As tourists who don’t speak Chinese it can be difficult to get around at times. So she took us to markets, tea ceremonies and art galleries and we caught a glimpse of real Beijing. In fact we were lucky to see it at all as the hutongs are disappearing rapidly to make way for flats or offices. The skyline of Beijing has changed at an unbelievable rate. Unfortunately this means that some of Beijing’s most historical districts are disappearing too. Ancient temples and houses are making way for big glass towers. We saw the effects of this in the rubble of the hutong we visited. When we asked our guide she said that there were good and bad things about this. How true!

Chinese TV

D loves watching local telly whenever we are abroad. Chinese telly, however, is rubbish. There is a lot of patriotic dancing and badminton. That said, in a slightly surreal, nostalgic moment, we got to watch Costner’s magnificent Robin Hood Prince of Thieves one night.

Food

The food in Beijing is really excellent and very cheap. Even the best places are a fraction of the cost of the UK. I enjoyed all the vegetables we ate. The Chinese seem to have a good food ethic, cooking from scratch and including veg, meat and carbs in every meal. Here’s hoping that the growing amount of KFC and MacDonald’s won't ruin this. On Thursday night we ate at the Dadong Duck Restaurant, which was truly incredible. Normally I don’t even really like duck! Oh, and D got to eat a snake on the final night and felt no ill effects. One of his other foodie highlights were the vegetable ice lollies - pea or sweetcorn lolly anyone?

D as a celebrity

One thing we hadn’t really prepared ourselves for was D’s celebrity status in China. As he is 6”5 with blond curly hair (goodness, he sounds like a real hunk!) he stood out like an alien in Beijing. Everyone found him hilarious and wanted their picture taken next to him. Cue much laughter and fun all round. I think D has felt a little flat back in Lincoln.

Standing in Tiananmen Square

I remember this place well from my childhood and it was a slightly eerie feeling to stand there in the heat surrounded by Soviet-style architecture with Mao looking down on us.

Wandering round 798 Art District

While we saw a lot of old stuff, we were also impressed with the new. 798 is a contemporary arts district that feels like a mad moment of anarchy in an otherwise ordered country. It taps into a modern movement exemplified by the work of Ai Wei Wei. It was a great inspiring place of experiment and I hope it will continue to go from strength to strength.

And here is a list of the things I won’t miss (it is a very short list!):

Not being able to speak the language

This is a very frustrating experience. But our Chinese friends were very forgiving.

The toilets

Ah yes! I am afraid that I am a soft, wimpy Westerner and cannot cope with holes in the ground.

The traffic

Wow, Beijing roads are insane. I have no idea why there aren’t more accidents. They go by the ‘patient impatience’ rule. Do any move you like, however crazy. But if someone gets there before you then you just shrug your shoulders and nod to them as the better man. In Britain there would be riots in the streets and blood on the tarmac, but in Beijing we didn’t even see anyone raise their voice let alone their fist.

And there you are: some not-so-brief reflections on our trip. As a brief footnote, it may well be surprising (given my research interests etc) that I haven’t really mentioned politics. We are well aware of the political situation in China and some the human rights issues that this country faces. To be honest, we didn’t see anything that caused us concern while we were there, though we learnt that the capital punishment statistics are horrendous. I’m not wanting to put my head in the sand over this one but I can’t really comment, given that everyone we met treated us with the greatest warmth and we wandered around the city with total freedom.

Suffice to say, we had a truly wonderful time and are currently working our way through our canon of beautiful Chinese films – last night it was House of Flying Daggers. I cried…a lot….but I wasn’t sure whether I was crying at the film or at the fact that I missed our Chinese friends.

CSW

Reflections on China: the prologue

2011-06-08T23:12:00.001+01:00

Evening folks,
We've just arrived back after a jolly cinema/Nando's combo. Tonight's film was the new X Men flick and very good it was too. I really like this franchise - intelligent movies with lovely cinematography and really engaging characters. This evening's offering was a great addition to the series. And the delicious Hugh Jackman made a wee cameo appearance. I'd definitely recommend it.

We haven't got our holiday photos online yet as Nikon, in their wisdom, do not include a USB cable with their new cameras. D is waiting for one to arrive from Amazon so for the moment you'll have to make do with a couple of snaps from the iphone. When the photos are up (and I have had some time to think about it all) I'll post some real reflections on our Chinese adventure.

Here's one for all you plane enthusiasts. We flew on the Airbus A380, the biggest plane in the skies. Here it is at Beijing Airport with its little brother from British Airways next to it:

Wandering around Tiananmen Square at night was an incredible experience. Everyone was super friendly and even late at night we felt totally safe and well looked after.

We really loved the English translations of signs. They were always polite and read a little like an essay by an undergraduate who is trying too hard. Here is D standing next to one of our favourites:

And finally for the time being, here is a wee film. D's favourite thing about plane travel is being able to watch back-to-back movies. On the way home they were showing The Edge with Sir Anthony Hopkins (one for all you Kermode fans there). He was slightly surprised by this as, and I quote, "I'm sure that film has a plane crash in it". Everyone knows it is poor etiquette to show an air disaster film while zooming through the air at a gizzilion miles an hour at 30,000 feet. But, in a moment of true comic genius, D managed to capture what the good people of Lufthansa decided to do with the dreaded crash scene.

Anyways, that's your lot for tonight. I'll probably post a more comprehensive response to China at the weekend. Between now and then it is Book, some faffy admin jobs and some serious flat tidying.

Enjoy the week folks.
CSW

And another quickie...

2011-06-06T08:11:00.000+01:00

...just to say that we have arrived back safely from China. Phew, that was a quick week! I'll post further about our trip in the next few days and the photos should be up and about by the end of the week in case you are interested. Suffice to say, it was amazing! D and I couldn't believe some of the things we saw and experienced during our seven days. We were welcomed wherever we went. So if you would like to read stories about eating snake, hiking the Great Wall, trying pea ice lollies and D becoming a Beijing celebrity then check back over the coming days. While D gets another day off to recover, I am back to work today and can't wait to get cracking on the Book. We always love our holidays but we are always glad to get back into things here too. Enjoy your day one and all.

CSW

On our way...

2011-05-26T21:19:00.000+01:00

Just a quickie to say that we've made it as far as Manchester! Hopefully we'll arrive in Beijing on Saturday morning local time. I'll update again on our return but you probably won't get anything while we're in China. Have a happy week one and all.

CSW

Grimsvotn

2011-05-24T22:47:00.000+01:00

No, today's post title is not a mythical place from Lord of the Rings but, rather, the name of an erupting volcano that is currently taking over conversation chez Warden. As the ash cloud hovers over northern Britain we are following the news avidly hoping that our plane will be able to take off on Friday. I have a scarily organised packing system going in hopeful expectation. As D rightly reminded me yesterday when I felt sad about the prospect of not getting to China, there will be people who are trying to travel to see sick relatives or to attend important family events; we are just attempting to go on holiday. So, we live in hope...

This week is taken up with meetings and uploading marks. I have spent a bit of time on the Book, though, and on a new paper which discusses the historical avant-garde archive as raw material for contemporary performance. It is a fun, challenging new project. Tonight we grabbed some sushi with our friends and then, as part of a Tuesday night tradition, watched WWE Tough Enough. What a great show! The Rock was on tonight and we are now left with three really good guys for Stone Cold to choose between.

And if you imagine that the Wardens have intense conversations about theology or politics or ethics then you would be mistaken - the chief topic of discussion this week was the difference between a bread bun and a roll. Hmmm...a question that will keep you awake this evening perhaps.

I'll post when we know more about our trip. "Ash cloud, ash cloud, go away".
CSW

The real Wow factor (is there anybody out there?)

2011-05-21T22:04:00.001+01:00

We're back in Lincoln after a couple of lovely days in Stockport. After last week's blog post bemoaning the overuse of that horrid cliche, the 'wow factor', D and I got to witness the real 'wow factor' at an unbelievable gig at the MEN arena. Roger Waters brought The Wall to Manchester and it was terrific. D had managed to get seats on the third row right in the middle. Here I am in my Yes t-shirt (you don't wear shirts of the band you are going to see - rock etiquette!) in front of the stage before it started. You can see Roger's long black coat in the background.

And here is a wee collection of photos from D's hands:

This is the wall at the interval. As the performance went on a huge wall made of white bricks was made to separate the band from the audience. In the interval they projected stories and pictures of folks killed as a result of war:

Over the years this album seems to have been transformed from something quite personal to something that makes a real political comment. It's political theatre at its best, in many ways. The projections were INCREDIBLE all the way through. In fact, they were probably the highlight for me, along with the amazing puppets...oh and the fireworks...oh and Rog playing up to the audience. But the projection was really special, particularly during 'Goodbye Blue Sky' and 'Comfortably Numb'

Here's Rog in his big black coat. I'm loving the iconography in this picture. It's a parody of a Nazi rally really, though it makes much more general comments on dictatorship, power and methods of control. D enjoyed being shot repeatedly with a machine gun:

And here's the great man again shouting at us. So, it was a somewhat unusual concert experience. Again, check on the amazing projection:

And after a great gig and the entire MEN arena shouting 'tear down the wall' at the top of their voices, the wall duly came down. As we were sitting on the third row, the backdraft created nearly blew me over. And this was the final projection:

So, what were my lingering memories of it all? Well, I appreciated the personal and the political messages of this piece. As usual with Rog's stuff he is ever concerned with the way we have 'amused ourselves to death' and the overwhelming feeling of futility that we can all sometimes experience. I love the way he is able to bring all this to his music, even if, by his own admission, he isn't quite as angry as he used to be. But I also really liked his analysis of contemporary politics, from American soldiers returning home from Iraq to the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes in London. In an era where music is largely (in fact totally!) empty and facile, forcing-feeding kids a diet of rubbish four-chord music and impossibly fanciful (and dangerous) impressions of life, here was some real music to inspire and challenge. Looking round and seeing D and the rest of the Floyd posse singing 'Comfortably Numb' with their arms in the air, it was hard not to be moved by the whole atmosphere. It felt, like D said later, that we had been part of something monumental. I was rockin' out with the best of them.

In fact he had two monumental music nights in a row, going to the MEN on the Thursday night to watch Rush. They aren't my cup of tea but D loved it. It led to a car conversation about why some music is definitely 'boy music'!

D is currently watching our DVD on The Wall live in Berlin from 1990 and I have a cup of tea to drink so I'll be on my way. Hope you enjoyed the review.

CSW

The Wow Factor

2011-05-16T23:02:00.000+01:00

The title of today's blog is my least favourite aphorism in the English language. My hatred for this expression has been exacerbated recently by BBC Two's evening show, the Great British Menu. It is always quite fun to watch this while eating dinner (tonight it was hummus, falafel and salad pittas and frozen yogurt) but the frequent use of this cliche is driving me crazy. Tonight it was used five times...in a half hour show! Insane! What does it mean?!

I followed that up with a lovely workout. Getting a bit sweaty every day is definitely the key. I wore my Lincoln City away shirt, still in mourning for the Imps' relegation nightmare. And (what is now a Monday night ritual) we watched Game of Thrones. It was a particularly brutal episode with slightly too much tomato ketchup for my liking. But this series continues to impress. Tyrion Lannister is still my favourite. He has all the best lines. As I said before, be warned if you are going to give this series a go! But it is a fascinating exploration of power and court corruption.

We had a great Sunday with a preach on election - all very interesting, particularly for me as a four and a half pointer! This after a terrific meal at Doddington Hall with our friends. I was very glad to see the ribs on the menu. I've been eating far more veggie food recently as it is better for me and for the world, but those ribs are just too delish!

Today I have been holed up in my office in my old jeans working through my marking pile. It isn't going too badly and, as usual, there are some very bright moments. One strong filter coffee, lots of water, a selection of tunes (from Zimmer's soundtrack to Modern Warfare to Asia's Omega) and the sound of Lincoln rain battering the window helped me through, that and the gradual countdown to concert excitement and our Beijing trip. We have now booked a trip to the Great Wall (figured it would be better to hike up with folks who knew what they were doing than wander around on our own) and a day exploring the lesser-known parts of the city off the tourist trail. It's going to be amazing. I can't believe it's just around the corner now. I feel as if I have a lot of work to do before heading off!

Well, D is watching Muse concerts on youtube and I fancy a cuppa before bed. More marking tomorrow, though I'm hoping to get some Book in as well. D has found a new cafe (now our beloved Portico has changed hands) called the Angel so I might give that a go for a couple of hours and crack on with the redrafting. Hope everyone is having a great week.

CSW

Mancunian triumphs and Warden excitement

2011-05-14T18:11:00.001+01:00

Saturday is here again and it's been a week of meetings, research and marking. The Book is coming on well, although I am at the stage of deleting words before I can write more. I've enjoyed a number of research-related meetings this week and feel thoroughly inspired. There are lots of little projects on the go and I've got a good plan for the summer.

Excitement is building for the Roger Waters' gig on Friday. We booked tickets for this ages ago and I haven't been allowed to watch any video clips on youtube. It's going to be mega, though I must admit I'm slightly nervous. At least we won't be waiting for Dave Gilmour to join him on stage. This historic event occured this week, unfortunately. D is off to watch Rush the night before. As part of my recent music education D has also booked tickets for, of all things, Iron Maiden in July. That should be a gig! You'll get full reviews, you lucky people.

To celebrate the start of a research summer, D and I want to the cinema on Wednesday night to watch Thor. I have a bit of a thing for these intelligent Marvel comic films and this was a good addition to the canon. He is a very striking young gentleman which only added to the general enjoyment.

And our China trip is just round the corner. We received our visas this week after a bit of faffing about in consulates. So it feels as if we can finally make some plans. Beijing just looks amazing. Be warned, there will be a lot of pictures to wade through.

Today is a lovely day of weekend relaxation. We started off with a game of squash (which D won) and then nipped into Waitrose on our way home. By this stage it became clear that Man United had won the league. Now I used to be a HUGE Man U fan but my fervour has waned over the past few years as money, spoilt superstars and foul-mouthed fans have ruined the game. Always good to see the Reds pick up another victory though. It was also delight for the team in blue as City won the FA cup. Manchester rules the footballing world! Tonight we are off for a jolly dinner at Doddington Hall.

And finally congratulations to our lovely friends Matt and Daisy on the birth of their wee girlie, Elloise. Hoorah and hooray.

CSW

Alba gu bràth

2011-05-09T23:42:00.000+01:00

So, one noticeable thing I missed out of my last post was the election. In England it was boring, dull and predictable. But it was the Scottish election that kept the Warden household up. A virtually speechless D came to bed at about 3 in the morning. I sleepily asked what had happened and he replied (in a mystified voice) that the SNP had swept to victory and Labour had been well and truly smashed to bits. This went down rather well chez Warden. Salmond is a decent bloke and a canny politician, and his second in command, Nicola Sturgeon, used to be my boss and once very sweetly asked if I would mind passing the milk. Anyone who asks so politely surely has to be a good egg. Anyways, there was much happiness here and it is rare that politics leaves you with a warm glow.

The other thing I haven't mentioned properly yet is our latest TV series. We are currently enjoying HBO's Game of Thrones. Be warned, it is not for the faint-hearted, but there are a number of things to enjoy: 1) Sean Bean plays the lead. We love Sean. I need say no more. 2) there is a person of restricted growth (is that the right term?) playing a proper role. Generally disability is treated very poorly on TV and parts are few and far between. It is so refreshing to see an amazing actor in a brilliant role. Tyrion Lannister is fast becoming my favourite character. 3) it has a great soundtrack. 4) it is an incredibly exciting storyline populated by so many good characters. In typical HBO style it is a TV show that looks like a Dickens' novel.

I'm off for a snooze.
CSW

Back to blogging

2011-05-08T21:06:00.000+01:00

So, as promised, I finally return to blogland after a week's hiatus. As predicted, blogging was not top of my list this week as assessments took over. But what a good week we had! It began with the first year performances. All the students had worked so hard and it really showed. My group then 'enjoyed' a super long tech rehearsal. Big up to our sensational LPAC tech boys who remained full of good humour even at 10.45 at night. I love tech rehearsals and even I was beginning to lose the will to live! The Adding Machine went really well and I was so proud of the students. They created something really innovative. Elmer Rice would have been very proud and, I imagine, somewhat surprised by the production. DV8 dance moves, plugging actors into computers and brilliant projections meant that it looked a little different from the original!

After the fire works of the first years, it was on to the third years' Early Modern assessments. I watched a lot of Volpone and Dr Faustus and was hugely impressed by the exciting work created. There were some really brilliant performances. We finally finished at 7.06 pm on Friday night. It was a long week, but it was all so fun. We have some brilliant, talented and imaginative students at the University of Lincoln and last week was a real celebratory showcase.

To end the week, I went to a conference on innovative women's theatre group, the Pioneer Players hosted by the University of Hull. It was a really great event. I don't know a great deal about this society but I want to mention it in the book. This conference was a really helpful introduction and allowed me to meet a load of interesting folks.

So, all in all, a good week had by all. And to top it off D has just booked flights back to Seattle for the end of August. We are so looking forward to seeing our friends again. I think we'll also be heading up to Canada - D really wants to take me to Vancouver. There were only two blips on my week...both sporting related: 1) Lincoln City were relegated from the football league after a terrible display at Aldershot. D went to support the Imps while I attended the conference and said it was the worst performance he had ever seen. The die-hard supporters were absolutely gutted. 2) Christian won the World Heavyweight Championship (hoorah!) and then promptly lost it to Randy Orton at Smackdown just five days later (boo!). Sorry, on to wrestling there just in case you missed the quick change of direction. At least it makes for a great storyline. D has booked tickets for Raw when the WWE hit the UK in November. So, I'll be attending my first live wrestling event.

Anyways, tomorrow is the start of my research summer, although this week is really taken up with meetings and marking. I am so looking forward to getting back to the Book and a number of other wee projects that I have on the go right now.

Hope all of you guys are doing well. This morning D and I were counting our blessings. He is great at this, while I have the tendency to find worries even when there really aren't any! I realised that life is proper exciting at the moment and I am so grateful for all that is going on.

CSW

Sunny Edinburgh

2011-04-30T15:59:00.000+01:00

So, here I sit in Edinburgh doing a little work after a great meal with friends at The Plumed Horse. All too yummy! It's been a funny type of week really - a couple of days back at work, a trip to Edinburgh, a day at the library, a couple of meetings, a faff with our Chinese visas, a visit to Glasgow...oh and a Royal Wedding, of course. Despite the impenetrable sermon we (that does not include D I hasten to add) enjoyed Kate's dress and the balcony kiss. I have no interest in royals or weddings really, but they looked like a happy couple and I hope they enjoy married life. Our highlight of yesterday was traveling through to Glasgow and seeing our good friends, Matthew and Daisy and their gorgeous son, wee Matthew. It was brilliant to see them all.

And, of course, this week saw the return of the first draft of the Book. Despite the abundance of red pen notes, all seems very positive and I'm really looking forward to getting back into it. There is probably another two months of real hard work to be done on it, so the end is in sight. I've really enjoyed this Easter break and have finally stopped dreaming about work. Assessment week coming up so don't expect anything coherent until next weekend. I always enjoy assessment week, but it all looks a little hectic this time. A nice, straight-forward, happy week would suit me just fine. I'll let you know how The Adding Machine goes on Wednesday morning.

Anyways, I'm going to do a little work before D arrives back. I'm watching Sky Sports news at the same time and following the football scores. It's all getting close to the end of the season now and it's a little tense at the bottom of every league. Go mighty Imps!

CSW

Norfolk 2011

2011-04-25T22:45:00.000+01:00

So, as I sit on the sofa recovering from a) my horrid cold and b) watching Lincoln City lose to Cheltenham this afternoon, I thought I would write a wee post about our holiday. We packed our days, as usual, so I won't bore you with a blow by blow account, but I will give you our Norfolk recommendations...

After a trip to Sandringham and the Norfolk Lavender Centre, we found our way to our first lovely B&B. This was the slightly scary painting on the side our their house...

...we are in the country after all! And this was their friendly horse...

We moved to another lovely B&B two days later. During our trip we visited so many great places, including Norwich...

...where I stood in front of the famous Maddermarket Theatre, an important place in British Theatre History. You didn't think I'd be able to switch off entirely, did you?

Holkham proved to be a big favourite, both the house and the grounds...

...and the beach. Gwyneth Paltrow walked along this stretch of sand at the end of Shakespeare in Love. Here is me 'doing a Gwyneth'. I went one better though and took the plunge into the north sea cheered on by my tough Scottish husband. It was freezing and despite D's protestations that 'it gets better the longer you're in'...I got out! Was suitably proud of myself, however.

We saw a lot of wildlife on our trip, including all the usual farmyard stuff, with some amazing horses, but also a lot of sea life. Here I am with the doggie from our second B&B. This picture makes D laugh as he is super scared of dogs while I am a bit blase! But in this picture it looks as if the dog is going for me :-)

For our final night, D had booked a surprise. As we drove up the drive of Brovey Lair, I had no idea what I had come to. As it turned out this is the home of one terrific chef and her husband, who acted as our personal chef and butler for the night. Despite the fact that it is really a family front room, this place has been voted the best fish restaurant in Britain. And it certainly didn't disappoint. Amazing food, amazing atmosphere, amazing weather, amazing rooms to sleep in, amazing breakfast by the pool.

I could bore you with more photos, but I won't. A good time had by all despite my cold. Norfolk is a pretty part of the world, with lovely villages, beautiful houses and an incredible coastline. And it's only 2 hours from Lincoln.

And so it's back to university tomorrow to sort out a couple of things and then we're off to Edinburgh for the Royal Wedding weekend. Have a great week one and all.

CSW

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T22:50:00.000+01:00

Evening all! We are back from our jolly holiday in Norfolk just in time to enjoy Easter here in Lincoln. 'He is risen' and it was good to celebrate with our LEC friends.

I'll post a longer holiday debrief tomorrow but here's a picture to wet (literally) your appetite...

...after a week with no rain at all, we arrived back to an incredible thunder storm. D took this picture from our balcony with his iphone! Unbelievable, huh?

More tomorrow folks.
CSW

End of term at Eden Hall

2011-04-15T21:22:00.000+01:00

So, yesterday the parents came to visit and Mum and I went to Eden Hall Spa. I have never been to a spa before, though I've always quite fancied the idea. A few months ago I received a 'phone call from HR reminding me of a competition I had entered before Christmas. I had won the prize! Two vouchers for Eden Hall. So I decided that Mum deserved a special day and what a day we had! It began with a lovely fruit breakfast. Then I did a quick gym session and we hit the aqua detox rooms, a collection of gorgeous water-themed chill out spaces, including a steam room that smelt of rose turkish delight and a salt room that left our skin feeling all soft. We then found the slumber room, a darkened room with huge sofa bean bags, fish tanks and cosy rugs...and promptly feel asleep. The boys laughed at us for this one! After a delicious lunch we went back to our aqua rooms, pool and hot tubs before embarking on a Tai Chi class. I really loved this class. It was a cross between Bodycombat and yoga, two things I like very much indeed! We arrived back feeling very rested and both of us slept for eight hours straight. Sweet! We will definitely do it again.

Today was the last day before the Easter holidays and, after yesterday's chill out, I had to re-energise myself for tutorials and research. I sent off a couple more projects to various folks and am now waiting on five different responses. Hopefully there'll be some new publications coming up soon! Today was also the last chance to visit our favourite cafe, Cafe Portico, before it closes forever next week. We are so sad to see these guys go. I don't know where I'll work now!

We are now officially on holiday - hoorah! - and are looking forward to some happy days in Norfolk next week. Don't expect any posting until next weekend, though you never know with the power of technology! Enjoy the week folks.

CSW

Visiting my horsey friends

2011-04-12T00:16:00.000+01:00

After a lovely Saturday, Sunday was equally sunny so, after morning service, we headed out to Uncle Henry's for lunch. We have passed this place so many times but have never been in. It is a farm shop with a lovely cafe attached. We had a great meal and D even said that the wedges were the best he'd ever eaten...which is saying something. With the sun shining, D took me on a magical mystery tour and we ended up at Bransby Home of Rest for Horses. Now I am quite a horsey girl so this was perfect for me. This place takes in injured or maltreated horses and gives them a quiet place of peace and tranquility. It is just a lovely place. We wandered round and saw all the horses. They also have a few donkeys. D loves donkeys so he was delighted. He's spent today researching donkeys...watch out for the day the Wardens buy a bit of land! It was such a lovely Sunday.

Today has been back to university with rehearsals, admin galore, student meetings and the start of the Caryl Churchill festival. All fun and games. And tonight we finally got our internet working properly again (actually D finally got our internet working again along with a nice man from Virgin) so here's hoping it'll stay strong. And to celebrate we did the P90X ab ripper, a hard core exercise routine that we haven't done in a while. It is a total killer but great for your core muscles. I'm looking forward to a half research day and a Creation/Realisation rehearsal tomorrow. The flat is looking progressively tidier and cleaner in preparation for Spring and the arrival of my parents on Wednesday. Can't wait to see you both! I have taken a bona fide day of annual leave this week (what!?) and Mum and I are off to Eden Hall Spa. So excited! Then we have D's aunt, uncle and cousins arriving for the day on Sunday. As we drove about yesterday, D turned to me and said, 'what a lot of things we have to look forward to over the next few months' and he's absolutely right: a few days in Norfolk, family visits, concerts (including Roger Waters, of course), a trip to Edinburgh, the production of The Adding Machine, some exciting research to look forward to (OK, so D is not quite as excited about these last two as I am!), Easter (my absolute favourite time of the year) and, finally at the end of May, our trip to Beijing. Phew! Some life we live :-)

Hope everyone is doing well. I'm off for a snooze.
CSW

Weekend sunshine

2011-04-09T19:10:00.000+01:00

This morning I cleaned my little kitchen from top to bottom. What a great feeling! We celebrated by buying a picnic from Waitrose and heading out to Hartsholme park for a walk round the lake. I had such a holiday feeling that I even bought some olives! D wore his pink shorts - actually, they are cooler than they sound.

Well, as the week progressed I finally stopped dreaming about work. I finished teaching on Friday and that's it for official classes until September - unbelievable! Fortunately on my research day I had two plays to read which meant I could take a hour or so outside on my balcony. I have a great job! The first play was David Hare's take on the lead up to the Iraq war, Stuff Happens and the second was Alan Bennett's The Habit of Art, a play based on the rather colourful lives of W.H. Auden and Benjamin Britten. Both relatively interesting. I've been exploring a little more contemporary theatre recently as I have felt a little stuck in the early twentieth century. I'm still a confirmed modernist at heart, though.

This week I also started to finalise my summer plans. This is always an exciting time of year. It's a month of planning and organising, of diary-keeping and new stationary...and, of course, a chance to find a good local cafe for those hours when you need to get out of your home office. I'm in a bit of a quandary with this one as our favourite cafe is just about to close (boo hiss!) so I'm on the lookout for somewhere else. All in all, plans are coming along well. I've still got to sort out my reading list though. I like creating summer reading lists and generally work my way through a broad range of texts over the sunny months. I'll keep posting on what I'm reading. It'll probably be a mixture of C17,18,19 plays (in preparation for our Restoration to Melodrama course) and modern British plays (in my attempt to stay 'down with the kids'!).

If you are anywhere near Lincoln this week then come and enjoy our Caryl Churchill festival. Now, I have to admit that Churchill is not my favourite writer. I have tried to like her work but I find it all a little dull and old-fashioned. That said, this week you can enjoy a range of her plays for free at the LPAC. That has to be worth a look.

Anyways, I'm off to think about dinner. Enjoy the weekend.
CSW

Lambing Live and a Wrestlemania review - what a combo!

2011-04-06T23:22:00.000+01:00

So, the Warden household is currently a little obsessed with BBC 2's Lambing Live. It is a show about farmers and lambing...which doesn't, of course, sound that exciting. But with the wonderful Kate Humble as anchorwoman (I love her!) and so many sweet animals, coupled with the continual sense that these brave folks are battling with the elements to provide good TV, means that this is currently top of our watch list. Tonight, though, football took precedence so we'll catch it on iplayer later on.

I have also spent the week catching up on Sunday night's Wrestlemania. For those of you who don't want to know the scores, look away now... So, I wasn't totally blown away by this year's fayre. Some odd matches, some rushed matches and some weird endings. My highlights were: 1) John Morrison's amazing 'off the ropes' move. He is fast becoming my favourite wrestler (after Shawn, of course, but that goes without saying). 2) The pre-match videos. 3) The Undertaker v HHH match. OK, so I didn't hold out a great deal of hope for this one. It was going to be interesting and exciting (of course, given the high stakes), but I wasn't expecting a good match between two wrestlers who have barely been in the ring in recent months. But, they put on an amazing show, including a couple of truly mad moves, one of which saw the Undertaker nearly taking his own head off as he flew towards the Spanish Announcer's table. Man, these two old guys have still got it. Wasn't convinced by the Cena/Rock/Miz squabble (although some of this was resolved on Monday Night Raw) and Edge has gone down in my estimation after his somewhat pathetic outburst.

Anyone who doesn't care about this sort of populist drivel can resume their reading from here...

And, as for me, I'm glad it's Wednesday night. This is my last mad Wednesday. Before this teaching block, my Wednesday largely consisted of a couple of teaching hours, class prep, a lunchtime yoga class and a departmental meeting or two. This block, however, I have been running around like a mad thing! Today I managed twenty minutes of email checking and sushi as a lunchbreak. No complaints from me, though, as the students have been magnificent all day. The Adding Machine is really coming on. Just occasionally I hear Elmer Rice turning slowly in his grave as we turn the Guide into a lecherous old man, cast two women in the role of Shrdlu or act Lieutenant Charles with humorous asides...but I'm ignoring him! The whole play is really based on the students' ideas and just goes to show that you can really 'act the archive' with imagination and freedom. I'm excited by the precedent this sets.

Anyways, as Lambing Live is yet to appear on iplayer (boo!) so I'm going to have to find something else to do with my time before bed. To be honest, an early night is a jolly prospect as I haven't been sleeping well. Too much dreaming about work!

CSW

Lovely weekends, shining sun and victorious Magdalen

2011-04-04T22:38:00.000+01:00

Goodness, where has the week gone? Well, Saturday saw us heading up to Yorkshire for a special day with the Luehrmanns. It's great to see our friends so settled and happy. And yesterday, after the service, D and I went back to Whisby nature reserve for a wander round the lakes. In fact we walked and talked for so long that we didn't even bother to go home before the evening service. The weather was beautiful and I got to wear my white jeans and new stripy shirt combo for the first time this Spring.

Today, however, is a different story. Winter has returned and I (boo hiss!) have turned the heat on again just to warm the place through. Man, it is freezing here! But it's been a great day of student meetings and rehashing the book proposal. All looks positive on that front. I have taken to hanging out in the Enterprise cafe. Enterprise is Lincoln's version of a career centre but it is really rather exciting and dynamic...and has the best coffee on campus. It is also quiet with BBC news rolling in the background and lots of space to work peacefully, away from the madness of the LPAC.

Tonight we went to another university lecture. Two BBC reporters were discussing the Wikileaks phenomenon and it was all rather inspiring and exciting, particularly for the undergraduate journalism students present. D asked a question about perceived bias in BBC reporting...which went down a treat, as you can imagine :-) Brilliant! And then it was back home to see Magdalen College, Oxford triumph on University Challenge. What a great team!

Actually, I am quite impressed that I'm still up and about, and writing in sane fashion after watching the first part of Wrestlemania last night. This is the most exciting wrestling event of the year. I wasn't totally blown away by what I saw before I finally drifted off at about 2am. D watched it through to the end and says that things improved. I don't know the final results and am particularly looking forward to watching the Undertaker v HHH later on tonight if I can find it online.

Anyways, this week is relatively calm with teaching, book proposals, play reading and many student meetings. And there is a peaceful weekend coming up. The Masters Golf will probably dominate chez Warden. In fact, it feels as if we are slowly winding down for the term. That is a pleasant but sad feeling as our third years will be flying the nest.

I'm off to find out if Cena beat the Miz (!) and drink another cuppa.

CSW

University Challenge and Challenges

2011-03-30T23:18:00.001+01:00

See, three blog posts in a week. Da da!

The day was spent running at break neck speed around the LPAC in a pair of shoes that I shouldn't have slipped on this morning. It was a sneaker day really, given the amount of time I spent in Studio 2 but, as I was also interviewing perspective students, I felt a smart outfit was more appropriate. My feet are only just recovering and were not improved by tonight's squash game - soundly beaten, as usual. Tomorrow, in sharp contrast, is a quiet research day at home.

Anyways, today was mostly spent discussing promenade theatre spaces with my first years, carting boxes of paint around, meeting the stars of tomorrow and (most bizarrely!) turning balloons into skulls to be used as props for the mad Thomas Middleton play, The Revenger's Tragedy. Surely nobody else in the world had a day like that!

And, finally we got round to watching Monday night's University Challenge on iplayer. This is really the only show we never miss. It began as a bit of joke when D and I spent three months apart. Every Monday night we would get Skype going and watch UC together. It all gets rather competitive. Tonight was the last semi final and Magdalen College took the last place in the final. They're a pretty brilliant team and the final should be mammoth.

But D found an older American version of this show, which we enjoyed as a pre-UC warm up. It was the 1966 battle between the might of Princeton and the lowly women's college, Agnes Scott. Go the girls! Thought I'd embed the final part below for your enjoyment.

Anyways, a quick cuppa and a snooze is in order.
CSW

Staff Magazine Editorial

2011-03-29T23:41:00.000+01:00

This month I had the great privilege of writing the editorial for the University of Lincoln Staff Magazine. Just thought you might like to read it. Comments welcome as it describes something I've been thinking about for a while. It begins with a number of silly questions from the general editor, Dave...

Proudest Moment: Being awarded my PhD and getting married in the same month.

Dream Dinner Party Guests: my husband, Elizabeth Gaskell, Peter Gabriel, Ewan MacColl, William Wilberforce, Nigella Lawson and wrestler, Shawn Michaels. We would change the world in the space of an evening!

Favourite film: Studio Ghibli's My Neighbour Totoro

What are you listening to at the moment? the 'Inception' soundtrack while working and Yes' 'Talk', Asia's 'Omega' and Peter Gabriel's 'Ovo' in the evenings.

If you had a superpower what would it be? Space/Time manipulation

Last week I gave two lectures as part of our first year Foundations of Twentieth-Century Theatre module; in the first I received a round of applause for pretending to be a rhinoceros and in the second I baffled the group by reading Karl Schwitters' peculiar poem 'What a b'. The former was an attempt to bring the Theatre of the Absurd to life through the poetic diction of Eugene Ionesco and the latter, part of a broader explanation of Dadaism.

Both lectures were loosely connected to my own research in the area of theatrical avant-gardism. At times academics can be guilty of disconnecting research from teaching, presuming that there is little relationship between the two. So recently, I've been reconsidering the way my own research impacts my students. For this Foundations course, my studies proposed a clearer way of understanding the relationship between the concepts of 'modernism' and 'avant-gardism'. It also, inevitably, meant that students had to pretend to be body parts as we participated in a workshop of Tristan Tzara's The Gas Heart!

And, further, I've been listening to the way my students respond to the ideas I present. After the fireworks of Ionesco and Schwitters, one student legitimately asked, 'but isn't it all just meaningless?' It led to a rewarding conversation about the intention of experimental theatre and how it might help us to think differently about art and the world outside the theatre walls. While I've considered these ideas before, my own conclusions were reinvigorated and challenged by the fresh eyes of my slightly bemused first years. As I write my first monograph and look forward to teaching on a fresh, revalidated degree next term, this experience has reminded me of how excitingly fruitful a university can be for academics and students alike.

CSW

Starting a new week

2011-03-28T23:46:00.001+01:00

So, D is back after watching Scotland lose to Brazil. He had a great time though and enjoyed catching up with his mates and eating pulled pork and ribs at Bodeans (anyone who knows how much I adore this London restaurant will spot the slight tinge of envy in my writing there). It is VERY good to have him back. I spent Sunday...tidying the house a little, reading, watching the football, eating dahl, and attending a friend's baptism. I also rewatched Christopher Guest's Waiting for Guffman, which is just about the funniest film ever! Trouble is, as I watched, I began to wonder if I was actually turning into Corky St Clair. I too do breathing exercises and force my students to play silly games as a warmup. I too float around talking about set design, 'darling'. Oh dear, I need to step away from the theatrical world before I find myself wearing sequins during the day (that's a wee joke for one of my colleagues there!).

I also spent a bit of time thinking over my current goals and objectives. I think I've probably posted on this before, but I like to do this on a fairly regular basis. The last time I was in London, I nipped into Muji, which has to be one of my most favourite shops. I bought a couple of notebooks for just this purpose. As you might imagine for a person who spends most of her time reading and writing, life only really makes sense when I see it written down! It is a bit like taking a life MOT, and I can only say that I find the process very rewarding.

Lots of things to enjoy today: a lecture for the gorgeous second years and I even got the technology working first time round, a lovely two hours in the Enterprise cafe reading a play I'm teaching (The Revenger's Tragedy), our V-C's inaugural lecture (complete with rather excellent buffet!) and some great evening quiet time after a tough capoeira workout. And have recently had some fab email chats with old friends. Our mates are now spread all over the country and, indeed, the world, but it is always great to say 'hello'!

Anyways, we missed University Challenge tonight so a glass of juice and BBC i-player in bed beckons. Next Creation and Realisation rehearsal tomorrow. Received two emails of notes from student-organised meetings over the weekend and, apparently, the purpose-built Facebook page (don't ask me, I don't do Facebook) is buzzing. Man, those guys are just great! I love their enthusiasm and vision - it is all rather inspiring actually.

CSW

Where are the Wardens?

2011-03-26T23:03:00.004Z

Happy Saturday one and all! I start with apologies for a distinct lack of posts this week. It has been a nicely busy one of rehearsals, teaching and exciting research plans. And then my Dad reminded me tonight that I hadn't written a post all week. Ooops. So here I sit watching Quantum of Solace out of the corner of my eye. I had forgotten how terrible the camera work was in this film. It doesn't let you focus on anything for more than a split second together. That fascinating opening fight on the scaffolding is made virtually incomprehensible. It begins to feel as if you are on a rollercoster after drinking three espressos. What were they thinking?

Anyways, I am home alone as D has travelled down to London to watch Scotland v Brazil with some old school chums. It always feels very odd without him but I've made the most of a quiet weekend. I'm finally starting to get to grips with a play called Hassan by James Elroy Flecker. It is a very weird play...very weird! But I am interested in it as a presentation of Iraq on the Western stage. I finished my second reading of the play this evening and now just need a couple of weeks of cogitating time.

So this week we mostly...booked a wee holiday to Norfolk for our Easter break, ate sushi with friends, played a new tennis game on the PS3 and listened to Iron Maiden's rather good new album, With 100% attendance, I was prouder than ever of my gorgeous first years. And I've got back to a book I started a good long while ago, Battle Cry for Freedom. It is all about the American Civil War, a topic I know very little about really. Very interesting but a little dense for pre-bed time reading. Another quiet day in store tomorrow, awaiting the return of D.

Enjoy the rest of the evening. I'm off to make a cuppa in the break.

CSW

Here comes the sun...do do do do...

2011-03-21T00:05:00.000Z

Finally Spring has sprung and we have had a gorgeous weekend of sunshine. Yesterday, the flat was a mess and a had a pile of books to work through. But instead the Wardens dropped the chores and went for a long walk in Whisby Nature Park. D even got to wear his shorts! OK, so a filled in quarry doesn't sound all that great, but I absolutely loved the place. It is so pretty and quiet. We walked and talked and got our vitamin D fix. And all this after a Friday night of jazz and sushi. We have got the hang of this sushi thang now!

We've been enjoying the Yes Minister box set. While it is dated in some ways, it is totally contemporary in its analysis of the civil service. We're also playing a game of Fifa on the PS3 every night at the moment. I am totally hopeless! D is aiming for a 10-0 drumming but hasn't quite made it yet. I must admit, it is a rather demoralising way of spending an evening!

And so, another week begins and it starts with a 9 o'clock lecture tomorrow on politics in post-War British theatre. There's still a bit of marking to do and some teaching prep to bash through. Tuesday sees the next Creation and Realisation rehearsal. It's now fully cast and the students find out their fate this week. I have an incredible group of guys for this module. Can't wait to see what they make of it! I have a number of research projects to work on, including a couple of ace new books to read, a couple of papers to bash into shape and two brand new articles to begin. And this on top of trying to sort out copyright for the book. This is a complicated process! Glad to have a slightly quieter teaching load this block so I can crash on with some research work.

Tea to finish and then off to bed.

CSW

And the rehearsals begin...

2011-03-16T20:25:00.000Z

The past two days have been intense! Two three hour Creation and Realisation rehearsals focusing on my cut down version of Elmer Rice's The Adding Machine. And I am glad to say that they were just brilliant. The students were committed, enthusiastic and full of good humour. We got a good amount of work done and we left feeling very excited. I am so pleased and proud of those guys and can't wait to create a new performance with them. Tomorrow is a day of first year marking. Third year essays are done now. Research has been largely abandoned for this week, though I do have a couple of book reviews to complete tomorrow.

We've got a quiet weekend in store. The farmers' market is on so I'll go and buy some veggies and some ostrich burgers. I've got some banana muffins to bake, some books to read and some classes to prepare.

Anyways, after getting soundly beaten at squash (though each game was relatively close) and some lovely mince and potatoes to warm me up on this cold, foggy night, D is now making tea and we are about to watch the first episode of a new box set: Yes Minister. Classic British comedy. Can't wait. Given the general busyness of today, tonight is a no-work zone. Lovely.

CSW

p.s. Big birthday hugs to my Daddy, 60 years young today!

60th Birthday celebrations

2011-03-13T23:09:00.000Z

We're just back from sunny Stockport where we've been celebrating Dad's 60th birthday. All very jolly fun! A lovely late night party, a happy walk in the park, some yummy food and a cake with an icing picture of Dad on the top!

Apologies for the lack of posts last week. I was in the writing zone and finally got the Book first draft finished on Friday morning. 74,799 words of brilliance (!?) now sent off to my wonderful reader in Edinburgh. It feels really very good to get it off the laptop and on to paper. And now I can start doing some proper teaching prep! Creation and Realisation play is cut and rehearsal schedule written. Two thirds the way through rereading Dr Faustus - again! Oh, and I have a pile of marking that, were it not in electronic form, could safely form the foundations of a substantial family house. Hmm...a busy week in store methinks! On top of that I have the great privilege of playing the Woman of Samaria tomorrow for a group of school children. All fun!

Research will begin again in earnest when I get up to date with everything else. I'm writing this while half watching the Liam Neeson film Taken on the telly. It's a great film - very interesting and challenging (be warned, it's not for the faint hearted) - but extremely tense and probably not the best thing to watch when you have a slight headache and are preparing for bed. "I will hunt you down, I will find you and I will kill you". If you have seen the glorious Coogan and Brydon vehicle, The Trip recently then that line will make you giggle...which is probably not quite the desired effect of Neeson's original! Anyways, a cuppa and a snooze in preparation for the general joyous busyness of tomorrow.

CSW

London's Calling take two

2011-03-08T21:43:00.000Z

I've just arrived back from my second trip to London in the space of a month and a half. After returning from my last trip, the archivist sent me an email saying that the material I was searching for, that seemed to have disappeared into the ether, had actually reappeared. 'Hoorah', saith I. Cue another trip down to the Capital. This time it was just for the day though, which meant an early train. Given that I was travelling first class, however, it also meant free tea, peace and lots of fruitful working time. You will be pleased to know that this morning I finished the dreaded Greenwood paper. I have lost any ability to discern whether it is any good or not, but it is done and will be sent off tomorrow morning. Double 'hoorah'! So these are the variety of topics that have entered my head today:

1) Guys who wear brown shoes with a black suit almost certainly are not married
2) How I wish that good word processing had been invented earlier! I spent most of the day crouched over barely decipherable typewritten sheets...with pencil corrections!
3) Bodeans' pulled pork is surely the greatest food ever created
4) Oxford Circus is unbearably busy at 6pm on a week day
5) St Pancras station is class (and even has D's favourite patisserie, Pauls) whereas King's Cross currently resembles a set from post-apocalyptic thriller, Children of Men.
6) Muji has by far the best and most reasonably priced stationary
7) Today I discovered a new shop, Uniqlo, which had some lovely clothes. I might get a pair of chinos for summer (NB these last two make it sound as if I spent all day in shops. Actually I spent approximately 12 minutes in shops today on my way back from Bodeans...honestly!)
8) I really like getting up so early in the morning. It is lovely to have a bit of quiet time on the walk down to the station and to pray through the day.
9) How much do the V&A archives resembles a stereotypical Victorian mental institution?! I get a little creeped out wandering down the corridors.
10) How great it is to return home to D after a wonderfully productive and exciting day, knowing that things are just happy right now. I feel like the most fortunate and blessed of ladies.

A varied list indeed! Tomorrow I start on my final book read through. The next few days could be long ones as I approach Friday's deadline. And, of course, the marking has just come in so I get to read a pile of essays. The third years have made up their own projects so I'm really excited to read what they have to say. Phew, I am done. Tea beckons.
CSW

Jazzing into the weekend

2011-03-04T16:59:00.000Z

By the wonders of modern technology, here I sit in the LPAC cafe waiting for D and friends and listening to tonight's jazz band warm up at Commuter Jazz. All fun. A good second half of assessment week saw me largely hanging around at home and in coffee shops, writing the final lines of the Book first draft. My self-imposed deadline is next Friday so it could be a busy one next week. With marking and a Tuesday trip to London, it will be here before I know it.

This evening the in-laws arrive for a happy weekend in Lincoln. We are off to our new favourite eatery, Chequers, tomorrow and D is looking forward to his gammon :-) I am wearing my new Levis army jacket (an M&M sports bargain), though it isn't really warm enough yet. The sun hasn't shone in the East Midlands for years and years!

Anyways, here the friends come. See, you get up to date info at Molemaison...however boring it may be!

CSW

We're all going on a summer holiday...again!

2011-03-01T23:21:00.000Z

And where are we going, you may ask? Well, the Wardens are off to Beijing at the end of May and I can barely contain my excitement! I have wanted to go to China for many years for three major reasons: 1) the events at Tiananmen Square are firmly ingrained in my brain from being a wee girlie 2) the idea of walking along the Great Wall fills me with unexplainable joy 3) Hudson Taylor is one of my heroes and his tales of China and his love for the Chinese people have long been an inspiration to me. So, all to say, we are really looking forward to our trip.

But for the time being I have a book to concentrate on. Today was very profitable as I sat in a cafe reading Marinetti's Critical Writings and writing the conclusion. And then I watched some great physical theatre pieces as part of our assessment week. Great stuff! The next book proposal will be in by the end of tomorrow and I am quietly pleased with it considering that I haven't had chance to start the research in earnest yet. I am really enjoying my research right now and extremely grateful for all the time I have been given to work on my projects. With all the academic reading I'm doing, my private reading has been sadly lacking. I have a whole heap of books on the go but am making no progress at all. A long flight to China could be exactly what I need!

I'm off for a snooze. I didn't finish assessing until 9pm so it has been a long ol' day. I'm hoping Spring will arrive pretty soon. It is cold here and I have at least four items of summer clothing that I really want to wear. And a new (extremely cheap) pair of Superdry sneakers that need to be broken in. As these are light grey and white, I think they need to be saved for a sunny day!

CSW

The Cutting of 'The Adding Machine'

2011-02-26T11:34:00.000Z

Although today's title sounds like that of a cryptic Sherlock Holmes story, actually it refers to this week's big project. After passing the 70,000 word mark, I spent just a couple of hours a day on the Book and devoted a majority of my time to cutting Elmer Rice's The Adding Machine in preparation for the first year Creation and Realisation module. I had to cut a full length play down to an hour, get rid of the tough American accent and update it slightly to make it relevant for my students. So really it becomes a homage to Elmer Rice rather than a real version of his 1923 play. I also learnt my lesson from last year and did some rather dramatic cutting. While I really enjoyed last year's version of Ewan MacColl's Uranium 235, I felt the whole thing was a little wordy. We didn't didn't really have the time or the space to consider production values. So, this year the written play takes just over half an hour to read aloud. This gives plenty of space for lighting effects, explosions, elaborate costumes etc. Grotowski? Who's he? I'll keep updating the blog with rehearsal discoveries etc, just in case you are interested in this process. Just checked the registers and I have a really lovely group of students to explore this play with. Last year was so much fun so I'm looking forward to getting started with this in a couple of weeks.

It's been a quiet week of research and planning. I've seen a good number of students to discuss their essays and have been able to get on with some book writing as well. Next week we're on to assessment week, although this time round, it is all rather relaxed as I haven't taught on any practical courses. So it's just a couple of German Drama productions and some innovative Physical Theatre performances. And, again, plenty of research time. Hoorah!

Last night we slipped into the weekend with some cool Commuter Jazz and some lovely sushi with our friends. Today has started rather slowly really. For some reason I was extremely tired last night, went to bed early (just before midnight - that is seriously early for us!) and woke up late. Feel much the better for my long snooze. Today is going to be a combination of book writing, rugby watching and cheesecake making. I love our quiet Saturdays. I'm also hoping to do some jobs around our house. It has its messy corners at the moment!

CSW

Today's trip to Sheffield

2011-02-23T22:21:00.000Z

Good evening folks.
Yesterday I reached the dizzy heights of 70,000 words. It felt rather like scaling the great heights of Kilimanjaro or placing that ceremonial flag on the Moon. All very exciting. I'll get back to it tomorrow afternoon.

Today we had our school trip out to Sheffield to see David Hare's Plenty at the Crucible. What a great theatre! It is in the 'cultural industries quarter' (it's not just 'cultural' but 'industrially cultural'!) and was totally full of jolly theatre-watchers. So, on to the play itself. I must admit I feel it is a little wordy and long-winded. There are some moments of brilliant, witty writing, however. During our post-show chat we considered the tension between personal and public politics. For me, the show is a little too character-centred to really be effective as either a State of the Nation play or as a piece of straight-forward political theatre. That is not to say that it wasn't an enjoyable afternoon's viewing but I remain a little confused about genre and intention. It doesn't seem to give any remedy for the situation and the end is extremely depressing.

The class politics were also a little difficult and I was constantly reminded of Joan Littlewood's accusation that you could only find folks with working-class accents playing servants or comics. Whereas, in this sort of play, the working-class characters generally provide some sort of hope against the backdrop of the demise of the ruling classes, Hare doesn't seem to be making any such claim here. Is a piece politically-engaged in any useful sense if it doesn't offer any alternative? Or is this real politically-engaged theatre, drama that negates obvious, utopian conclusions in favour of a more complex, allegorical approach? I have no answers, only questions...

There was some brilliant acting, including from ex-Eastender Jack Ryder. And the whole play started with a rather striking moment of male nudity that was a little surprising!

Anyways, tomorrow it is more 1-1 meetings with students and then on to research. The next few days are relatively quiet and so it's on with the Book and the second book proposal. I also need to start thinking about cutting The Adding Machine down to an hour.

More tea needed and a good snooze.
CSW

Tutorial Week

2011-02-21T22:41:00.000Z

Evening folks,
We returned from a happy weekend in Cardiff last night. It was great to see Smelly and Stu, and to wander round the Welsh capital. It is a great city! I particularly liked the Assembly building with its big windows and intimate debating chamber. Like at the Scottish Parliament, you have to put your belongings through the airport-style scanner. As we look like regular cymraeg lovers, we all got through just fine...except for Smelly who was, apparently, carrying an unidentifiable object in her bag. Smelly is never parted from her large, Miss Prism-esque handbag and the guard searched through it a little gingerly with the end of a pencil. Very funny! We even saw a couple taking a rabbit for a walk on a pink lead. Cardiff is great! On Sunday it was off to Barry Island. Those of you who are fans of Gavin and Stacey should know that we bought ice-cream from Stacey's cafe and a cone (yes, cone!) of chips from the chippie next to Nessa's amusements. I know nothing about this show really, but it seems to have reinvigorated the funny old seaside town that is Barry Island.

Today it was back to the dreaded Greenwood paper and back to the lovely students who wanted to discuss writing style and essay plans. Then it was off to get soundly beaten at squash. This is the first time I've done any exercise since my cold and I felt a little under par. I think it'll be EA sports active tomorrow.

This is tutorial week so I'm meeting up with loads of students, working on the Book and preparing the script for my Creation and Realisation class. All fun. And on Wednesday it's off to Sheffield to watch David Hare's Plenty. We are off on a departmental school trip. What larks! I'll post a review later in the week. And this week the Wardens explored ebay as sellers not buyers, earning all of £16 from a couple of items we didn't need. It was all quite exciting as the bids came in. I'll spend every penny on my train to Sheffield. Ah, capitalism at work!

Anyways, I'm off to clean the house a little (our letting agency are coming for their customary visit tomorrow) and make a cup of tea. Oh, and check the results of the Elimination Chamber (WWE). Enjoy the week one and all.

CSW

Croeso i Cymru

2011-02-17T23:09:00.000Z

That's Welsh! And it's in celebration of the fact that we are off to Cardiff to visit Smelly sister and Stu this weekend. Just a quick blog post before we head off. This is the last week of teaching for this block. It's been a really enjoyable four weeks of political theatre and post-colonial excitement. Today I spent far too long teaching the musical and danced home singing 'Springtime for Hitler'. D is still working his way through the next series of Curb. Given that it is the series when Larry is rehearsing for The Producers, my world is suddenly starting to feel a little cyclical!

I am feeling much better than earlier in the week and, though my nose still seems a little odd, I am now functioning with a normal voice and sans the big box of tissues. After watching P&P earlier in the week, I moved on to the sensational Mansfield Park (D always says that, of all the Austen heroines, I am most like Fanny) and Emma Thompson's great version of Sense and Sensibility, with the lovely Alan Rickman. What joy!

Anyways, will post upon our return from the Land of Our Fathers. Enjoy the weekend one and all.

CSW

Sniffle...Happy Valentine's...sniffle...Day

2011-02-14T17:57:00.000Z

I am definitely on the way up. I still have watery eyes and a sniffly nose but in the past couple of hours I have definitely felt better. The only good thing about being ill is when it stops! It always reminds us how great it is to be well. Actually there is another good thing...watching films! I watched two in twelve hours yesterday - the lovely Amazing Grace, about William Wilberforce and the Keira version of Pride and Prejudice. And before I get emails telling me that the latter is a pale reflection of the BBC version, I beg to differ. Yes, Keira is wrong for Elizabeth, we miss the gorgeous Colin Firth and the whole thing is just too quick, but this film has incredible cinematography. It is just the most beautiful movie. And you suddenly become aware of class differences. Unlike the BBC version, you actually realise why Mr Darcy had problems with Elizabeth's family background.

Today I have done a good amount of work considering my fuzzy head. I've just about finished the second book proposal and am nearing the end of the dreaded Greenwood paper. I'll be glad when this one is done and sent off. D arrived back with a selection of delicious M&S meals - Valentine's Day made easy! We never celebrate Valentine's Day or, indeed, any other days you are supposed to celebrate. Everyday life is great enough and, though that sounds a little gushy, I really mean it. So, while this is a heart and flower free zone, I do have posh vanilla yogurt for pudding.

Tomorrow I'm in a long meeting all day so hopefully I'll feel all ready to go. I'm up for a quiet evening watching University Challenge tonight. It's been three days since my last workout so I'm itching to get back to exercising. I might leave it until tomorrow though, to be on the safe side.

And check out www.clairewarden.net. I now have a posh website of my own, not just a blog. If you are here for academic reasons, then my new projects are up there. If you just like the chat, then...check out the groovy graphic, courtesy of D. Dinner will be up soon. Hoorah!

CSW

The Perils of Performing Arts

2011-02-12T12:46:00.002Z

Happy weekend one and all. Finally, I got sick. I have been fighting it for a week and now am curled up on the sofa with tissues, Benylin and pizza. Actually I don't feel too bad at all - just a little under the weather. I still managed to enjoy the Brazilian beats at Commuter Jazz last night. We then hung around the LPAC to watch Hull Truck's April in Paris by John Godber. It was good fun, though, as often with comedy, it was the sad moments that stayed with me.

To cheer up any who are feeling a little under the weather today, here is a funny story about the inherent danger of studying Performing Arts.

from this morning's Lincolnshire Echo

POLICE firearms officers were called to Lincoln College in the city's Monks Road today after a girl was spotted with what looked like a handgun.
Passers-by were cleared from the area while officers waited outside.
When the girl re-emerged from the building officers spoke to her but no further action was taken.
Lincolnshire Police spokesman James Newall said: "Police were called at 2.38pm after reports that a girl was brandishing what appeared to be some form of firearm outside the building.
She then entered the building. Officers attending the scene put into place a well rehearsed response.
Officers spoke to the girl a short time later."

Reports suggest that the 'weapon' was just a prop for a performing arts class.

Genius! And let that be a lesson to us all. I'm glad the so-called 'passers-by' don't hang around the University during assessment week! Swords, comedy axes and screaming are the norm at the LPAC.

Anyways, I'm off to watch the Manchester derby and do a little work on the Greenwood paper. Hope everyone has a lovely day.
CSW

Brooker and Flintoff Versus the World

2011-02-09T21:38:00.000Z

Evening! After a total whitewash in our squash game tonight (D beat me six games to nil...and I didn't even play that badly!) we are now sitting watching England v Denmark and enjoying a peaceful night at home. It's been a lovely day of lectures and interviews, and, to my relief, my voice held out. It's been a little dodgy for a few days now. My throat is a bit sore but otherwise I feel totally fine. I'm hoping it won't escalate into something more dramatic!

So, last night we watched a bit of TV and, rather unusually, caught two interesting, enjoyable shows. My opinion of television is generally low - it appeals to the lowest common denominator of humanity. But here were two programmes I actually enjoyed. The first was Flintoff Versus the World, a show that follows ex-England cricketer, Freddie Flintoff, as he travels round the world with a couple of mates taking on extreme challenges like jumping off cliffs and riding bulls. So far, so predictable. However, Freddie is so endearing and sweet that it becomes rather lovely entertainment.

The second was the wonderful Charlie Brooker's How TV ruined your life. It was funny, smart and insightful. Last night Brooker was discussing the problem of lifestyle shows that present a totally unreasonable, (paradoxically) unreal view of reality. While I have a penchant for the occasional house design programme, I largely hate this sort of telly. I particularly hate shows that rely on either a) telling people with a modicum of talent and an on trend haircut that they are the next Whitney Houston/Stevie Wonder/etc or b) telling people already on an emotional knife-edge that they have no talent at all and are, actually, delusional fools. Preserve me! Fortunately, in Charlie Brooker, I have found a kindred spirit and he can rant and rave on prime time telly while I cheer on from the sofa. The language is a bit fruity so be warned if you catch it on iplayer.

Anyways, the game has finished and England has won a totally pointless, uninspiring match. Compare it to the Super Bowl and weep, UK sport fans. D has shoved on the latest episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm so more Larry is on the way. One more crazy teaching/meeting/admin day tomorrow and then a Friday research day to crack on with the Greenwood paper and book proposal. Looking forward to Friday Jazz as well.

CSW

Sorting and the Super Bowl

2011-02-06T23:33:00.001Z

Had you arrived at Chez Warden at 10 o'clock this evening you would have found me and D up to our ears in clothes and mess. We were tidying out our wardrobe and sorting things out. Were you to knock on our door right now you would find two slightly sleepy Wardens eating Kettle Chips and watching the warm up (sorry, "pre kick show") for the Super Bowl. Shout out to our American friends! Man, we love you guys! We are going for the Packers tonight, I think. Not sure if we'll stay up for the whole thing. I have, after all, got meetings and teachings tomorrow. D might tough it out though. American football is a sport I have never understood. However, we avidly watched the Washington Huskies win their big game and D talked me through it. As a massive Rugby League fan, American football comes more naturally than I imagined.

Our friends Stateside would laugh at the BBC's coverage though. Obviously the Beeb doesn't do advertising. The Super Bowl seems to break for adverts every other minute and the 'guys in the studio' have to chat inanely while you guys get to watch promos for Doritos or Hot Dogs or Hershey's or something. They're doing alright at the mo but give them another couple of hours and they will surely run out of things to say!

Anyways, enjoy the night and I'll post again mid week.
CSW

p.s. oh, and by the by I have changed the web address for the blog. While you can still access it via molemaison.blogspot.com, you can also use www.clairewarden.net. How cool!

"I am Heathcliff" and "this rock has been waiting for me my entire life"

2011-02-03T00:09:00.000Z

So, in the past two days we have watched two very different films! It's been another slightly barmy work week so it's been nice to have a couple of restful hours with D each night enjoying movies. The first was last night via t'internet: PBS' version of Wuthering Heights. Now, as most of my friends will know, this is my absolute favourite book of all time. At the age of 14 I sat on my bed and read the whole thing from cover to cover, breaking only to eat and sleep, as I recall. It is the most amazing, terrifying, wonderfully romantic, horrifyingly gothic book I know and if you haven't read it then you should! At 14 I felt that I had learnt everything there was to know about love from Emily Bronte's characters. Fortunately I have mellowed slightly since then and D hasn't had to wander over lonely moors shouting my name or anything. This new film was really good. I haven't yet seen a truly convincing Heathcliff (and I saw the great Sir Cliff in the musical version - seriously!) but Tom Hardy was really great and the whole thing reminded me of the beauty and complexity of this book. And Hareton is surely one of the most lovely, redemptive characters in fiction.

And tonight, after a crazy day of teaching and student interviews, we endulged in out customary Nandos/cinema combo. We went to watch 127 Hours. This came as a bit of a surprise to me (I thought we were going to see the new Christian Bale film) and I entered the cinema feeling a little nervous. You see, this is the film 'where the guy cuts his arm off'. Now, I am not into horror at all and I never watch excessively gory films. I didn't like the sound of this at all. I came out feeling quite different. I don't often cry in the cinema (hard-hearted woman!) but I felt as if I could cry and cry for hours and hours (in the interest of decorum, I didn't). I truly cared about this guy and was totally immersed in his story. Interestingly I never placed myself in his position or imagined what I would do if I got my arm inadvertently stuck beneath a boulder. Instead, it made me think about things like friendship, community, the need to rely on others, the bonds of love that tie people together, and the importance of living life to the fullest. Pretty profound for a Wednesday night! When he leaves his arm behind he seems to be leaving more than just a body part. Rather he is abandoning a previous way of living and, in fact, is a fuller person without the arm. Into the ether he just says 'thank you' and D and I were discussing the focus of his thanks. There is no horrid Hollywood 'may as well cry out to God given that nothing else has worked' moment. But there is a sense that he is thankful for this important, revelatory moment. OK, so I covered my eyes briefly during 'that scene' but I would really recommend this thought-provoking film with its incredible scenery and beautifully realised central character.

Anyways, it is late and I have finished my tea, so it is time for bed. It has been a long day!
Hope everyone is doing well
CSW

Snoozy Saturdays

2011-01-29T15:50:00.000Z

Goodness, it's been a busy week! I finished working at 1.30 this morning. D stayed up with me and we enjoyed some great vintage Yes. I realised that Endless Dream actually makes my come over all emotional, though it might have been the combination of amazing music, extreme tiredness and a looming deadline.

After the craziness of the week, it's been a pretty slow start to Saturday. We had a bit of a long lie and then I spent the morning rereading Wole Soyinka's strange, incredible play, Death and the King's Horseman. Although British and Nigerian cultures are, to a certain extent, juxtaposed, this is not really a 'clash of cultures' play. In fact Soyinka himself thinks that just presuming it is a play about colonial relations is a bit reductionary. Rather, it is a study of the Yoruba culture. The language is beautiful and it confronts a number of really difficult issues. We'll see what the students make of it on Monday. I heard Soyinka speak in Edinburgh a couple of years ago. He is incredibly charismatic and passionate. I didn't agree with everything he said but he was extremely inspirational. I am also teaching classes on Brecht, the Theatre of the Absurd, and the Living Newspaper tradition over the course of the next few days.

I'm trying to couple this with some proper research work, though, I must admit, this week the teaching took priority. Because of the way my teaching falls, I actually have two research days this week and am looking forward to finishing the first draft of the Book and preparing two book proposals. Phew!

Other than work and workouts, life has passed me by this week. We did get to LEC's first ever homegroup on Thursday. It was an exciting moment in the life of our church. We are in a lovely group and had some good chat about fellowship. D's reruns of Curb Your Enthusiasm also continue apace. I think we have just entered series 3. I even found myself feeling sorry for Larry the other night. Blimey!

Anyways, I'm off to do a bit of cleaning and listen to the football. D is watching Aberdeen-Celtic and, given that Aberdeen are already down 4-0, I think the poor boy might need a coffee! Have a great weekend one and all.

CSW

Do you know the offside rule?

2011-01-25T23:00:00.000Z

In light of the recent Sky controversy, this was posted on Twitter...

Fantastic! I particularly like the Henry vacuum. It reminds me of cleaning between the chairs at Carrubbers! For your information, I do know the offside rule.

Hope it made you smile - in an ironic way, of course. I only wish I was writing a book on feminism and sport. This would make the perfect front cover.

CSW

"You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire" - Peter Gabriel

2011-01-23T23:55:00.001Z

It's Sunday night and I am sitting in a relatively tidy lounge listening to an amazing Peter Gabriel gig from Wolfgang's Vault and enjoying a cup of camomile tea. Pretty brilliant start to the week! I love Peter Gabriel. D and I were just chatting and I realised that I always turn to his music when I need a 'pick-me-up'. His tunes are challenging, beautiful, politically-engaged, poetic and uplifting. I adore his mix of Western rock and world music. He is totally mega! It's fascinating to see the way music affects mood. It is such a powerful thing.

We've had a lovely day with a good couple of church folks. The day included some incredible pork crackling (difficult to get right!), a refreshing walk round Skellingthorpe and a conversation about a stroke club (don't ask) that made me laugh until my sides hurt. Unfortunately it also included a super flat tyre which meant our wonderful Pastor's wife came out to collect us. Here's hoping the folk at Kwik fit can do something about that tomorrow.

The puncture was presumably picked up while out on our Warden trip yesterday. We had such a great day. First stop was the lovely town of Oakham. We did a bit of food shopping as there are some great local produce shops and had a wander round the centre. And then it was off for lunch at Chequers. Great meal, wood burning fires and some lovely chat. A perfect Saturday.

And so it's off with the new term tomorrow. I'm not teaching until the afternoon so I'll spend the morning at home doing some prep. I'm really looking forward to seeing all the students again and getting on with the new courses. It's going to be a good term. The projects are coming along nicely and I now have the skeleton version of my Walter Greenwood paper up and running. It's taken a bit of time to hone this one but I'm feeling happier about it now.

Anyways, the Gabriel concert has finished with a rousing rendition of Biko and now we are on to Yes. It's thrills a minute chez Warden. I've finished my tea and am off to bed. It's a busy week ahead, filled to the brim with fun stuff. I need my beauty sleep.

CSW

p.s. I take it back - D has found a very controversial 80's Bowie concert to listen to. I am going to make the wild presumption that he is the only man in the know universe currently listening to - and more importantly enjoying - this gig! D has a knack of enjoying the anomalies in artists' careers, those sell-out moments. It means I get to listen to some weird stuff!

Enthusiastic about Twitter

2011-01-21T20:33:00.001Z

How do you like the new blog look? D has done another reworking job. It looks like the kind of place I wouldn't mind spending a jolly holiday in the sunshine, so it seems a good background to choose as we approach warmer climes (I hope!).

We have just arrived back from a jolly jazz event at the University. Every Friday night the Lincoln School of Performing Arts is hosting local jazz musicians as part of its Commuter Jazz series. What a great idea - a couple of hours of jazz on your way home before heading into the weekend! It concluded a busy working week full of third year performances, careers week and teaching prep. Looking forward to getting back to teaching next week.

So, what has been going on chez Warden? Well, D has been working his way through the Curb Your Enthusiasm box sets. D loves Larry David! I love bits of this show. I find comedy a difficult genre! The more Curb D watches, the more he turns into Larry. It is a slightly disturbing transformation. While D enjoys the wonders of HBO, I have been rereading Elmer Rice's The Adding Machine. Like last year, I am again teaching a performance module cryptically entitled Creation and Realisation (eh?). In 2010 we did a version of Ewan MacColl's mad, nuclear physics play, Uranium 235. So this year I'm after something equally interesting. The Adding Machine is a possibility, as is Capek's R.U.R. (though I think this is too difficult) and Auden and Isherwood's The Dog Beneath the Skin (surely too poetic for a short first year piece). Hmm...this will occupy my thoughts for the next few weeks. We start the module in March so I've got a bit of time yet. All suggestions gratefully received.

D has also enjoyed his time on Twitter this week. He has just joined and is keeping up with all sorts of people. I've never been on Twitter before and am amazed and confused in equal measure! There is just too much going on - everything moves all the time! And everyone is having inane conversations that you can listen in to. I'm not on Facebook (no point in looking for me there) but Twitter does seem a little bit more interesting.

And tomorrow we are off on a Warden outing. We have booked lunch at Chequers, just outside Grantham and I think we'll take a trip out to Stamford and Oakham before that. A lovely day in prospect!
Tonight it is washing (clothes not myself!), a bit of tidying and a bit of work on my Walter Greenwood paper. This article is coming on quite well, though it needs a bit of tweaking yet.

I'm off for a cup of tea...scrap that...a cup of tea arrived of its own accord attached to the arm of D. Huzzah!

CSW

"Nature is cruel but we don't have to be" - Temple Grandin

2011-01-18T20:53:00.000Z

We had a lovely quiet weekend - a brief visit to the local market, some reading, some office tidying, enjoying a good Sunday preach, church lunch (the key lime pie went down well - hoorah!) and a great film. We watched a fairly new HBO flick called Temple Grandin with the gorgeous Clare Danes in the lead role. It was based on the life of the eponymous title character who was born with autism. It tells of her struggles as she advances in her career, finally becoming a professor at Colorado State. It was really inspirational and cleverly narrated with little imaginative flashes.

It's careers week in the department and today D and his boss came in to talk to the students about CVs. All very jolly fun. On top of this the third years are busy with their group performances. There is A LOT of thick face makeup and lavish costumes. I love working here! I have a bit of teaching prep to do, although this term it is all really good fun - a couple of lovely option modules which I'm team teaching with some buddies and a great introductory first year course. Somewhat surprisingly, it all feels very organised! As far as research goes, I'm going to take a few hours out of teaching prep each day this week to do a bit of work on this new book proposal and a paper that I want to send off before the end of next month.

And, other than that, it's all quiet on the Warden front. I realise that I haven't posted anything particularly thought-provoking or witty or ground-breaking over the past few weeks. Sorry about that! Normal service will resume momentarily :-)

CSW

Loving London and back to Lincoln

2011-01-14T21:48:00.000Z

Hey folks!
So I made it back to Lincoln after another day in the archive and a brief coffee with my old Aber buddie, Becca, at Embankment Starbucks. Had a lovely trip home reading Trollope's Barchester Towers on my Kindle. I have never read this book before though it is one of my Grandad's favourites so I thought I'd give it a go. It is a wonderfully satirical take on the Church of England and religious pretense. Give it a go if you like big Victorian novels!

After spending a happy three days in the Capital I realised why I like it so much down there:
1) there are always things to do and there is excitement in the air, especially around Leicester Square which is really a Southern urban version of Blackpool...with great theatres.
2) there is an incredible work ethic. When I sit in a coffee shop in London I definitely get proportionately more work done than in the equivalent cafe elsewhere. I know that these TV home programmes are littered with people wanting to escape the demands of London life, but I really like the hard work concept. Folks are ambitious and, while this doesn't always manifest itself in the most positive ways, there is something quite inspiring about that.

But then there is the terrible air quality, fighting for a seat on the tube and the eye-watering prices, so it isn't all good. I'm certainly not sure if I could live there.

Since returning I have mostly spent my time marking. I have now finished! Tomorrow is set for research - I'm nearing that Holy Grail 70,000 word mark. I might even head up to the Farmers' Market for an ostrich burger or two. We have a couple of films to watch, books to read, a flat to tidy (my office is a bombsite!) and a cake to make for church lunch. I'm going for something spectacular a la Nigella.

Oh and guess who's back at WWE Raw...

Shaun is back, ladies and gents! Hoorah and hooray! It was only a brief return to celebrate his admission into the Hall of Fame but even so...His sweet chin music (that's his signature kick move for those non-wrestling fans out there) on Del Rio proves the old guy's still got it. HBK, HBK!

Feeling much better today. Still a little bit weird but much better. Think I'll attempt a work out in a minute and see how I get on. I'm enjoying the EA sports active software. I have started a 9 week challenge and so far, so good. It really mixes it up so there's no time for boredom and the skipping sessions are brutal!

Enjoy the weekend guys!
CSW

The Country Girl - Review

2011-01-13T10:14:00.002Z

I arrived at the archive yesterday to find it all closed up. Rather frustrating (make that very frustrating) but at least it gave me the chance to head out to the University of East London to meet a colleague. Then it was back into town for a performance of The Country Girl and here is a review in case you are interested:

Well, it was a very enjoyable play, very depressing but enjoyable none the less. During the performance I began to realise what a tough play it is to pull off. The central character, Frank (played by the lovely Martin Shaw who has surprisingly buff arms for a 65 year old!) has to be both thoroughly obnoxious and loveably engaging all at the same time. His wife Georgie (pity poor ol’ Jenny Seagrove who spends most of the night in tears) is equally complex. You have to be convinced that Frank’s stories about her suicide attempts might be true but she has to remain the most independent, spirited character onstage. So far, so tough. But couple this with potential infidelity, alcoholism and the backdrop of the theatrical world and you have a really difficult play. As you might expect from two actors who have worked so much together, the leads are terrific and you are totally convinced by their relationship. At times it was really tough to watch, particularly when Frank is at his drunken snivelling worst. As the play takes place in small rooms or cramped backstage areas, it was also incredibly claustrophobic. This mirrored the experience of the characters onstage who are almost all trapped by circumstance and/or their own character flaws. I don't think I'll see a more enjoyably depressing play all year!

And so on to today and back to the archive. Looking forward to a day in the Unity Newsletters. Full service will resume over the weekend. For any concerned for my health after yesterday’s post, you’ll be glad to know that I am feeling much better. I’m not quite firing on all cylinders but we’re on the way up.

CSW

In London

2011-01-12T09:54:00.000Z

So, contrary to my last post which said you wouldn't receive any new updates until my return on Friday, here I am sitting in the front room of my hotel, listening to Classic FM and taking advantage of free Wifi. Hoorah! And if you are looking at the time of the post and thinking 'academics are lazy good-fer-nothins' then, for your information, the archive doesn't open until 10.15. If you want to imagine where I am then I'm staying on Holland Road, just off Kensington High Street.

It was a good day yesterday filled with some totally amazing documents. I spent a good couple of hours on one file which contained three lovely Workers' Theatre Movement newsletters from the 1930s. I've already found some great potential graphics for the front of the book. I want to have a nice striking cover and, fortunately, the fab 1930s print block designs of Unity Theatre totally lend themselves to this. Watch this space!

So, am just about to walk back down to Blythe House (V&A archive) and do some work on the Unity Newsletters which are waiting for me. It is the first archive I have visited where they actually weigh each file to make sure you haven't taken anything. Every library has its own funny ways of doing things. Everyone there has been super helpful and kind. Tonight I'm off to Theatreland to see a play and then it's back to Lincoln tomorrow. Good times! Am not feeling quite at my best today. Was a bit sick and headach-y last night and, although I feel heaps better, it has knocked me about a bit. It is very unusual for me to be ill like this. I haven't caught any sort of bug for about 4 years so it was probably my time. Here's hoping that it'll be onwards and upwards today.

Enjoy the day, whatever you do.
CSW

I'm the King of the Swingers

2011-01-09T23:21:00.000Z

Evening folks,
Having just finished my workout for the night (EA Sport Active on the PS3 - seriously tough!) I thought I'd sit back and write a wee post. Apologies for the lack of news over the past few days. So, I just about finished the 3rd year marking on Friday - a jolly mixed bag. It has been a quiet weekend chez Warden. On Friday night I made popcorn (Amish Rainbow popcorn actually, bought at a wee market in snowy Washington State) and watched The Jungle Book. I have never seen this film so it was a bit of a treat. It is so psychedelic! You could have guessed in was produced in 1967 - a year of free love and too much hash! On top of this, we've done a couple of workouts, watched a lot of darts (Wolfie was victorious in the end), caught up with the ironing and completely reorganised and cleaned my bathroom. The latter is part of my new year tidy up. I'm giving myself a few jobs each week.

This week, however, I'm not going to get a lot of house sorting done as I am off to London for a research trip. I'm leaving a large, fierce Scotsman at home so I shouldn't bother to rob us! I'm visiting a nice wee archive at the V&A. I'm even catching a play while I'm there - The Country Girl by Clifford Odets. I might even get to Bodeans if I'm feeling particularly adventurous. Looking forward to reading some plays and finding some good photos for the book. Exciting times.

It was great to get back to our church this morning. I awoke to find a lovely Spring day. The sun was shining and it felt as if the Winter was slowly waving goodbye. We saw all our friends and heard some great preaching, as always. I love this time of year, especially after such a hard Winter (weather-wise, that is). So, I think I'll watch the football highlights and then head to bed in preparation for a long day marking tomorrow. You might not get another post until I return from the Capital so enjoy the week in my absence.

CSW

Entering the New Year

2011-01-05T20:13:00.000Z

Copious apologies for not posting sooner. We only returned to Lincoln last night after a week and a half away. It was good to see family and friends, try out my snowboarding skills and read some jolly books on my Kindle. We only got to watch one film all holiday - Inception. It was just as good the second time around.

At chez Warden the tree is still up and dusty Christmas cards still sit on our coffee table. I am going to 'de-festivize' the place at the weekend. But first I have a few days of hard work ahead. It began today with some book writing, some new book proposal writing (more of that at a later date!), some book reviews and some planning. I am a mad planner and list-maker so I enjoyed my first hour of the day. And tomorrow I'm off to university to get on with a pile of marking. I'm hoping for some fun essays to read.

While the PDC darts championship has finished, we are now enjoying the BDO version. D affectionately calls it 'council darts' and the standard is certainly a lot lower. But it's all good fun. Both my Stockport boys went out first round though. Boo!

So, as for New Year resolutions...well, I always manage to keep them for about 2 and a half days so I think I'll do without this year. We're pretty contented with the way life is going right now. We've both set wee challenges for ourselves over the coming months. Targets in all areas of life are really beneficial. I use them all the time in an academic context - deadlines and word counts. It is great to branch out and apply them to life more generally.

Anyways, I have washing to sort and D has challenged me to a PS3 rematch. I lost our basketball game miserably last night so am quite determined.

I'll post at the weekend, hopefully with something more interesting!

CSW

Just call me Shaun White!

2010-12-31T00:20:00.000Z

Today I was mostly taking on the Scottish mountains on my board. I look very cool, calm and collected in this photo, but it was super scary! I am shattered tonight but it was a great day. Our trip up north was wonderful as always. The Highlands are just beautiful at every time of year but especially in winter.

Happy New Year one and all.

CSW

A quick festive post

2010-12-28T22:49:00.000Z

Alright! So, here I sit with the fam, watching darts having eaten the world's largest helping of bread and butter pudding. Ah, I do love the Christmas period! I hope Father Christmas brought you all you wanted. I was thoroughly spoiled: a couple of 66*N jumpers from D (even though he had already given me a pile of pressies - naughty boy!), some lovely new jammies and Doddington Hall vouchers from the rents, and a Kindle from the in-laws. Goodness! I took my Kindle on the bus today and it was very jolly reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

We've spent a happy few days with the family. It was great to get to Carrubbers on Sunday and see all our friends, and we even squeezed in a happy trip to Ocean Terminal yesterday to spend some Christmas money. Tomorrow we are off to Kingussie (weather permitting) for some rest in the snowy Cairngorms. Then, it's back to Edinburgh for New Year, down to Stockport for a couple of days with Mum and Dad and across to Lincoln in time for mad marking week.

And so, back to the darts. James Wade is struggling...

CSW

Happy Christmas from Lincoln

2010-12-24T09:32:00.000Z

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

Here's wishing all our friends and family a brilliant festive season and, most of all, the joy of knowing this Saviour.

CSW