The wonder of Hugh

I am delighted with my title pun! It is in reference, of course, to Les Miserables which D kindly took me to as a wee treat. He is very patient. So, I realised I haven't yet posted a review of this so here it is...

Funnily enough I actually preferred it to the stage version and it is not often I say that. There are two reasons: 1) the book (which I have nearly finished) has such tremendous scope, particularly when it comes to the French Revolution. The stage show, for obvious reasons of brevity, is forced to ignore this. The film (because a picture can say a thousand words, of whatever the cliche is) manages to capture some of that scope. As a prime example, Hugo devotes twenty pages or so to discussing the Paris sewer system, a fact that goes unrecognised in the stage show. On screen, Valjean and Marias' escape through the sewers is pretty graphic and perfectly responds to Hugo's description 2) on stage your perspective is set. Unless you run up and down the aisle (not recommended) you are always the same distance away from the stage and even if the set designers mess with the perspective a little, you are always more or less a particular distance from the action. In the film, Tom Hooper used close ups...lots of them...and then scanned back...a lot. While this 'in and out' movement had the potential to become a little grating, actually it worked wonderfully for this film especially for Fantine's solo (Anne Hathaway should win every award going for this) and Valjean contemplating his fate in the Bishop's church.

I really liked the live recorded singing. It made the whole piece feel very fresh and unusually raw for an on screen musical. This worked particularly well with its sense of realism, again chiming with Hugo's prose. As for the individual performances...well my standout was, of course, Hugh Jackman as Valjean who was born to play that part. As anyone who knows me will know, Hugh can do no wrong in my eyes. Anne Hathaway is immense and Russell Crowe has been given some bad rap but is actually a rather good screen presence especially in the 'Wolverine v Gladiator' scenes. Eponine and Marias were both excellent, although I wasn't a huge fan of Cosette's voice, but that might simply be personal preference. In a lovely nod to the history of Les Miserables (one of my pet hates is calling it Les Mis - don't even think about it!) the Bishop was played by none other than my childhood hero (and original London Valjean) Colm Wilkinson, whose voice remains as good as ever. And it was nice to see a brief cameo role from Sheffield Crucible's own Dan Evans.

So, my verdict? For me this film redeemed a musical that had become rather tired and cliched. I have fallen out of love with the musical over recent years but this has convinced me that there might be a place for a really good musical story in the modern world.

Anyways, back to the books. I am in France at the end of the week at a conference and have plenty of work to do on a book chapter and, of course, the Difficult Second Book which I approached with intrepidation today after some months away from it. The Introduction is a 6 out of 10 currently which really isn't too bad.

CSW

The Tree of Life

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

Taking a break...

...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

Reflections on China: the prologue

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

Croeso i Cymru

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

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

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

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

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

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

What on earth was that all about?

The title sums up my reaction to last night's film. D suggested that we watch 2001: A Space Odyssey on blu ray. It was on my list of 'classic films I probably should have seen'. As the final credits rolled D (as always) asked, "so what did you think?" Generally I am able to answer this question, but this time I was stumped. About God? Well, for me this film felt completely godless. About evolution? Well, yes, it begins with monkeys fighting with bones but the human race doesn't seem to evolve...it just gets slightly less hairy! About the nature of humanity? Certainly. The 'death' of Hal was really quite upsetting. About Nietzsche? Absolutely! The whole 'ubermensch' business was clear to see throughout and I think this is the reason I presumed it was a godless universe. About subjectivity and perception? Oh, for goodness sake! Anyways, I'd recommend it if you haven't seen it yet. It certainly got us thinking and talking. I think I probably appreciated it for the incredible visual effects and, even more, for its amazing use of music. I guess it is multi-sensory but how that combines with all the philosophical stuff, I don't know - is it a film for the intellectual mind or for the senses? Or both?

I am currently enjoying slow but happy days of research and Book preparation. Today I hit 10,000 words of that tricky Language chapter I keep mentioning. Finally my argument feels as if it is coming together. The problem is that I am trying to argue two, seemingly contrasting things: first, language is vital to our understanding of a British avant-garde and second, that language isn't quite as vital as previous scholarship has presumed. This sort of argument ties me up in knots! But the mist is clearing...

...which is more than can be said for the weather which has hit the UK in recent weeks. We have had some serious frost here and today the snow was back which meant that we couldn't get to a party in one of the surrounding villages. The main roads were fine but with the promise of more snow (which didn't actually materialise) we decided to take a rain check. Here's hoping that all's fine for our upcoming trip up north.

So this evening we had D & M's special Christmas. We have had this exciting event every year since we were married so we don't have to cart presents for each other around the country. Warden Christmas always comes early, always involves something experimental in the kitchen and always means too many presents for me. To celebrate I made Nigella's Mexican lasagne from her new book, Kitchen (we love Nigella and she has rather generously put the recipe online) It's great, easy and it's veggie too! I used half fat cheese so, given that you are really just eating loads of veggies and pulses, it is also very healthy...particularly by Nigella standards. We both did very well. D surprised me with a gorgeous Ugg leather trench coat.

As usual he bagged himself a bargain and I was the beneficiary.

In other news, I recently joined a website called academia.edu where you can post your academic details and make web-friends with others working in your area. But the truly surprising thing about this online community is that it tells you when someone has Googled you! Emails come through to your inbox to tell you as much. Totally weird! It is a great site though and well worth joining if you have any connection with the academic world. Cheers Joanne and Will for introducing me to it!

Anyways, it feels very late but isn't so I think I'll go and have a snooze in a second. We are able to get our lounge really warm but the rest of the flat is colder than cold. Brr...It doesn't make me want to get up off the sofa and walk across the Arctic region that is our hall!

I'll post again over the festive season!

CSW

"Are you sixteen, duck?"

This was the question directed at this increasingly elderly lecturer while trying to buy PVA glue in Poundland. I mean...how much trouble could anyone cause with a small bottle of PVA? I was, however, utterly delighted! This was really the highlight of the weekend! Due to the snow D and I spent most of Saturday and Sunday indoors enjoying our books. We didn't even get to church so, instead, listened to Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill. We did decide to brave the icy pavements on Saturday night though and wandered down to Nando's for a bit of spicy chicken. D then convinced me to accompany him to watch the new Denzel Washington vehicle Unstoppable at the cinema. It was fairly predictable but enjoyable stuff. Actually I felt that it was a more interesting film than it thought it was - generally I feel the exact opposite! The relationships were so nicely crafted and convincing but, for some reason, the director insisted on mediating the action through the cameras of Fox news and I don't think it was a satirical comment. This was a bit of a shame as it turned the audience member into a voyeur. Oh goodness, that just sounds magnificently poncy...sorry about that!

So, other than that there isn't a great deal of news. This is the last week of teaching and we have an exciting weekend ahead. We are off for an adventure, traveling up to Edinburgh on Friday for our first gig of the weekend, over to Stockport on Saturday for Grandad's 90th birthday party and through to Holmfirth for out second gig. We are following Asia across the country! Can't wait to see John, Geoff, CP and Steve again. I'm off for a cuppa and a re-read of Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest which I'm teaching tomorrow. What a great play!

CSW

Thoughts for the weekend...

...so here are two things I am currently thinking about:

1) Why don't women like Nigella? In an attempt to answer my own question (a typical lecturer trick) I think it has something to do with my rant post on twenty-first century women of a couple of weeks ago - women just seem to enjoy dragging other women down. I love Nigella. I think she is wonderful...as is her flourless chocolate brownie recipe. Oh, too yum!

2) Where are all the brown trousers in the shops? It is autumn, the season of browns, oranges, warm scarves and lovely boots. Well, my bargain pair of Hush Puppies arrived just this week but a search of our local shopping district for a pair of gorgeous skinny brown cords proved fruitless. And another thing...why are skinny jeans so blinkin' tight around the calves? Do I have unusually large calves in comparison with the rest of me? Am I the only lady to have such issues?

D and I have enjoyed two films in as many days. Tonight it was some classic James Bond action with Goldeneye. Last night we watched Shutter Island. In many ways it reminded me of Inception, a film I loved. Partly this was the Leonardo di Caprio factor and partly the similarities as psychological thrillers. I did enjoy it mostly. There were a couple of 'hide behind the hands' moments. I am a notorious film wuss! There was a certain ambiguity about the end and I was still thinking about it this morning...that's always a good sign.

Anyways, given that the clocks 'Fall back' we can enjoy an extra hour of snoozing. How nice! I think I'll head that way now. I spent the day smiling and attempting to impress prospective parents and students at our open day. It is all very exhausting! Don't expect much news this week; a busy few days of assessment coming up. Really looking forward to seeing the students' work. It is always super exciting.

Enjoy the week folks

CSW

In Edinburgh

I woke up on Thursday morning to find that our electricity was off. This was not because we hadn't paid our bills, you understand, but because something had gone wrong underground. Strangely the night before D had been watching The Road, the film version of Cormac McCarthy's 'Oh, it's so postmodern, ra, ra, ra' novel. It is a post-apocalyptic narrative and when I realised that I couldn't even make a cuppa on Thursday morning I wondered if life had imitated art! Fortunately it came back on again before I left for university and our frozen meat remained frozen.

It's the weekend and D and I are enjoying a happy time in Edinburgh. Yesterday and this morning were spent in the library catching up on some research. The highlight was finding a play that I presumed was lost forever to the annuls of time. It was a very exciting discovery! We've also seen a lot of the fam, including our wee niece Rebecca who is growing all the time. And to top it all off we had a lovely lunchtime meal at the Dakota. It was Rebecca's first time in a restaurant and she behaved magnificently. She's developing a very refined palate and a taste for fine dining...at 6 weeks old! We're heading back to Lincoln tomorrow but it has been a very restful but very productive couple of days. I must admit it has been wonderful to sit in the library and get on with some work. I get a lot more done away from the university office!

Anyways, we have a busy week coming up with meals out, meetings and (so much joy!) judging a school drama competition. Looking forward to that. It is also our last week of teaching for this block which means that assessment is just round the corner. Lots of Bertolt Brecht in store, which should be fun. I'll fill you in later in the week.

CSW

Lists, lists, lists

Good evening,

So, given that my life is fairly dull right now (at least dull to everyone who doesn't have a morbid interest in the historical avant-garde) I started thinking this morning about bringing some much needed readability to my blog posts. So I thought I'd start posting some lists. I love a good list, in fact my life is governed by them. So, here's the first (and if I remind anyone of that bloke in Nick Hornby's High Fidelity then...well...you're probably right):

Top Five Favourite Films of all time

Now I don't claim to be a film buff at all. In fact of all the artistic genres this is probably the one I can take or leave. This is in marked contrast to D who is a bit of film fan and despairs at my lack of knowledge. But here goes...

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

This film reminds me of a lovely Edinburgh evening when D promised he would take me to see this film if I accompanied him on the Christmas Big Wheel. After 10 minutes of high vertigo terror we went down to the Omni Centre. And I cried...a lot! I don't usually cry at films (ask my Mum who thinks I am terribly cold-hearted!) but this film really made me think about wonderful spiritual truths. I also want to be Lucy Pevensie!

The Great Escape

I love this movie. Moving, funny and historically interesting, it's got it all, including the amazing Steve McQueen on a groovy 1940s motorbike.

Aladdin

An odd choice you may think for a nearly 30 lecturer but I still think this is the best animated film ever. Sister (Smelly...no, she wasn't Christened that!) and I used to watch this whenever we were off school. In fact, as I remember, it was our only real video for quite a long time. Everything else was taped off the telly. I also saw it on my first ever trip to the cinema. Granny B took a whole load of us to the cinema in Wilmslow (?) and I still remember how exciting it all was. Smelly and I could recite the whole script with accents!

Inception

So I only actually saw this film last week but it creeps into my top five (obviously these things are subject to change) simply due to the way it got me thinking. Contrary to the impression given by my last choice, I actually like films that make me think a bit. Well casted and brilliantly directed, this is a film that will stay with me for a good long while yet.

A Beautiful Mind

My final choice was a tough one. There are a number of films I have really enjoyed, not least the new Sherlock Holmes, the X-Men series (I'm a sucker for a good super hero), Spinal Tap, the Lord of the Rings trilogy etc ad nauseum. But for the last of my top five I've plumped for A Beautiful Mind. I find this film academically inspiring even though it is about maths! I still remember being surprised by the psychological twist the first time I saw it (only me?) and the soundtrack is mega.

So there you go...With any luck that got you thinking. I love this sort of thing. I'll post others on different topics and hopefully it will mean that summer blog posts are slightly more interesting while I am chained to a computer writing the book.

In other news we have finally booked our summer holiday. Given that we are going away in a couple of weeks it's about time we made concrete plans. So, in typical Warden fashion, we are staying at a beautiful B&B in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales for a couple of days before heading north to catch up with Edinburgh friends (and for me to sing at St Giles in my comeback gig - yikes, nervous isn't even the word!). Then it's off further north to the Cairngorms for a jolly few days with Charlie and Liz and some peaceful walks around Loch Garten. Lovely. I'll take some photos for the blog.

Oh, and we've just booked Asia gig tickets for December. Front row centre. Woohoo!

That's all...a quiet weekend ahead. Doing Body Combat tomorrow for the first time since leaving Edinburgh. I won't be able to move on Sunday morning!

CSW

Inception and a boy free zone

Well here I sit home alone as D had headed up to Edinburgh for a couple of days. Sadly it's for a funeral rather than a jolly holiday. He'll be back on Sunday but until then I have the flat to myself. I'm hoping to get lots of work done while he's away; apart from anything else this Regionality paper needs to be finished by Saturday. Phew!

But today was a day away from the computer for a wee trip to Leeds to visit the Luehrmann's. It was so lovely to spend some time with Em, Anna, Elijah and Rosie. They all seemed very well indeed. I've been missing Carrubbers friends recently so it was super to see them. It only took a couple of hours on the train and it's great to have them so close.

So last night we finally got to see Inception. I don't want to give the game away so no spoilers, I promise. Suffice to say, you really need to see this film. It is just magnificent. Though it's pretty high concept (entering someone else's dream space? Eh?) it is directed with such subtlety that it just works. Strangely given that it is (arguably?) a kind of science fiction/psychological thriller film, it was the realism that really struck me. It dramatised my own experience of dreaming - waking up with a fall, seeing people out of context, bringing subconsciously repressed material (don't worry, nothing too weird!) to the surface. Man, I just loved it. D and I talked about it for ages afterwards.

So, a couple of big work days and trying not to miss D too much!

CSW

Birthdays all round

Well, what a weekend we had! At 2am we were still sitting in Mum and Dad's garden after a fab bbq. The whole fam came along and it was great to see everyone, including the Warden clan. We spent a sunny Sunday on the boat.

We returned back to Lincoln with D's birthday present from his Mum and Dad - a Playstation 3. I know nothing about this sort of thing but he asked for one because it is also a Blu Ray player (eh? what? not a clue). Suffice to say that this system makes the picture better. D had bought me Sherlock Holmes so that was the first film we watched on our new Blu Ray player. It was just as good as it had been at the cinema. What a great film! Funny, thoughtful, witty sleuthing in a magnificently reconstructed Victorian London. And, of course, Robert Downey Jnr in the lead role.

And today it is D's birthday. We are going for tea at a place called Damon's. It has been recommended and the birthday boy eats for free. Bargain! They even give him a cake. I'm hoping they'll make him stand up while they sing 'Happy Birthday'. That would be hilarious!

D and I have concluded that Lincoln has been hot for the past month. Man, you get some serious weather down here. We are not used to it at all. It is just baking! All our windows are open and D was lying on the balcony at 11pm the other night. Phew!

Anyways, I am going to carry on with Virginia Woolf's Between the Acts and get ready to go out. Enjoy the evening.

CSW

Sunday Review

Evening folks,

Since returning from the Isles of Scilly on Thursday D and I have done little more than play a bit of squash and putting in our Tesco order (hoorah for our Tesco Man who graciously climbs all three flights of stairs to our wee flat with all our groceries!). We've also been watching a bit of football - the Germans (despite the commentators' moans) were terrific tonight and look like going a long way. England were pretty poor...which gave D a great deal of pleasure, of course!

We've had a good Sunday of church and fellowship. We were invited to a family's house today for a good ol' roast and some good ol' chat. The folks of Lincoln Evangelical have been so very welcoming. The Pastor spoke about being shaken today. It got me thinking about the different ways we could understand 'shaken'. The world seems to be pretty 'shaken' up. I like to see all the good in the world but sometimes I can only see the 'shakes', both natural but, more often, manmade. Humans can be horrid! The Pastor mentioned this concept of 'shaking' and encouraged us to look to God the Rock who never moves. I then got thinking about how I am 'shaken'. Again there are probably two ways of looking at this. Certainly we can be 'shaken' by personal tragedy, health problems, family issues etc. D and I are in the fortunate position (don't worry, I know that smooth sailing never lasts forever!) of not really having to cope with any such tragedies currently. So what about another way of understanding this 'shaking' of the individual? I started to think about the way that folks in the Wild West (American friends, please forgive me - I am romantic when it comes to US culture) used to pan for gold. All the stones and stuff would fall through the holes leaving just the gold behind. I wondered what would be left behind if God did the same with me. What would be the gold left behind and how much would there be? Hmm...(in the words of Wayne Sutton) "is it hot in here or is it me?"

So this will be the thought I'll take with me into the next week. Currently watching a wonderful Studio Ghibli film called Ponyo. I love these beautiful Japanese animations. They can be a wee bit scary but if you have brave children I would heartily recommend them. D and I have also been watching a magnificent storm through our window - sheet lightening and lots of thunder. All quite exciting. Even the electrics went off for a moment!

Anyways, back to work tomorrow. With the publishing contract now all sorted I have something really concrete to work towards. Tomorrow, though, is taken up with university admin and teaching stuff. Ho hum... Oh, and a squash game...I am getting better, I think.

Enjoy the football and the week ahead.

CSW

'And a little more cider won't do us no harm...'

A wee shout out to the Rudsambee guys in the post title there...just for the record, it isn't my philosophy on life; rather, it's a song lyric - answers on a postcard if you know which song. That said, D and both sampled a bit of south English cider at the Beer festival yesterday. We drank a couple of fairly palatable brews while listening to local folkie band Treehouse (D knows the lead guitarist). We even tried 'Perry' which is cider made of pears. Apparently calling it 'pear cider' is akin to homicide in these parts. There was a very insistent (nay threatening) note to this effect at the cider stall. A jolly time had by all.

When we got home we watched Waiting for Guffman which is the last in our Christopher Guest (of Spinal tap fame) trilogy . This time it was a satirical look at community theatre which is, of course, right up my street. Their were a couple of truly hilarious moments, none of which would be even mildly amusing if I tried to describe them here. Give it a watch.

Today was Sunday (just in case you missed it) and we went to church. Really appreciated the Pastor's sermon this morning. He preached on a passage from 1 Corinthians 1 about God not calling the wise but the foolish just so no one can boast in themselves. Particularly interesting given that just this morning this had been a Warden topic of conversation. Our musing? 'Goodness, Christians are a strange lot!'

When you look about the average church you really do see a mixed bag - rather amazing to think that God calls each and every one of them. I've always thought that Jesus' decision to go with impetuous fisherman Peter at al for disciples was an odd one, particularly given all those highly intelligent pharisees that seemed to hang about. But it seems that when you look back through history God chooses the most unlikely sorts - I mentioned a particular wrestler of note in the last post, but how about James Hudson Taylor, a small, ill sort of chap who devoted his life to the good folks in China or sweet hymn writer Fanny Crosby who was blind from a young age. In the nineteenth century this was a big deal! If I were choosing disciples I'd go for strong, good-looking types who could speak well in public. Shows what I know! A great sermon, as always.

We've had a very peaceful day topped off by some delicious asparagus bought from Doddington Hall cafe (we went on Friday night for their fish night - pretty spectacular as usual).

So tomorrow is the start of holiday week. I am working for a couple of days prior to departure but D is as free as a bird. I think he'll probably see what the weather is doing before he commits to anything. I'm busy working on a paper for a big conference hosted by Lincoln Uni English dept. It isn't until the middle of July but time is just going to fly by and I want to get on top of it. So that's tomorrow's job. Given all the Shawn Michaels' DVDs currently scattered over our lounge floor I will probably make a cuppa and watch another match before bed. HBK, HBK...

CSW

Good films, good food...ah this is the life!

Evenin' All,

Hope everyone has had a great weekend. Two reviews for you this evening...

On Wednesday we made use of D's iphone contract and enjoyed Orange Wednesday at the local Odeon. After a 'lish tea at Nando's we headed off to watch Ironman 2. Now anyone who has followed this blog for a wee while will know that I have a bit of a thing for Robert Downey Junior so I was really looking forward to this, especially as he was teaming up with the eminently watchable Mickey Rourke. It didn't let us down. Ok, so the film is a little over complicated for its own good. It was trying to be a stand alone film while also aiming to introduce the next movies in the Marvel canon, The Avengers and Thor. There were also too many storylines vying for attention. That said, RDJ was at his charismatic best and there were some sensational action sequences. I really loved the witty script of the first film and the dialogue was equally funny and clever in this sequel. Overall, a good addition to the 'complex comic hero with issues and flaws' film genre.

Then last night, in celebration of a successful assessment week, we went back to Donnington Hall. We visited this lovely cafe a couple of weeks back for a lovely lunch and a walk around the farm. Last night we enjoyed their 7 course Saturday meal. It was so great and we enjoyed everything from homemade beetroot dip to fabulous ribs to battered cod (which brought a smile from a delighted D) to sweet goat's cheese pizzas to perfect sea bass to a lovely rhuharb fool. It was a really special meal. Definitely a place to recommend to anyone hanging about the Lincoln area and in need of some crackin' scran.

So the political situation gets ever more complicated and remains the source of long conversations and debates chez Warden. We'll see how it all pans out this week. My favourite headline of the week was from The Sun which announced that a 59 year old Scottish squatter was refusing to leave Number 10. Genius!

For me, a week of meetings and marking beckons. It marks the start of 4 1/2 months of research and planning. Can't wait to start working at home and getting some quality writing done. Also bashing through the second series of Ashes to Ashes. Enjoying it a lot. The year is 1982 so I'm just waiting for an Asia classic to come up on the soundtrack. Ah, the eighties...the legwarmers, the stone wash jeans and the big-haired rockers. Nothing better.

CSW

A Midweek message

So we are off to play squash in a bit. Currently limbering up -ha ha! Truth is I've been sitting back reading plays and marking student work. A pleasant sort of a day even though the weather is not so great. Not as bad as up in Auld Reekie though. They've had snow and all sorts up there. Once again D and I will have a jolly drive up the A1. Every time we take this road (which is bad enough at the best of times, especially after Newcastle) the weather seems to be against us. Let's hope it clears a little before tomorrow afternoon when we take the Skoda Superb for its first big spin.

So, Sunday evening (actually Monday morning - oops!) was one of my saddest sporting moments since losing a school hockey tournament to our arch-enemies, Arnold (I flung my keeper pads to the floor in a fit of pique!). Shawn Michaels hung up his boats (or spandex, I suppose) and wrestled for the last time. Now wrestling was one of D's interests that I thought I'd never get into. But actually for sheer theatricality you just can't beat it. I've become a bit of a fan of the Heart Break Kid and am sad to see him go. His final wave is currently my laptop wallpaper. Officially a geek? Yes, I think so...A great final match, though, which you can catch on youtube if your t'internet connection is quicker than ours (we are currently having a battle with Virgin as our broadband is SLOW - system upgrades, so they say). I have Chris Jericho's book on my desk at work and it is amazing what a conversation starter it is....and amazing how many wrestling fans there are!

Anyways, further to my comments on The Wire etc, here's a wee snippet from a conversation with Pastor James Harleman of Mars Hill Church in the States. Now I'm not a big fan of mega churches, in fact I largely think that if the crowds like it, then there must be something wrong about it (call me cynical if you like). But D and I have listened to a number of sermons from this church and have learned loads, especially from their Teaching Pastor, Mark Driscoll. So Pastor James says...

It’s true, some Christians think seeing anything beyond Disney films or PG movies is inherently sinful. However, this usually begins with an underlying premise that entertainment should be “safe distraction” and digestible pabulum for the believer.

The reality is, nothing is “safe” to watch. It disturbs me when Christians follow FCC and MPAA [ratings] guidelines and just assume and consume without discernment with no God-glorifying or evangelistic intent.

Disney films have terrible philosophy and theology. Some of the “family” films out there contain the most subversive content because they are 95 percent wholesome with a subtle twist.

Just because a film seems wholesome or ends happy doesn’t mean it’s godly. In fact, seemingly evil-free family fare that ends with “happily ever after” apart from the cross may be the most dangerous films of all.”

Just the fact that he uses the term 'digestible pabulum' makes me love this quote. The church runs these amazing film nights and he is responding to the criticism he has received over some of the things he has put on the bill. I reckon you could apply it across the board, and not just to Disney films. Check out the Mars Hill Blog and agree or disagree as you wish.

Well, I'm off to read a bit more of Edward Bond's Saved. It is a pretty bleak play all in all and contains one of the most shocking, violent scenes of British theatre history. Of course this is what it is notorious for, but, for me, its bleakness lies in the dialogue rather than the action. I think this is largely true of the modern world - I get much more depressed by people's day-to-day speech than by those big violent moments you see on the news. Bond says that it is "almost irresponsibly optimistic". I'm willing to been convinced!

I'll post over the weekend when we will be enjoying the pleasure of an Edinburgh Easter. Once again, don't even think about robbing the flat. Boris the bear is a trained killer and has recently learned the art of aikido. I'd keep out of his way if I were you.

CSW

Marmalade?

Coming to the end of a happy (if slightly sleepy) day at home preparing material for two new courses starting up next week. This has meant I have been able to listen to a broad range of musical delights and engaging debates during the course of the day. My highlight was definitely the Food Programme on Radio 4 this afternoon which proceeded to spend a whole half hour talking about marmalade. Surely the only radio channel in the universe to devote airspace to the pros and cons of using Seville oranges. Man, I love the Beeb!

So, I'm bashing on with Habits of the Mind. It was a little slow to begin with but I am now really, really enjoying it. There are a whole range of challenging suggestions and it has really got me thinking about the process of reading, about the benefits of developing a critical way of thinking and the need to understand the 'wisdom of the Egyptians'. Last night a particular quote stood out for me:

Therefore, in reading profane authors, the admirable light of truth displayed in them should remind us, that the human mind, however much fallen and perverted from its original integrity, is still adorned and invested with admirable gifts from its Creator.

Fancy a guess as to the author of this insightful wee comment? John Calvin! And they say he was a narrow minded, misogynistic religious nut! Here he is positively encouraging folks to explore all literature as great gifts. We like a bit of Calvin in our house!

And so the Oscars have been and gone. Best picture to The Hurt Locker which D and I saw at the cinema. It was a pretty terrifying film and an extremely tense viewing experience. Whether films can ever really help us to understand the nature of war, I don't know (although I can still remember my horrified teenage reaction to Saving Private Ryan) but it was certainly shocking and thought-provoking. A worthy winner? I guess so, but I really liked Avatar (even if the 3D technology did leave me feeling sick for three days!). Ah well, what do I know anyways? I am the girl who watches most films holding on to D's arm saying 'I'm scared, I don't like it'.

More days at home this week with lots of plays to read. Also reading a very interesting critique of British post-War theatre entitled State of the Nation by Michael Billington. There is some obvious bias but largely I like it very much and it's helping me to get an overview before I go off and teach it next week.

CSW