Monday Missive and Awesome April Day 06

Happy Easter to you all -- hope it's been a good, fulfilling weekend (and week) for you too!

This week, I have mostly been...

Reading

Not a bad read, engaging, and the characters are believable to a point, but compared with the excellent All the Bright Places I thought My Heart... trivialised depression somewhat, as if it could only be caused by external forces, not by a chemical imbalance.

Now about to begin:

Watching

...House, Season 7. And, well, this just happened. SQUEE!

{#huddy <3}

And on Saturday night, Ma QB and I binge-watched three episodes of

{Poldark... le sigh...}

When it comes to dark, brooding heroes, I'll hand it to Aidan Turner's Ross Poldark: he's almost up there with Toby Stephens' Mr Rochester. Almost.

Episode 4 followed on Sunday, with just a short interval before (the somewhat slow and not nearly as objectifiable) Episode 5. I've definitely grown into ye olde period dramas though... Nothing to do with all the (Pol)dark, brooding heroes, of course, ohhhh no.

But on that note, can we please just have a moment for...

Playmobil Poldark

{'Romelza' | via Play Cornwall}

Oh and also...

I swear, what with this and the Plarchers there's a Playmobil cult in the making, and I like to think I could be the Grand Priestess, leading the way with my annual animations. Yep. Claiming that crown, babies.

Walking

Again. Yep. I should warn you now that for the next month and a half walking updates will remain a mainstay of my Summary. It's taking over my life, I tell thee, but I don't begrudge a single mile. Or kilometre, whatevs. After all,

Ohhh no. One must simply train until one's legs are whittled down to mere stumps.

This Easter weekend saw the QB Walkometer clock up another 22 miles (or, yep, 35k in new money).

On Good Friday I joined Ma and Pa QB and friends for a gentle mosey round Shoreham (Kent, not West Sussex):

{St Peter & St Paul Church, Shoreham}

{St Peter & St Paul Church, Shoreham}

Then feeling particularly hardcore

(sorry) Pa QB and I went for a far less genteel trog across the bogs from Hildenborough through to Hadlow, covering the distance of just over a half marathon in just under four-and-a-half hours. Not bad going! We did stop for a spot o' lunch en route -- ham, egg and chips with a cheeky lunchtime beverage.

Lesson learned. Remind me NEVER to walk on a cheeky lunchtime beverage again. Leads to legs of lead, I tell thee.

{Tonbridge Castle looking mean and moody}

{Can you spot Hadlow tower on the horizon...?}

And today I clocked up my programme's obligatory 50 minutes (3.5 miles) using Map My Walk's fairly decent Route Genius function (you give it a desired mileage, it maps you a route. Simplez). 

MMW can also coach you along the way with a very funny deadpan voiceover. "Great workout." "Way. To. Go." "76% completed. Go you. Whoop whoop." All right, that last part was a slight exaggeration (it tells you the percentage completed but does not whoop. Nor does it give you a high-five. Though it should).

Outside the office of course (!), I do my best brainthinking on foot. On Saturday, I found myself wishing that I'd appreciated more the holidays we took in Exmoor when I was a teen. All this walking in the countraaayside I've been doing lately is turning me into a right little outdoorsy bumpkin (she says, writing from her stuffy little sitting room), and I just wish I'd appreciated those pastoral pastimes more when I was younger, instead of burying myself in fantasies of California beaches and completely feasible romances with various members of the cast of Grease. Sigh.

Hugging Hens

Yes, in pursuit of full bumpkindom I have been bonding with my three feathered sisters, at last. And they don't 'arf produce good eggs. Small but perfectly formed and mighty tasty too (the eggs, let me just clarify...).

{Hangin' with ma homegirls}

Weekly Weblinks

Literary Linkage

• Rare Tennessee Williams story published for the first time | {on The Big Story (AP)}
• New literary festival to launch in Greenwich | {on The Bookseller}
• Egmont to publish Pooh anthology sequel | {on The Bookseller}
• Chris Packham to pen children's book for Egmont | {on The Bookseller}
• 100 Great Children's Picture Books | {on The Guardian}
• I'm kicking myself for hypocrisy in including this but I actually rather liked JK Rowling's life advice: quotes on the lessons of failure | {on The Guardian}:

Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the Fates.

Non-literary Linkage

• If you want to write about feminism online be prepared to take on the haters | {on The Guardian}
• Social media is protecting men from periods, breast milk and body hair | {on The Guardian}
• The modern affliction ruining our friendships | {on Mic.com}
• On living alone | {on A Cup of Jo}
• Colouring in can free your mind | {on The Guardian}
• If modern TV favourites were on VHS | {on French site Golem, via The Poke}

• Pessimistic Motivational Posters | If you pin as many motivational quotes on Pinterest as I do you can see the funny side, fo' sho'... | {on The Poke}

• Giant slides come back to London | {on The Londonist} Wheeeee! 

{via here}

Enjoy the short working week, friends!

qb xx

Sunday Summary

I'm missing an hour. Anyone seen one?

This week, I have mostly been:

Reading | Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O'Porter

Some 'celebrities' write novels and surprise me with their wit, insight and literary talents.

...Sadly Mrs O'P is not one of them.

I'm slightly baffled by how many positive reviews this book has generated. I found it cliche, I found both 'heroines' non-distinct, fairly unlikeable and actually could not tell one from the other after about two chapters. I found the secondary characters unsympathetic and downright evil in some cases. The one positive aspect was that while the book was set in 1994 (when I was the same age as the 'heroines', by the by...) it was not overloaded with cultural references to attempt to create a sense of place. But that's really it. I haven't been so annoyed by a book since The Da Vinci Code and that's saying something.

So now I'm reading the far more gratifying The Universe versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence. I'm only about ten pages in but already it's so much better than Paper Aeroplanes.

Seeing | Jesus Christ Superstar on stage

JCS is the latest production by ESOS (East Surrey Operatic Society), performed at the Harlequin Theatre in the cultural hub that is Redhill. My friend Fiona, she of Jane Eyre fame, was in the chorus which gave me added incentive to see it.

I feel particularly tied to Superstar for two reasons: one being that I performed in JCS in my first year at university (in 1997) as part of the Musical Production Society*.

The other that, rock music references and excessive use of cheesecloth aside, it was the most accessible entry to the Bible that I had come across at that time, and I fell in love with the 1973 film as a result. And cheesecloth.

{Not sure how this video will show -- do take your chances, though}

Of course Superstar has its moments of enormous irreverence (Herod's Song, anyone?) but it is also a considered re-enactment of Jesus' last days, not just from His perspective but also that of Judas.

Anyway, I digress.

I went to the Wednesday showing of the ESOS production, and was impressed -- there were some seriously powerful performances on display, emotionally and vocally.

Jason Lines played Jesus with great humility and humanity, some blinding vocals -- and some seriously scary-looking welts after the whipping scene. Likewise, Jamie Thomas as Judas maintained a vocal and emotional intensity throughout the whole show that made me realise what an emotionally exhausting role that of Judas truly is on many levels.

All the performances were stellar, really, but one of the standouts was Tony Lee as Pilate -- Superstar has always depicted Pilate with a considered (and maybe controversial?) amount of sympathy, and it's a delicate balance to portray that aspect of Pilate, rather than that of executioner.

The fire alarm during the interval didn't dampen anyone's enjoyment of the show either!

I've subsequently been listening to the film soundtrack on a loop. And singing the whole thing. All parts. Yep. #Whaaaaat do you meaaaaan by that? That... is not an answer...#

* 17 years later, I am totally over the fact I wasn't chosen to be one of the 'hot' dancers in Herod's Song back then. Totally. No, really. It's OK: I wasn't one of the hot ones, or a good enough dancer. That's fine, I accept that. Totally. ;-) #issues #letitgo #noseriouslygetoverit #itwas17yearsago #moveon


Listening | to old vinyl

On Friday I picked up this bargainous little LP-to-MP3 converter turntable at Maplin:

I'm still working out how I can rig it directly up to my stereo but for now I'm enjoying some of my long-neglected vinyl played, somewhat crudely, through my PC.

{I took the plastic needle protector off right after I took this photo...}

{Picked up these little gems for £1 for 3 in the charity shop.
The Kids from FAME | Simon & Garfunkel | Dusty Springfield}

ICYMI** << g'argh, yes, that acronym is hugely pretentious. I promise not to use it ever again

I posted this little epic Contemplation on Thursday night on the dilemmas posed by the #nomakeupselfie trend. 

It included the Grumpy Cat meme so if nothing else incites you to read it, surely this will?

Now, if someone could help me down from my moderately high horse, that'd be fab, thanks...!

** ICYMI = 'in case you missed it'

Featuring | in my friend George's fabulous promotional video

Georgina and her husband Jason rent out their gorgeous cabin retreat in the mountains of Chulilla, Valencia. Their visitors are many and varied, and get up to all kinds of antics, and George has captured just a few of these folk (moi included -- I'm book-and-tapas Beth...!) in this lovely little video that makes me want to jack in my whole working week and fly back to Spain, like, NOW (with a pile of books, natch).

You understand my predicament, right?

G & J truly are the hosts with the most...s...! Easter dates still available!

And now... YOUR INTERWEB LINKS OF THE WEEK

(With special thanks to Clare, David, Evie, and the Press, PR and Marketing wizards at Egmont for much of this fodder)

Ready yourselves for the Grand Opening of the new flagship Foyles Bookshop

BBC offers more books coverage

Find out what happens behind the scenes of a dynamic YA book imprint -- follow the Electric Monkey Tumblr

On a far more serious note, sign the petition to ensure prisoners are not denied access to books and gifts from family

I'm taking note of many of these 60 Facts that will make NYC feel like whole new place!

Following last week's uh-mazing Bibliochaise, check out these excellent IKEA hacks!

Meet the intrepid little LEGO photographer

{© 2013 Andrew Whyte}

Ingenious intern creates a LEGO CV

Man sings 'Let it Go' in 21 different Disney voices (I think Dug from UP is my favourite!)

And finally, completely amazing SFX are installed at a London bus stop:

Stay epic, friends.

Sunday Summary

This week, I have mostly been…

Well, actually this week has been a comparatively routine one in which nothing strange nor startling occurred. Goes a bit like this: Wake. Work. Swim. Sing. Sleep. Eat. Rave. Repeat. So please excuse the scantiness of this week’s Summary.

I’m also currently in the throes of revamping the Beebop Badges website, so I’m flitting between sprucing that up and summarising my week… and they say women can multitask. Not I, I’m afraid. Not today. 

Egads.

So anyway, where was I? Ah yes, my week in bite-size bits! Here we go:

Reading | The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

Even now. I can read a much thicker book in a day, but these tricksy (yet beautifully classic) Penguin editions are taking me days on end. I swear it is the denser, smaller text.

I have two library books lined up to absorb after I’ve finished Pursuing Love with Fanny, Linda, Louisa and the other Radletts but I am thoroughly enjoying the barbed humour and observations on politics and class. It puts me in mind of the tone of voice in this very funny but understated interpretation of Noel Coward’s Easy Virtue:

{The film is much funnier than this trailer would have you believe...}

Oh and with my Christmas money from Pa QB, I treated myself to this:

{Penguin Drop-Cap edition of Jane Eyre}

YAY!

Cooking

Well… overcooking might be a more accurate description. Remember that 'sausage casserole' I had in the slow cooker for eight hours last week?

Cremated it.

It was edible but only just. What was intended as a gravy came out a gooey glaze.

I really need to remember I’m cooking for one in a tiny one-person slow-cooker and adjust my timings. 

I’m hoping this week’s honey sesame chicken will be slightly more successful…

Listening to | this tune by Avicii.

I honestly can’t get enough of it. Starts a little bit country, launches into full-on dance. Messes with your head. In a good way.

I’ve also been able to download, for just 99p each, these two albums via Google Play:

 

My musical education continues.

While I remember (and I rarely do), I mentioned in my NYE post that I was setting up a Flickr feed for my Photo of the Day -- the keen-eyed among you will have spotted I've done that (check out the top right corner of this blog. Up... up... there.) But in case you've still missed it (shocker), you can follow it here! And then wonder why I don't get out just a little bit more...

Oh and another thing: you know those often overly lengthy soul-searching posts of mine that I intersperse between these Summaries? You'll doubtless be gleeful to hear that I've gone back through the more recent annals (I SAID ANNALS) of this blog (actually, can you *have* recent annals? Is that an oxymoron? Ach well...) and retitled them Contemplations -- there are five of them now. (If you like that sort of thing.)

And now for the interwebby bit (you can tell I’m a bit distracted, this week, can’t you?)

Someone has designed fake London Underground signs -- and they're great!

Amazing 3D typography illusion by artist Lex Wilson

Beautiful and oddly sinister photos of starling murmurations

And finally ... behold the quirky Instagram feed of artist Javier Perez // aka cintascotch

{Image by Javier Perez // cintascotch | via Stati.gram}

Have good weeks, friends! 

I'm now off to upload another 80 pictures of badges to an online shop. 

The things we do to preserve our creativity, eh?

Sunday Summary (first of 2014, how momentous!)

This week, I have mostly been…

Sleeping

Seriously. It’s been great. Well over eight hours a night, I think. I feel like I’ve got my QB mojo back good and proper.

In between slumber I have also been:

Reading | Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Amy and Nick Dunne: have a more unlikeable and dangerous couple ever been committed to print? This was the first book I read in the New Year (on a mission to clock up 50 books this year, did I mention that?...). Let’s hope book number 2 of 50 has me at least rooting for one of the protagonists.

Note to self: Hey, Self, remember you do at some juncture need to review Pride and Prejudice and Two Boys Kissing…

Rewatching | Labyrinth, The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins

Ah, David Bowie. Labyrinth is arguably one of my favourite films of all time, ever and ever, amen. I love how he plays Jareth the Goblin King with that delightful, blasé, throwaway edge to him. Makes me love him even more. Despite Jareth’s unnatural obsession with a teenager. Despite the mullet wig and those very tight tights.

This is by far my favourite sequence of the entire film (second favourite has to be the Escher-inspired Within You sequence):

And incidentally, on the subject of that As the World Falls Down masquerade ball sequence, have you seen this recent Louis Vuitton advert featuring Le Bowie? Remarkably derivative of that aforementioned sequence, I’d say.

But in a good way.

As for TSOM and MP, what can I say? Both are Christmas/New Year staples. And 1960s Julie Andrews was just a little bit sublime.

I somehow missed most of Mary Poppins this year up until the Fiduciary Fidelity Bank scene, but I was always left a little bereft by Feed the Birds:

Seeing | Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake @ Sadler’s Wells

This is ballet, Jim, but not as we know it.

I should disclaim, here, that roughly forty-five minutes in, I realised that my scant knowledge of the original story of Swan Lake (by way of Black Swan, to add to my culture-shaming) was moderately redundant.

{Utterly unrelated and highly gratuitous Black Swan trailer, I thank you}

Matthew Bourne has taken the story behind Swan Lake and (according to my cousin who took the initiative to look up the story afterwards!) combined it with elements of Tchaikovsky’s own life, in a moderately contemporary tale of royalty, maternal rejection and exploration of sexuality through freedom (represented by swans, there we go). Or, as Wikipedia would have it, “The plot of the ballet revolves around a young crown prince, his distant mother, and his desire for freedom, represented by a beautiful swan. This scenario is an unofficial interpretation as Matthew Bourne does not believe in scenarios for his productions and prefers the audience to interpret the story for themselves.” {Source}

It’s hard at times to tell when the story is set – but that doesn’t matter, it’s all metaphor.

What does matter is that when those swans dance (and yes, the swans are all danced by men) it’s a spectacle of pure, unbridled masculinity and elegance. (*fans self*) And it’s beautiful to watch. We were in the second row back, close enough to see sweat and hear the orchestrated moments of exhalation, and see every last sinew in motion. Which is never a bad thing, friends.

It isn’t an entirely all-male cast contrary to popular belief – key roles such as the Queen and the Prince’s ‘inappropriate’ girlfriend, and guests at the Royal Ball, are danced by women.

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is on at Sadler’s Wells until the end of this month.

Remembering... | that I neglected to post any mention of this little gem of an early-learning book, found in a dear little shop in Cambridge:

Not that I'm obsessed with Jane Eyre or anything (and not that my best friend bought me the 2006 TV series on DVD so I can enjoy more Toby-Stephens-Rochester in the privacy of my own home!)...

Also found on the internet and in the sphere of The Media this week:

Following on from my list of resolutions promises for the year, Stuart Heritage on why New Year's resolutions should be abandoned (made me smile)

Also in the Guardian Weekend, Let's Move to Lydd and New Romney (among my favourite places in the world!)

Children's favourite characters to appear on postage stamps

Puns and word-play -- intelligent fun

It's been just over ten years since Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended on television. Excuse me, what now?! TEN YEARS?! TEN SPIKELESS YEARS?! Ahem. Radio 4's Front Row ran a feature on the legacy of Buffy last week.

...Yes, I listen to Radio 4.

...No, only at my parents' and only after The Archers (which I hear only under duress).

Back to work aka reality tomorrow. 

However:

Christmas does that to you...