Hello and good morning from an “unseasonably warm” but still beautiful, downtown Moreton Pinkney – it’s been a busy(ish) sort of week with a number of splendid outings.
Last Sunday we scooted down to Oxford to watch a film made of the West End stage production of A Little Life at the Phoenix Cinema. Wow! What a performance! It’s very powerful, based on the novel by Hanya Yanagihara which deals with deeply troubling subject matter.
James Norton plays the lead and is extraordinarily good. He plays Jude St Francis, a very successful New York City litigator with a mysterious and dark past. It emerges that he was an orphan who was sexually abused throughout his childhood. As a result, he self-harms and finds it difficult to form close relationships. Really, really good if difficult to watch.
On Monday evening we had two of our lovely neighbours around for dinner – they left on Wednesday for a holiday in South America. Penelope’s catering continues to be of the highest possible standard and it was a lovely meal with lovely friends.
On Tuesday evening we were out again on another cultural excursion – we went to The Merchant of Venice 1936 at the Swan Theatre in Stratford. Again, a stunningly good production with some very powerful themes. Setting the play in 1936 brings it up against the rampant antisemitism of the time and ties the conclusion of the play with the Battle of Cable Street. The Jewish community in the East End of London and various anti-fascist groups took a stand against the marchers supporting Oswald Mosely’s British Union of Fascists. Tens of thousands of people turned out to oppose the march, barricades were built, hundreds were injured and/or arrested.
Wednesday, another hectic day. We set off in the morning to receive our flu and Covid jabs – we are now fully jabbed and pricked! Then, in the afternoon we drove our lovely South American-bound neighbours to Heathrow for their flight at the start of this adventure. Fortunately, the drive down to the airport went smoothly and we got them there in plenty of time for their flight. The return journey was marred somewhat by having to negotiate the car park that is the M25 during rush hour but we made it home in the end, much to Daisy’s relief.
Moreton Pinkney Film Night is back for the winter season! Hurrah!
This week it was the The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, perfect MPFN viewing, light with a bit of humour and a dose of pain but generally pretty unchallenging. Harold (Jim Broadbent) receives a letter from a friend and former colleague who is in hospice care with terminal cancer. Harold writes a short reply and sets off to walk to the post box to send it. He hesitates to post his letter, however, as he reminisces over his past with his friend whom he hasn’t seen or heard from in many years. As he wanders and ponders, he has a number of encounters and ultimately decides to walk, from South Devon to Berwick-upon-Tweed, to deliver the letter personally. Hey, why not?
During his journey he has a range of experiences and time to reflect on his failed relationship with his son and how his friend “covered for him” at work. A few chuckles but ultimately a sad story. Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton, who plays his wife, are always good value and the fish and chips supper is worth the price of admission alone!
YCNMIU
The unelected Prime Minister announced at the Conservative Party Conference that the northern bits of HS2 (the high-speed railway currently despoiling the countryside around us) will now no longer be built.
I’ve never been a fan of HS2. It’s a vanity project built on what was always a very dodgy business case, a white elephant with few benefits other than putting large amounts of taxpayer’s money into the pockets of large construction firms who then make contributions to the Conservative Party. Not surprisingly, those in the North were less than enamoured with the PM’s announcement; the northern parts of HS2 were always the more important. Indeed, building should have started in the north in the first place – the links between London and Birmingham are already pretty good.
In an effort to put a positive spin on what was a very disappointing announcement for those in the north, the Prime Minister listed a number of projects which will now go ahead with the “savings” from not building the northern section. The only small problem, 85% of these “new” projects had already been previously announced/promised. In addition, he promised to use the savings to extend the Manchester Metro out to the airport. Great news! Which must have come as a surprise to all those folks who have been using this link to the airport since it opened in 2014.
And, to demonstrate his continuing commitment to “Levelling Up the North” he announced that Plymouth, that great northern powerhouse city, will benefit from improved rail links. Most folks reckon that Plymouth is on the south coast – you can’t go too much further south and still be on mainland Britain – but what do we know?
Not enough? How about HS2 buying land along the northern route through compulsory purchase orders just hours before the PM made the announcement. Joined up government at its best.
Not to mention the continuing saga of the non-existent meat tax, compulsory car-sharing and seven recycling bins.
You really could not make all this stuff up.
And finally, very Happy Birthday (tomorrow) to our lovely daughter-in-law Brex-Anna.
Meanwhile, keep happy, keep smiling, be good, be careful, and keep safe. And be gentle to wasps and bees.
Lots of love to you all,
Greg