A few brief notes about tea, conversations, books and sometimes cats
My Grandmother had a print of this on her wall and it has always mean a lot to me. Everything has a beginning and it is often a bit scary. I must admit blogging is a bit scary and starting today daunting.
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Tomorrow there’s the 2022 edition of the Klasikoa in San Sebastián, a race I love seeing live. This year sadly, once again, I’ve resigned myself to watching it on television. Here’s what happened back in 2016. Typically, our visit to the Clasica San Sebastian forms part of a longer trip but occasionally, like this year, […]
One from the vaults: Postcard from San Sebastian – 2016 City of Culture — View from the Back
The first problem I face with assembling my Top 100 Science Fiction Short Stories list is that I’m partial to crusty old SF stories that younger readers will feel are badly dated. Our discussion group read “Rescue Party” by Arthur C. Clarke for today. Here’s my comment: Some members of the group, and not always […]
The Problems with Classic Science Fiction — Classics of Science Fiction
It is some time since I was able to add a new tea to my collection. What a treat it was then to receive this box of English Breakfast Tea under the label of Ahmad Tea of London. English Breakfast tea has always been a favourite of mine for it is strong and robust – […]
AHMAD TEA – ENGLISH BREAKFAST — Something Over Tea
The first problem I face with assembling my Top 100 Science Fiction Short Stories list is that I’m partial to crusty old SF stories that younger readers will feel are badly dated. Our discussion group read “Rescue Party” by Arthur C. Clarke for today. Here’s my comment: Some members of the group, and not always […]
The Problems with Classic Science Fiction — Classics of Science Fiction
Hello everyone it’s Zainab here, welcome or welcome back to the blog! So, I used to do quite few book reviews, but over the summer I’ve had a bit of a reading slump and have not been reading much. In school, we’ve read an Inspector Calls and it’s kind of been easing me back into […]
An Inspector Calls Book Review — Zainab Chats
Today I want to continue my little series on An Inspector Calls. I will be looking at Shiela Birling who is the daughter of Arthur Birling and engaged to be married to Gerald Croft. The relationship between Eva Smith and Shiela is a fascinating one.
First their lives are similar in that they are dependent upon Mr Birling. They are dependant upon Birling in different ways but one feels that if Shiela were to defy him as Eva does he would deal with her as harshly as he dealt with Eva. Indeed both are infantalised by Birling and treated less as people than people to need to fit into neat boxes.
Both Eva and Shiela are conquests of Gerald Croft. He has a love affair with the first and is engaged to be married to the second. This should bring unity between the two women who are reduced by Gerald into objects who depend on him for their status, their provender and their emotional well being.
There is no unity between the two women, which is the point of the play. There is no class solidarity but rather a battle of status between Shiela and Eva over looks which Eva can only lose with damaging results leading her into Geralds orbit and then into prostitution.
Today is the Tolkien Toast. Tolkien fans across the world will, at 9pm, raise a glass of their favourite tipple and proclaim “The Professor”.
I think it is pretty obvious that I am a Tolkien fan. I am listening to Lord of the Rings whilst I write this. I am dyslexic and struggled as a child to see the point of reading. In desperation my mother read me the Hobbit which woke in me two things. A love of reading, books and literature as well as a taste for adventure. I was about six when I decided to go on my first adventure. This involved walking from our village to the next village. Armed with home made bows and arrows we set off and made it to Lostock where a passing Police car decided that a six year old, a seven year old and a four year old shouldn’t really be over two miles from their home and drove us home to the mortification of our parents.
Thankyou Professor for giving me a taste for literature and adventure.
Happy New Years Day! In Scotland you can expect to do First Footing. The first person to come to your door receives a present such as a lovely piece of coal. In my family it is traditional to eat roast beef with Yorkshire puddings and lovely roast potatoes.
Another tradition is to eat a nice big Pork Pie. I like mine with home made pickles.
I hope you are all having an exciting and Happy New Year. In a few hours we will be in January which is named for the two faced god Janus. Just like Janus we can look forwards with confidence and backwards without fear.
But for some of us looking forwards can be a source of tribulation so I leave you this year with this poem repeated by the King at the end of his Christmas broadcast in the dark year of 1939. Its called “God Knows” or “The Man at the gate of the year”
I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year,
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied, “Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.”
May that Almighty hand guide and uphold us all.
Happy New Year!
Jack Russell