Well, it’s another warm day up here and I need to quench my thirst. So I’m off to the great pub capital of the world, Stourbridge, again. I’ll report back on the very slim chance we find new boozers on our fifth (or possibly sixth, things get hazy) visit, but will certainly be spending time in the Royal Exchange , the epicentre of English drinking.
Apparently there is an excellent glass museum here but they wouldn’t let me in in my current state. A risk to the exhibits.
Want Shakespeare? Here it is….The Winter’s Tale at the RSC. Wasn’t familiar with this play. First half is very dark, a King destroys his own family through misplaced jealousy, second half huge contrast, kind of semi comic pastoral, with a massive bolted on happy ending. Usual Shakespeare specialities, mistaken identities, hiding in forests for decades etc. No hugely famous lines but it’s the one with the stage direction ‘exit pursued by a bear’. Really enjoyable production, some great performances especially Madeline Appiah as the hugely wronged Hermione and Trevor Fox as wandering conman/narrator Autolycus. Great lighting and live music too. Apparently large chunks of daft unfunny comedy and insane coincidences and exposition cut out of the second half. Nice work.
I would like to revisit Shakespeare at some point and "The Winter's Tale" sounds like a good starting point. Visited the RSC website and they certainly have quite an impressive selection of upcoming productions (but would have to get over before the end of the month to catch yours!). Could perhaps it up with one of our southwest coast away matches, Bristol, Swansea, Southampton?
Just off to slide down the Mittal Tower with my grandson. Not sure that doing something that requires me to sign a waiver is necessarily the best idea ay my age.
Are you talking about Orbit outside the West Ham ground? That has been a financial disaster for its operators. I thought it was still closed down.
No, it's the thing outside the London Stadium. please log in to view this image Still going, but it was pretty quiet.
Has anyone seen The Diplomat, a Netflix series about a woman who becomes US ambassador to the U.K.? It’s got decent reviews and is about to start its third series. Just seen the first episode and once again I find myself completely mystified as to why this is popular. Way too much going on, none of it remotely believable, no likeable characters, poor writing both in terms of plot and dialogue lumbering some well known and half decent actors with daft lines. I know it’s fiction but there seems to be a terror that if something bizarre isn’t happening every thirty seconds everyone will turn off. However it does have the great Michael McKean, aka David St Hubbins of Spinal Tap, knowingly hamming it up as the US President. I’m so far off the zeitgeist it’s becoming painful.
Just watched the latest Superman movie What an absolute steaming pile of ****ing **** Not one redeeming feature to it
