A Midsummer Night's Dream

Yesterday evening I went to see A Midsummer Night's Dream performed by

The British Touring Shakespeare Company.

The programmes were designed by some of the village school children.

It was held in the meadow behind the church

with a lovely sensory garden (not looking its best with all the dry weather)

it was the perfect setting.

Crowd gathering. Most people took a picnic. I think 250 tickets had been sold

A beautiful setting, glorious weather and accomplished actors made for a wonderful time.

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

Book Club

My village book club met yesterday evening in our pub

where it all started 9 years ago. 

We had a reserved table in the snug and they provided tea, coffee and cakes. How lovely was that.

We had eaten some of the cakes before I took the photo!

A few were absent. We all enjoyed the book that we had read last month.

It was so good to be back.

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

A Good Read

The Silence of The Girls by Pat Barker is the story of the Trojan women taken prisoner during the Trojan War, a legendary conflict in Greek mythology, where the Greeks besieged the city of Troy in Turkey.
Pat Barker writes about the effects of war very well, never labouring the pointlessness of this Greek-Trojan war which, as the foreword describes "is the result of a bar-room brawl over a woman". That woman being Helen.

The war began when Paris, a Trojan prince, abducted Helen, the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta.

The story is famous for its key characters - Achilles, Hector, and Odysseus, and for the iconic Trojan Horse, a ruse used by the Greeks to infiltrate and conquer the city. 

In the Greek camp, Briseis watches and waits for the war's outcome. She was queen of one of Troy's neighboring kingdoms, until Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior, ransacked her city and murdered her husband and brothers. Briseis becomes Achilles's concubine, a prize of battle, and must adjust quickly in order to survive a totally different life, and when Agamemnon, the brutal political leader of the Greek forces, demands Briseis for himself, she finds herself caught between the two most powerful of the Greeks.
Observant and unflinching about the daily horrors of war, Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position, able to observe the two men driving the Greek army in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate not only of Briseis' people but also of the ancient world at large.

Briseis is just one of thousands of women living behind the scenes - the slaves and prostitutes, the nurses, the women who lay out the dead. Pat Barker brings the teeming world of the Greek camp vividly to life.

With complex portraits of characters and stories familiar from mythology, it's a very good read.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

Open For Business

Our much awaited event has happened - my village pub is open!

Yesterday was the formal opening.

Three of us popped in after our church cafe stint.

This afternoon myself, my daughter and friends went down. An Elton John tribute was the spitting image of the real man, and sounded just like him too.

 It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying the pub and the glorious weather. The outside areas were standing room only. We managed to find seating in the shade.

Everywhere looked lovely. I was so happy thinking

"This is my pub, I own a bit of it!"

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

A Nice Walk

With the U3a yesterday

The weather was hot

so it was very nice that some parts of the walk were in lovely cool shade

We had a choice here, to the left in sunshine with a slight incline, or to the right in shade on level terrain. I chose right.

A short refreshment stop

We saw a few of these pretty pyramid orchids

After working up an appetite we all enjoyed our meals at the pub.

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

The Modern Towers of Bishopsgate

Yesterday our U3a London walk took us around and through Bishopsgate, an area just a few minutes walk from Liverpool Street station. Bishopsgate was one of the original gates in London's Roman wall, and the road leading from it, Ermine Street, was a key Roman route. Our London guide took us around some of the towers which have been built in and around Bishopsgate and described the challenges which architects and builders have faced in creating them. Some of the buildings are the shape they are because they were not allowed to obscure the view to St Paul's Cathedral.

St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace Venue

with the Gherkin in the background.

70 St Mary Axe, informally known as the Can of Ham because its shape resembles a can of Ye Olde Oak Ham. It's unclear how the street called St Mary Axe got its name. Some historians believe the church's full name of St Mary, St Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins is a legend dedicated to St Ursula who was a third- or fourth-century British princess who travelled to Rome then Cologne with an unlikely retinue of 11,000 virgin handmaidens. While on their journey, they were captured by Huns and when they refused to copulate or marry them they were massacred.

Another (more credible) theory suggests the name came from the Worshipful Company of Skinners, who were patrons of the church and used axes.

Staying with the food theme is 122 Leadenhall Street, also known as the Leadenhall Building, Leadenhall Tower or informally the Cheesegrater,

because of its wedge shape.

There are various temporary art installations around London.

This large crumpled paper bag is coated with genuine gold leaf!

A few lovely old buildings still remain.

Many of today's modern buildings are built off site and erected in blocks, they go up quickly and come down quickly. They have a life expentancy of approx

10 - 15 years, after which they become obsolete.

This one is in the process of coming down.

Made with lots of glass and modern materials

I think most of the buildings are quite nice

Except the Lloyds of London building. Nicknamed "turned inside out"

we all thought it was ugly.

Leadenhall Market was the end of our tour. M and I meandered around a bit before heading back to the station,

or rather to Eaterly for some much needed sustenance.

Back home I stopped off at the pond to check up on mummy and daddy

Canada Geese and their lovely fluffy baby. The ducks look as if they are guarding the baby as well!

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

A Lovely Read

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

This is a beautiful heartwarming story about a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors - until he meets Tova, and a unique friendship develops.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

Almost There

Our village pub is ready for opening, all the work has been completed, the tenants have moved in and a provisionary opening date has been set for the end of the month.

Yesterday the volunteers were invited to a "Thank You" event. 

Food was served and drinks were free

It was a lovely afternoon

I love this chair, I have put my name on it! 😄

Our pub is looking cared for again.

∼ Be safe and well∼ 

Polly x 

A Good Read

Finding Hildasay by Christian Lewis is a true story of survival and finding a way back from crippling depression.

Christian Lewis, a former paratrooper, had hit rock bottom, facing eviction and losing his daughter, he shut himself away in his bedroom for weeks. The day his daughter left he went down to Llangennith beach on the Gower Peninsula to do some surfing - his only respite. He looked out along the beautiful coastline of south Wales and realised this was the only place he really wanted to be. There and then he impulsively set himself a challenge - walk the entire coastline of the UK. In the next few days he rustled up a tent and walking boots, and with just £10 and two days worth of food he left. Little did he know what lay ahead of him - mountains, dangerous peat bogs, savage weather, the kindness of strangers, and adopting a dog named Jet.

But it was an uninhabited island called Hidasay that re-kindled his pride and respect. Happiness and hope were on the horizon.

Christian’s goal was to raise £100,000 for SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity. To date he has raised over £500,000.

I really enjoyed this. At times I was exasperated with him. He is a very proud man and wouldn’t ask for help, he didn’t even sign on for unemployment benefit. He suffered broken tents, leaking boots and frost bitten toes. But no matter how many hardships he endured his beloved dog Jet was always well fed and cared for. I was a bit concerned about her skinny legs on some of the terrain, but she was ok. I've since seen a documentary about his next walk with his wife and child, and Jet was fine.

Christian Lewis is a hero.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x