A Good Read

The Sicilian by Mario Puzo

This was a book club choice, not one I would have chosen myself, but I did enjoy it. With a bit of romance, lots of bloodshed, injustice and treachery, it gave a very real insight into why and how the Cosa Nostra came into being.

The year is 1950. Michael Corleone is nearing the end of his exile in Sicily. The Godfather has commanded Michael to bring a young Sicilian bandit named Salvatore Giuliano back with him to America. But Giuliano is entwined in a bloody web of violence and vendettas. In Sicily, Giuliano is a modern day Robin Hood who has defied corruption and the Cosa Nostra. Now, in the land of mist-shrouded mountains and ancient ruins, Michael Corleone's fate is entwined with the dangerous legend of Salvatore Giuliano: warrior, lover, and the ultimate Siciliano.

∼ Happy Reading ∼ 

Polly x

Around The World In 80 Days

Another good programme that can be found on BBC iPlayer is "Around The World In 80 Days". I'm a huge David Tennant fan and I like adventure so it was a must watch for me. 

Based on the novel by Jules Verne David Tennant stars as the unlikely globetrotter Phileas Fogg. Fogg is accompanied by his trusted valet Jean Passepartout, played by Ibrahim Koma, and journalist Abigail Fix Fortescue, played by Leonie Benesch, and a supporting cast of excellent actors and actresses.

Starting at the Reform club in London Fogg accepts a bet to circle the globe in just 80 days. Paris is their first destination where he inadvertenly saves the life of the President. A riot is in progress and Passepartout is mistaken for his brother who was involved. With angry gendarmes in hot pursuit their only means of escape is in a hot air basket. In Italy Fogg drives a train over broken rails and saves a young boy's life. Their next destination is a dangerous desert crossing in Yemen. Next stop is India where Fogg arbitrates on behalf of a young army soldier accused of desertion. In Hong Kong Fogg finds his funds have been blocked by a blaggard back home who doesn't want him to succeed. Funds re-instated that same blaggard has arranged for the trio to be cast off the boat they were travelling on and are castaway on an island. But of course they are rescued and soon arrive in Ameria. Racing through the Rockies they meet some dastardly criminals and narrowly escape a shoot out. And finally, almost home, a frustrating red tape incident threatens to sabotage the bet, but they arrive back at the Reform club with just seconds to spare.

∼ Be safe and well ∼  

Polly x

A Very Good Read

The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Oh what a delight this was, and the film, which stays true to the book.
Guernsey was the only part of British soil that was occupied by the Nazis during World War II. The GL&PPS tells the story of that occupation via a series of letters exchanged between residents of the island and a writer wanting to learn of their experiences.
The time is January 1946. The place is London emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. One day she receives a letter from one Dawsey Adams who bought a second-hand book once owned by Juliet, in which she had long ago written her name and address. They start corresponding and Dawsey tells Juliet about the society, how it was created as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans, but then became a very important part of their lives. Before long Juliet is corresponding with the other members of the society, learning about the island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation had on their lives.
Through their letters she feels an affinity with these warm, eccentric, charming, brave people and wants to meet them. She travels to Guernsey and meets an entire community who take her into their homes and hearts.

I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend it.

∼ Happy Reading ∼ 

Polly x

Mother's Day

Beautiful flowers and card from my darling Aussie daughter

∼ Be safe and well∼

Polly x

 

Shoes

My daughter once had a shopping bag with "Life's Short, Buy The Shoes" written on it, my daughter likes shoes, and so do I but I don't buy them often, I buy good ones and look after them. I needed to replace a worn out pair of sandals. A few weeks ago I saw not one pair of lovely sandals, but two pairs. So my dilemma was, do I behave sensibly and buy what I need, or do I say "But I like both, I want both"?

No dilemma, I did the latter

Life's Short, Buy The Shoes 😊

∼ Be safe and well∼

Polly x

May

May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It's spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Late May typically marks the start of the summer vacation season in the United States (Memorial Day) and Canada (Victoria Day).

May is generally thought to have been named after Maia, the Greek goddess of fertility.

The first day of the month is known as May Day. In Britain, as in most parts of Western Europe, May Day marked the end of the harsh winter months, welcoming warmer weather and optimistically looked forward to brighter and productive months. For our ancestors, largely in rural areas, it was a major annual festival and was celebrated throughout the country, with music, dancing and games. Traditional May Day celebrations included dancing around maypoles.

According to old superstitions, you should not buy a broom, wash blankets or get married in May: “Marry in May and you’ll rue the day”. 

It's difficult (nigh on impossible) to know the exact reason why the Romans avoided May weddings, it could have been due to the festival of Lemuria, which paid tribute to the dead and lasted most of the month. Therefore some believed it would have been frowned upon (and considerd unlucky) to wed when you were supposed to be celebrating the deceased.

In the nursery rhyme “Here we go gathering nuts in May,” the word “nuts” was probably a corruption of “knots” meaning bunches of flowers.

Sears Tower, now known as Willis Tower, is a 108-story 1,451 feet (442 m) skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. At the time of its completion on 4th May 1973, it was the tallest building in the world.

Amy Johnson was the first female pilot to fly solo from England to Australia on the 5th May 1930. Aged 26 she set off from Croydon in a Gipsy Moth aircraft named 'Jason', and landed in Darwin on 24th May, a flight distance of approx 11,000 miles.

The official opening of the Channel Tunnel by Queen Elizabeth II and French President François Mitterand took place on 6th May 1994.

VE Day marks the end of the War with Germany, on Tuesday 8th May 1945.

On 13th May 1995 British woman Alison Hargreaves became the first woman to conquer Everest without oxygen or the help of sherpas. She was only the second person in history to reach the top of Everest unaided; the first person was Reinhold Messner in 1980.
The summit of Everest was first reached on 29th May 1953, by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

On May 20th, 1927, Charles Lindbergh piloted his small plane, The Spirit of St. Louis nonstop from New York to Paris in less than 34 hours.

Florence Nightingale was born in Florence, Italy on 12th May 1820.

The Golden Gate Bridge opened to to pedestrians on 27th May 1937 and vehicular traffic the next day.

Ian Flemming, the creator of the best known fictional spy James Bond, was born on 28th May 1908 in London.

Big Ben is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. It first started ticking on 31st May 1859.

∼ Happy May Day∼

Polly x

A Good Read

Love And War In The Appenines by Eric Newby

In 1942 at the tender age of 22 Eric Newby was captured by the Germans during a failed raid on a Sicilian air base, and spent time in a POW camp. This memoir tells the story of his captivity, his escape and the subsequent period that he spent hiding in the inhospitable terrain around the village of Fontellanato. For several months he was sheltered and fed by local people, despite their fear of the German army and the scarcity of their own resources.

It is a story of courage, resilience and human kindness. Newby's style is quite matter of fact, and sprinkled with a lot of humour, but there is no mistaking the danger he was in, and the physical hardships that he had to endure. He describes the everyday life of the villagers, the mountain tracks and woods of the area, the huts, caves and hay lofts where he had to hide, the setting and the period really come to life. He is grateful for all the help he received and respectful even towards those who refused to help, appreciating the difficulties they faced. Amid all the difficulties he met the woman who became his life-long love.

It's a very absorbing read.

∼ Happy Reading ∼ 

Polly x

Easter In The Cotswolds

Alexandra House Hotel, Swindon was a good base for my friends M & J and myself for our 3 night Easter break. We travelled by coach stopping in Oxford for a couple of hours

where we had time to enjoy street entertainment

fancy a bite - get it - bite!! 

apart from lots of food stalls the rest of the market was spectacularly underwhelming 

the indoor market however was much better.

Our hotel had a pretty Easter display at reception

some nice seating areas and bar areas

and the rooms were very good, warm with a super comfortable bed and en-suite.

Our first trip was a scenic drive through some pretty Cotswold villages to Bourton-on-the-Water. Easter holiday + glorious weather = people, lots of people, it was heaving. 

Admiring a garden on the way to the delightful, excellent Model Village.

As a keen miniaturist I was in my element. 

Built of Cotswold stone it is a one-ninth scale model of the actual village, complete with model village within the model village! And it is the only grade II listed model village in the country.

The River Windrush flows under Bourton's famous bridges providing

a beautiful backdrop to the miniature beeches, cherries and chestnut trees.

You can hear music in the tiny church

 and can wander the lanes peering into all the different buildings.

Eastfield House used to be the cottage hospital

The Motor Museum

The Croft ice cream parlour

Look at the cute little post box

The following day we visited Bath starting with a guided coach tour doing the usual

tourist stuff around the city, which was very nice.

You can't visit Bath without going to the Royal Crescent

and hearing about the eye watering property prices!!

Planted in 1793 this tree is one of the oldest

architectuarally planted trees in the world

Timber Treasures, the shop behind the tree, has an interesting history. It's part of the old Abbey Gatehouse, and, at 600 years old it is one of the oldest buildings in the city. In 1817 in a room above the shop a young Mary Shelly finished the final draft of the classic Gothic novel "Frankenstein". Over the years the shop has been a gin palace, a brothel, a greengrocers, a Temperance Meeting House and an antique shop. Today it sells hand made wooden gifts.

We found a wonderful bookshop 

With so many tourists there were queues everywhere. The queue for the Abbey was the full length of the building. J and I can walk miles but we're not good at standing, so we all decided that once you've seen one Abbey/Cathedral you've seen them all.

At £25 we decided not to go into the Roman Baths

The Pump Room restaurant looked very nice

Pulteney Bridge

The walk along the river is very nice.

We had a lovely few days.

∼ Be safe and well∼

Polly x