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Tags - royal

'We are living in a self-congratulatory world,' said Norris.

March 15, 2012

10 comments

Reviews

I was at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle last Thursday evening, waiting for Madame Butterfly to begin, when I turned to my friend and asked if she'd been watching Coronation Street recently.  Yes I have she replied, even though some people deny watching it on account of them being snobs.  It's like watching Shakespeare she continued, or something like that anyway, and I agreed.  And what was it Shakespeare said in: As You Like It: All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts,..' Sounds like a cliché, but then, that's life - a play within a play. Norris, you know the one, he owns the newsagents in Coronation Street, or does he joint own it with Rita Fairclough.  Hang on though, isn't her surname Sullivan these days?  She's had that many husbands, one of them a serial killer if I recall correctly - whatever, it doesn't take long to catch up.  And what about that whatsoname - the one pursuing Audrey Roberts, the cad - Lewis Archer - oh well, he's company I suppose, Audrey.  Hang on to your inheritance though, pet.  It's an English institution Coronation Street - I used to watch it with my Nana and remember the hairnetted Ena Sharples having a stout in the Rovers Retrun with her friend, Minnie Caldwell. Hilda Ogden singing whilst dusting; those 3 flying ducks on the wall, and her husband the pigeon fancier... Where was I, oh yes, the Theatre Royal in Newcastle has had a makeover and looks amazing - reupholstered Georgian seats with plenty of leg room. Overall the building and décor are classical and not too overstated.  They have unobtrusive screens on either side of the stage so that the audience can read the libretto.  A must, especially if you're not Italian. There's an ample sized bar with plenty of space behind it.  There's plenty of space in front, too, for theatre goers to chat and drink without feeling you're in the way for either being nudged or shoved. It's the first time I've been to an opera and Madame Butterfly was, I thought, a good introductory experience.  Hoping to see the Ballet: Nutcracker next (unfortunate name, don't you think?)   As for Norris saying we live in a self-congratulatory world and that every day seems to be a celebratory day for something or other, I think he's right.  Well, things do move on Norris, and here is my self-congratulatory news.    After winning Writelink's Love Divine Poetry Comp with my poem: April's Foolish Tryst with a cash prize of £20, I was further delighted to have my poem: Absence selected to celebrate the naming of Tomas Tranströmer as the Nobel laureate for literature at the end of 2011. It can be read here: <a href="http://t.co/lBr4Fsl" title="http://www.nftu.co.uk/2012/03/14/poetry-response-2-%E2%80%9Cafter-someones-death%E2%80%9D-by-tomas-transtromer/">http://www.nftu.co.uk/2012/03/14/poetry-response-2-%E2%80%9Cafter-someones-death%E2%80%9D-by-tomas-transtromer/</a>   This is just between me and you, Writelinkers, but I hadn't a clue who Tomas Tranströmer was, but after seeing a call-for-submissions in response to his poem: ‘After somone's death' that I read via @poetryresponse, it inspired said poem.    Tomas Tranströmer was born on 15 April 1931 and is a Swedish writer, poet and translator, whose poetry has been translated into over 60 languages. Tomas Tranströmer is acclaimed as one of the most important Scandinavian writers since the Second World War. Critics have praised Tranströmer's poems for their accessibility, even in translation; his poems capture the long Swedish winters, the rhythm of the seasons and the palpable, atmospheric beauty of nature.  (Wikipedia)   Gosh, how proud am I, and of course I'll be reading his English translations of published poetry.

Tags: madame butterfly tomas transtromer theatre royal newcastle poetry shakespeare

In Flanders' Fields - John McCrae, 1915

November 11, 2010

2 comments

Poetry

The First World War caused widespread devastation to areas of Northern France and Belgium, but the poppy flowered every year, bringing colour and hope to the devastated landscape.  Colonel John McCrae, a doctor serving with the Canadian Armed Forces, was deeply moved by what he saw and, inspired by the poppies, wrote a poem - in Flanders' Fields     In Flanders' Fields  In Flanders' fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place: and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.   We are the dead.  Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders' fields   Take up our quarrel with the foe; To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high, If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders' fields.   McCrae died in a military hospital on the French coast shortly after writing his poem, but it was published in Punch magazine, showing the world what conditions on the battlefields were like. All the above was sourced from: The Royal British LEGION leaflet that gives information: About the Legion and can be collected from libraries.

Tags: madame butterfly tomas transtromer theatre royal newcastle poetry shakespeare flanders' fields john mccrae 1915 royal bristish legion

Yorkshire Roots

April 28, 2011

14 comments

Did You Know?

This has been adapted from an article featured in the Guisborough Life magazine.  Thanks to Derek for letting me publish this on my blog. <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_V8fjVWFXdd8/TbkipeSZubI/AAAAAAAAAik/F2i03SwQRuE/s640/DSC05371.JPG" border="0" alt="Derek Brown" width="480" height="640" />  We were delighted to find that Derek Brown, who is one of our neighbours, has a close connection with the soon-to-be Royal Bride, Kate Middleton.  Derek was born in 1935, in a Guisborough house that belonged to his grandmother, Elizabeth Brown, nee Temple, and it was Elizabeth's sister, Florence, who once ran the Red Lion public house, which is now the Yorkshire Bank in Church Street. Elizabeth had a brother, Thomas Temple, an ironstone miner and steelworker, who was born in Guisborough, in 1872.  Derek's family have been researching their ancestry for a number of years and discovered that Thomas is in fact, great-great-grandfather to Catherine Elizabeth (Kate) Middleton, born 9 January 1982. Derek was proud to show his family tree depicting hand-painted heraldic coats-of-arms of the families who are linked to himself and Kate.  The family tree has been researched and designed by close relatives, which clearly shows his direct lineage.  Derek's grandchildren, for example, are at the same level of descent as Kate.   The family photograph shows Derek's grandmother, Elizabeth, her husband, Frederick Brown, ironstone miner and Cleveland Hunt worker, together with their son, who was also called Thomas.  Sadly, Thomas was killed during the battle of the Somme in 1916 and is buried at Thiepval Military Cemetery in France. <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_V8fjVWFXdd8/TbkirjMkfLI/AAAAAAAAAio/6wJy2BGH_9s/s640/Elizabeth%20Brown.jpg" border="0" alt="Derek Brown" width="454" height="640" />

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marilyn
Posts: 84
Comments: 415
Everyone has a universal story to tell, it's the uniqueness of the telling that's the winner! All I need to do is think of something hooky, quirky, funny, original, stupendously creative, clever and wisdomic - I think I'll just stick to writing.

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