Shock news of the day - we have mice!! Just what we need for the run-up to Christmas indeed. I got up relatively early this morning and staggered into the living room wearing my customary morning head - where I discovered that parts of the wrapping around my stepfather's Christmas chocolates were lying near the table. Dammit. Interestingly, the mice had carefully unwrapped the chocolate (Ferrero Rocher, if you're wondering - which I don't like but which my stepfather goes mad for ...), torn up the wrapping and then left the chocolate uneaten. Is this due to our electronic mouse deterrent, which may have driven the poor creature mad? It's a mystery ... Being from Essex, a part of me did wonder if I could rescue the wrapping and then put the chocolate back without Jim (stepfather) noticing, but even I cannot be that mean. No, really. Anyway, I've hidden away all the other consumables as much as possible, put down some poison (accompanied of course by evil laughter - well, I am a farmer's daughter so have a heart of steel where animals are concerned ...) and we'll wait and see where the bodies turn up. Mwa-aha-ha ...
Anyway, while Lord H was collecting his new car (which he loves and which I shall be introduced to tomorrow, no doubt), I drove to Aylesford Priory to spend some time with my friend Pauline. We were hoping for a nice quiet lunch and chat - but curses, foiled again! - the Priory have their Christmas Fayre today, dammit. So we were greeted by huge amounts of Christmas tack, milling families, monks desperately selling their CD (please, someone, introduce me quickly to a monastery where they haven't produced a CD and I shall be your friend for life) and a woman crooning out-of-tune carols over the tannoy non-stop. Oh what joy. Christmas? Bah! Humbug ... However, we did at least buy some fudge and have a quick lunch before decamping to the nearest hotel with a Starbucks, hurrah. Where we talked loads and put the world to rights. Bliss - and lovely to see you as ever, Pauline.
Tonight, I shall be surgically attached to the rollercoaster ride of Strictly Come Dancing and then the blessed Boris (may his hair flourish always) is doing some historical programme (which I can't be arsed to get up and check the details of right now) which we're also planning to see. Boris is always worth watching, in my opinion.
And here's today's meditation piece:
Meditation 12
In the heat,
dust, crowd of people,
questions, half-answers,
lies and the constant need
for a price,
the truth leaps
from his tongue
as if it’s been waiting there
for a lifetime
and this is his only chance
to speak it.
The air hangs silent,
waits for the next move.
Oh, and we've bought the marvellous naked Royal Opera House calendar which you can find information about here, although the actual calendar is on sale at the Opera House shop. Proceeds go to Macmillan Cancer Support so it's all in a good cause, so buy early buy often is what I say. And lovely to see a naked calendar suitable for everyone indeed. Bliss!
Today's nice things:
1. Seeing Pauline
2. TV
3. Poetry
4. Naked calendars.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website - thankfully not baring all for the nation ...
ANNE BROOKE BOOKS: Independent writer of modern fiction
Showing posts with label calendars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calendars. Show all posts
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Christmas hunks and website visitors
Ah, you can always tell when Christmas (arrggh! The "C" word, so soon - many apologies indeed ...) is nearly upon us when we hear tell of the first of the Christmas hunk calendars - so here's to the lovely Toronto firefolk who are A1 cute and also supporting a good cause, so get buying, people! I'm planning one for me and one for Mother ...
And my eyebrows were further raised today by the realisation that the good people at Macmillan Publishers paid a visit or two to my website yesterday. Well, goodness me indeed. It's not often I can put myself in the same sentence as a mainstream publisher, you know (well, never, actually ...) so I cannot pass on the opportunity to do so now. As you can see. And this year is turning out to be a record year, as I think from memory that Penguin visited in the summer. Gosh indeedy. I'm hoping I can make it into a bumper season and catch a third. Votes on Harper Collins anyone? What a triumvirate that would be! Mind you, as they're probably only popping in for lessons in how not to be (a) a proper author, or (b) a viable option, then perhaps I don't need to get my best dress out just yet ...
Anyway, to more mundane matters. I've managed to have a bath today (hurrah! Pegs off noses, everyone!...) for the first time since ... um ... last Thursday, though it took a while. And I have replaced two of my plasters and downscaled the dressing into a plaster too. I'm getting there, slowly slowly. The left shoulder is still peculiarly numb however - although I might be detecting some kind of life in there, Captain ... But not as we know it.
Incidentally, the Clinic rang yesterday to see how I was, so I rang back today and spoke to the lovely Philippa, one of the medical secretaries there. She seemed to think I was doing okay and reminded me about my follow-up appointment at the end of the month. Not that I needed reminding of course. I was chatting to her about my idea for a Husband Button, where you press it for instant marital response, and she seemed quite taken with the concept - although she felt that her daughter did already have an instant Mother Button which was rather overused. Ah, there's always a negative side to every new idea, I suppose.
For the rest of the day, I have grappled (ah, how I've grappled - good Lord, it's been tough ...) with Hallsfoot's Battle and it now stands at 45,000 words. The flashback with Annyeke's grandmother is done and came out rather differently than expected. Better too, I hope. Next I'll tackle Simon's reaction to it and also the further relationship with the mind-cane. Two steps forward and one back, Simon - don't knock it, babe.
Tonight, I'll be watching Claudia on It Takes Two and just generally chilling. Ooh, and I must say we did enjoy Absurd Person Singular at the theatre last night - although both Lord H and I felt that it would be a more satisfying, richer and more deeply human play if Acts 2 and 3 were simply swopped around. You'd just need a few tweaks to make it work perfectly well, and Act 2 is such a work of genius that it deserves to be the one you're left with. The current Act 3 just doesn't cut it. I doubt Ayckbourn of course will do any such thing - he's laughing all the way to the proverbial, even in these trying times. So my brief career as would-be Dramatic Editor is over before it's begun. Ah well and alas. I should be used to that by now ...
Today's nice things:
1. Hunky firemen
2. Interesting website visitors
3. Having a bath
4. Writing more of Hallsfoot
5. TV.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website - you never know who you'll bump into there ...
And my eyebrows were further raised today by the realisation that the good people at Macmillan Publishers paid a visit or two to my website yesterday. Well, goodness me indeed. It's not often I can put myself in the same sentence as a mainstream publisher, you know (well, never, actually ...) so I cannot pass on the opportunity to do so now. As you can see. And this year is turning out to be a record year, as I think from memory that Penguin visited in the summer. Gosh indeedy. I'm hoping I can make it into a bumper season and catch a third. Votes on Harper Collins anyone? What a triumvirate that would be! Mind you, as they're probably only popping in for lessons in how not to be (a) a proper author, or (b) a viable option, then perhaps I don't need to get my best dress out just yet ...
Anyway, to more mundane matters. I've managed to have a bath today (hurrah! Pegs off noses, everyone!...) for the first time since ... um ... last Thursday, though it took a while. And I have replaced two of my plasters and downscaled the dressing into a plaster too. I'm getting there, slowly slowly. The left shoulder is still peculiarly numb however - although I might be detecting some kind of life in there, Captain ... But not as we know it.
Incidentally, the Clinic rang yesterday to see how I was, so I rang back today and spoke to the lovely Philippa, one of the medical secretaries there. She seemed to think I was doing okay and reminded me about my follow-up appointment at the end of the month. Not that I needed reminding of course. I was chatting to her about my idea for a Husband Button, where you press it for instant marital response, and she seemed quite taken with the concept - although she felt that her daughter did already have an instant Mother Button which was rather overused. Ah, there's always a negative side to every new idea, I suppose.
For the rest of the day, I have grappled (ah, how I've grappled - good Lord, it's been tough ...) with Hallsfoot's Battle and it now stands at 45,000 words. The flashback with Annyeke's grandmother is done and came out rather differently than expected. Better too, I hope. Next I'll tackle Simon's reaction to it and also the further relationship with the mind-cane. Two steps forward and one back, Simon - don't knock it, babe.
Tonight, I'll be watching Claudia on It Takes Two and just generally chilling. Ooh, and I must say we did enjoy Absurd Person Singular at the theatre last night - although both Lord H and I felt that it would be a more satisfying, richer and more deeply human play if Acts 2 and 3 were simply swopped around. You'd just need a few tweaks to make it work perfectly well, and Act 2 is such a work of genius that it deserves to be the one you're left with. The current Act 3 just doesn't cut it. I doubt Ayckbourn of course will do any such thing - he's laughing all the way to the proverbial, even in these trying times. So my brief career as would-be Dramatic Editor is over before it's begun. Ah well and alas. I should be used to that by now ...
Today's nice things:
1. Hunky firemen
2. Interesting website visitors
3. Having a bath
4. Writing more of Hallsfoot
5. TV.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website - you never know who you'll bump into there ...
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Poetry, flash fiction and hoses
As it's the beginning of February today, I performed the ritualistic changing of the calendars last night - which is much like the Changing of the Guard, but less frequent. I must admit I'll miss gazing at the January picture of adorable Andy on my semi-naked firemen's calendar, but I now have Stuart, Mr February. Who isn't quite as sexy as Andy, but makes up for this by having a very big hose. And a nice smile. Meanwhile, Lord H has the redoubtable Uhura for February in our Star Trek kitchen calendar, so he too is smiling. Though I think he wishes they'd included her legs as well as her heaving bosom. She was always a great leg woman.
And, as is customary for the beginning of the month, I did my usual sending off of a selection of poems to the next magazine on my list. Which happens to be Smiths Knoll so, as they're renowned for returning work at the speed of light (at least in my case, sadly ...) I'm expecting my rejection tomorrow, though I haven't yet posted the envelope. I think this is what Uhura would call a temporal anomaly in the poetry world. Ho hum.
I've also written another piece of flash fiction for the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) Flash Fiction II Group competition which, this week, is on the theme, "Lie for your Life" and has to include a vehicle. I've come up with this:
Revenge:
She hadn’t wanted him to go. Not in her brand-new BMW. He smiled but his eyes were empty. ‘You don’t mind, do you? After all, I paid for it.’ She shook her head in reply. She wanted her life back. With the memory of what she’d done to the car, she knew she’d get it.
Interesting how all my flashes seem to focus on strong women - as elsewhere I write about them so rarely. Women? Love 'em but I couldn't write a whole one ... Hmm. Oh, and I've been thinking about sex scenes again today (surprise!) but haven't written one (I'm not sure sex writing and Lemsips mix, to be honest, at least not for fiction). But I have come up with a strange piece which I suspect may well be written in Michael's voice, with more than a hint of Paul from "Maloney's Law" - well, both of them are much better at this sort of thing than I am and, besides, it's probably time the man in my head had a word in edgeways (he doesn't like sickness):
Encounter
Wish I could touch you
you look so cool
there at the bar
the lights pulsating across your hair
the muscles in your arms
flexing
as you reach for your wallet
buy yourself a drink
one for your mates too
another night with the boys then
I wonder which one you’ll take home
or go home with
when you’ve danced and drunk
enough
wish it were me
though I know it won’t be
no hope of that
not when I’m alone
a man on the hunt
and you surround yourself
with a wall of playmates
I can’t break through
and even if I did
you’re too good-looking
too sexy for me to dream for
you’re not even noticing
I’m here now
are you
your eyes slide across me
every time you glance this way
so no chance
by wishing for me to unhook the buttons
of your designer shirt
release the smooth skin of your chest
to my eager mouth
no way on earth
for my tongue to touch
your lips your throat your nipples
while all the time
my fingers tremble at your groin
hardly able for excitement
to unpeel you from denim
and silk
for oh yes for a man like you
there would be silk
and then the taste of you
fire and salt
and a way of carving your shape
into my skin’s bright memory
all this and more wished for untested
untried
and still the music plays
wish you’d smiled my way just once
it could I think
have been good for you
but now even before we’ve properly met
we’re through
As you can see, Michael's not very hot on punctuation. Ah well. Nobody's perfect. For the rest of the day, I've been fairly lazy - still not 100% really. Though I'm pleased I managed to eat breakfast - the first time since Sunday, hurrah! And I've kept inside once more, which meant cancelling Counselling this morning and dance tonight. In fact I'm beginning to think that the outside world doesn't exist at all, and that I will be forced to stay indoors for ever, much like Emily Dickinson or the chap in that old TV series, "The Prisoner" (does anyone remember that apart from me and Lord H??), who could never escape the mysterious village he was in. Also, astonishingly, I actually enjoyed today's DVD romantic comedy offering! - "Along came Polly" with Ben Stiller (who has a very nice bottom indeed) and Jennifer Aniston. Hell, I thought it was sweet, and funny too. Or maybe my critical faculties are being drained away due to lack of social interaction? It's hard to say.
Oh, and good news on "A Stranger's Table", my poetry collection - it's going to be self-published via Poetry Monthly (http://www.poetrymonthly.com). Phew! I've just had a conversation with the editor, Martin Holroyd, who tells me he is thinking about the cover and will try to get the proof copy in the post to me tomorrow. So he must think it's worth advertising on his website then. Phew, again. But, bloody hell, that's certainly cut out the years of waiting before the rejection comes through, which is my usual experience. Why can't other publishers be like that? Self-publishing certainly rules the roost!
Tonight, I might try and scribble a few words of "The Gifting" down, but I really do need to finish the ironing at some stage. I am wearing unironed clothes again today, but don't tell Lord H and I should be safe ...
Today's nice things:
1. Writing
2. Watching my DVD
3. Beginning the publication process for "A Stranger's Table".
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
And, as is customary for the beginning of the month, I did my usual sending off of a selection of poems to the next magazine on my list. Which happens to be Smiths Knoll so, as they're renowned for returning work at the speed of light (at least in my case, sadly ...) I'm expecting my rejection tomorrow, though I haven't yet posted the envelope. I think this is what Uhura would call a temporal anomaly in the poetry world. Ho hum.
I've also written another piece of flash fiction for the Writewords (http://www.writewords.org.uk) Flash Fiction II Group competition which, this week, is on the theme, "Lie for your Life" and has to include a vehicle. I've come up with this:
Revenge:
She hadn’t wanted him to go. Not in her brand-new BMW. He smiled but his eyes were empty. ‘You don’t mind, do you? After all, I paid for it.’ She shook her head in reply. She wanted her life back. With the memory of what she’d done to the car, she knew she’d get it.
Interesting how all my flashes seem to focus on strong women - as elsewhere I write about them so rarely. Women? Love 'em but I couldn't write a whole one ... Hmm. Oh, and I've been thinking about sex scenes again today (surprise!) but haven't written one (I'm not sure sex writing and Lemsips mix, to be honest, at least not for fiction). But I have come up with a strange piece which I suspect may well be written in Michael's voice, with more than a hint of Paul from "Maloney's Law" - well, both of them are much better at this sort of thing than I am and, besides, it's probably time the man in my head had a word in edgeways (he doesn't like sickness):
Encounter
Wish I could touch you
you look so cool
there at the bar
the lights pulsating across your hair
the muscles in your arms
flexing
as you reach for your wallet
buy yourself a drink
one for your mates too
another night with the boys then
I wonder which one you’ll take home
or go home with
when you’ve danced and drunk
enough
wish it were me
though I know it won’t be
no hope of that
not when I’m alone
a man on the hunt
and you surround yourself
with a wall of playmates
I can’t break through
and even if I did
you’re too good-looking
too sexy for me to dream for
you’re not even noticing
I’m here now
are you
your eyes slide across me
every time you glance this way
so no chance
by wishing for me to unhook the buttons
of your designer shirt
release the smooth skin of your chest
to my eager mouth
no way on earth
for my tongue to touch
your lips your throat your nipples
while all the time
my fingers tremble at your groin
hardly able for excitement
to unpeel you from denim
and silk
for oh yes for a man like you
there would be silk
and then the taste of you
fire and salt
and a way of carving your shape
into my skin’s bright memory
all this and more wished for untested
untried
and still the music plays
wish you’d smiled my way just once
it could I think
have been good for you
but now even before we’ve properly met
we’re through
As you can see, Michael's not very hot on punctuation. Ah well. Nobody's perfect. For the rest of the day, I've been fairly lazy - still not 100% really. Though I'm pleased I managed to eat breakfast - the first time since Sunday, hurrah! And I've kept inside once more, which meant cancelling Counselling this morning and dance tonight. In fact I'm beginning to think that the outside world doesn't exist at all, and that I will be forced to stay indoors for ever, much like Emily Dickinson or the chap in that old TV series, "The Prisoner" (does anyone remember that apart from me and Lord H??), who could never escape the mysterious village he was in. Also, astonishingly, I actually enjoyed today's DVD romantic comedy offering! - "Along came Polly" with Ben Stiller (who has a very nice bottom indeed) and Jennifer Aniston. Hell, I thought it was sweet, and funny too. Or maybe my critical faculties are being drained away due to lack of social interaction? It's hard to say.
Oh, and good news on "A Stranger's Table", my poetry collection - it's going to be self-published via Poetry Monthly (http://www.poetrymonthly.com). Phew! I've just had a conversation with the editor, Martin Holroyd, who tells me he is thinking about the cover and will try to get the proof copy in the post to me tomorrow. So he must think it's worth advertising on his website then. Phew, again. But, bloody hell, that's certainly cut out the years of waiting before the rejection comes through, which is my usual experience. Why can't other publishers be like that? Self-publishing certainly rules the roost!
Tonight, I might try and scribble a few words of "The Gifting" down, but I really do need to finish the ironing at some stage. I am wearing unironed clothes again today, but don't tell Lord H and I should be safe ...
Today's nice things:
1. Writing
2. Watching my DVD
3. Beginning the publication process for "A Stranger's Table".
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Strictly Come Coursing
Today, I've attended not one, but two courses in the search for self-improvement, and jolly good they were too. Ye gods, but I've actually had a good day. The age of miracles is not dead. And speak it softly on the street corners but I think I might actually feel happy - it's hard to say as I can't really remember what the feeling is like, but I've heard rumours ... But (being me) I have to ask: how long will it last?... Pessimist that I am.
The full day course of today as organised by work was Coping with Change - and bloody hell but I got a lot out of that. Various highlights spring to mind, including: drawing a lifeline for ourselves to note key points in our lives and times when we were happy or sad. I seem to have spent a lot of time being unhappy, with key high times being academic success at school or university and getting married to Lord H. It was especially interesting that being married to said Lord H has given me the longest running bout of general happiness ever in my life. Three cheers for the man indeed! It also struck me that even the bad times didn't last for ever, so the three key points which came out of that particular exercise for me were: (a) Everything changes; (b) Bad times don't last; and (c) Marriage is nice. Okay, not the deepest revelations ever, but they suited me. We also watched a video about how to find where our happiness lies and how to keep up with where it is, as what makes us happy changes too. Which isn't something I've thought of before. So I have to learn to keep an eye on that, so I'm not doing something just because it was okay in the past - as it has to be okay now too. Simple ideas, but effective. I think I'm going to spend some of my weekend going over my notes again and taking it in more. Self-awareness and planning for being on an even keel - somehow! - is perhaps the key.
Also astonishingly, I also managed to do some writing networking which ended up with the course presenter asking for my personal and Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) business cards. I even had them on me - which is another marvel. Sometimes, even I can look vaguely like a professional (but don't panic - I'm sure it won't last).
And straight after work, I've gone to my first ballroom/Latin American beginners' dance lesson - with a friend, Keith, from Woking. Neither his partner, Brian, nor Lord H were keen so it seemed like the ideal solution! Though there were some scuffles as to who would wear the glittery frock ... I picked K up from home and we had fun poring over his naked rugby calendar before we set off - verdict: not as good as last year's but what the heck, it's still naked men and you can't go wrong with that. And, hey, but the dance class was genuine fun, and we weren't bad at all, in my opinion. I think we might be able to discover our inner rhythm before too long at this rate. You never know. Tonight's dance was the waltz - which is more exhausting than you would think, and goodness me but my right arm was very tired indeed by the end of the lesson - all that keeping it straight out sideways, you know. I'm not very strong - obviously ... And it was only for an hour! Yes, I am a wimp.
Have just finished reading Maggie O'Farrell's "After You'd Gone". Ye gods, but it's bloody marvellous (though I could have done with a slightly stronger ending). I was gripped for 75% of the time and in tears for the remaining 25%. Which meant it didn't matter at all that the plot was obvious and could be seen coming from several miles away at all points - as I was so swept away by the power and emotion of it. I can definitely recommend it.
Today's nice things:
1. The Coping with Change course
2. Going waltzing
3. Catching up with Keith & Brian.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
The full day course of today as organised by work was Coping with Change - and bloody hell but I got a lot out of that. Various highlights spring to mind, including: drawing a lifeline for ourselves to note key points in our lives and times when we were happy or sad. I seem to have spent a lot of time being unhappy, with key high times being academic success at school or university and getting married to Lord H. It was especially interesting that being married to said Lord H has given me the longest running bout of general happiness ever in my life. Three cheers for the man indeed! It also struck me that even the bad times didn't last for ever, so the three key points which came out of that particular exercise for me were: (a) Everything changes; (b) Bad times don't last; and (c) Marriage is nice. Okay, not the deepest revelations ever, but they suited me. We also watched a video about how to find where our happiness lies and how to keep up with where it is, as what makes us happy changes too. Which isn't something I've thought of before. So I have to learn to keep an eye on that, so I'm not doing something just because it was okay in the past - as it has to be okay now too. Simple ideas, but effective. I think I'm going to spend some of my weekend going over my notes again and taking it in more. Self-awareness and planning for being on an even keel - somehow! - is perhaps the key.
Also astonishingly, I also managed to do some writing networking which ended up with the course presenter asking for my personal and Goldenford (http://www.goldenford.co.uk) business cards. I even had them on me - which is another marvel. Sometimes, even I can look vaguely like a professional (but don't panic - I'm sure it won't last).
And straight after work, I've gone to my first ballroom/Latin American beginners' dance lesson - with a friend, Keith, from Woking. Neither his partner, Brian, nor Lord H were keen so it seemed like the ideal solution! Though there were some scuffles as to who would wear the glittery frock ... I picked K up from home and we had fun poring over his naked rugby calendar before we set off - verdict: not as good as last year's but what the heck, it's still naked men and you can't go wrong with that. And, hey, but the dance class was genuine fun, and we weren't bad at all, in my opinion. I think we might be able to discover our inner rhythm before too long at this rate. You never know. Tonight's dance was the waltz - which is more exhausting than you would think, and goodness me but my right arm was very tired indeed by the end of the lesson - all that keeping it straight out sideways, you know. I'm not very strong - obviously ... And it was only for an hour! Yes, I am a wimp.
Have just finished reading Maggie O'Farrell's "After You'd Gone". Ye gods, but it's bloody marvellous (though I could have done with a slightly stronger ending). I was gripped for 75% of the time and in tears for the remaining 25%. Which meant it didn't matter at all that the plot was obvious and could be seen coming from several miles away at all points - as I was so swept away by the power and emotion of it. I can definitely recommend it.
Today's nice things:
1. The Coping with Change course
2. Going waltzing
3. Catching up with Keith & Brian.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
Saturday, January 13, 2007
A day in Brighton and my camp grandfather ...
My, how like the home life of our own dear Queen - a day in Brighton, Philip? Ooh, yes, let's, ma'am. So that is what Lord H and I have done today. And goodness me, it was windy on the pier. Very exciting too. I took two pictures of gulls and looked at the stormy brown waters. Very Wuthering Heights. Or it would have been, if there'd been a Height. We also stared longingly at the diamond shops in the Lanes, and wondered if we'll ever be able to afford an eternity ring. My heart is set on an emerald and diamond one, but hey it can wait another year. Or so.
But the real excitement of the day came when we popped into one of Brighton's second hand bookshops and I came across a copy of Paul Delany's "The Neo-Pagans: Friendship and Love in the Rupert Brooke Circle". No, no, the great poet is no relation to me, I'm afraid (more's the pity ...), but I have to admit to the fact that my grandfather, Justin Brooke, was one of the RB circle at King's, and is always described, rather charmingly, in any of the Rupert B biographies as a man "with an entirely superficial nature." Shame I never actually met him - I'm sure we'd have got on like the proverbial. I like to think that I'm keeping up the family standards of superficiality and ... um ... rather big noses. Interestingly, the photo of JB which looks horrifyingly more and more like me as the years go by is also in the Delany book, so I bought it on the grounds of family loyalty. And on flicking through, I found another, younger photo of my grandfather, which looked completely like my father, so that was quite scary, as my father's been dead for years. However, I'm distinctly not mentioning the photo of my grandfather in drag playing Miss Hardcastle in "She Stoops to Conquer" purely because of his apparently legendary 22 inch waist. Which is right next to the photo of Rupert Brooke playing a very camp Stingo in the same production. The Flower of English Youth, eh? It's astonishing we won the war at all.
Other good news - on my trawl round Godalming yesterday, I found a glorious half-price calendar of half-naked firemen, so snapped one up at once. We in the Lord H household do so enjoy our naked calendars - and aren't too bothered which sex they happen to be. So I am now gazing adoringly at Andy from Norfolk, who is interested in motorcycling, gym and socialising. And is the proud owner of a very fine chest. Yummy.
Today's nice things:
1. Finding a photo of my grandfather in drag
2. The fireman calendar
3. Brighton pier.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
But the real excitement of the day came when we popped into one of Brighton's second hand bookshops and I came across a copy of Paul Delany's "The Neo-Pagans: Friendship and Love in the Rupert Brooke Circle". No, no, the great poet is no relation to me, I'm afraid (more's the pity ...), but I have to admit to the fact that my grandfather, Justin Brooke, was one of the RB circle at King's, and is always described, rather charmingly, in any of the Rupert B biographies as a man "with an entirely superficial nature." Shame I never actually met him - I'm sure we'd have got on like the proverbial. I like to think that I'm keeping up the family standards of superficiality and ... um ... rather big noses. Interestingly, the photo of JB which looks horrifyingly more and more like me as the years go by is also in the Delany book, so I bought it on the grounds of family loyalty. And on flicking through, I found another, younger photo of my grandfather, which looked completely like my father, so that was quite scary, as my father's been dead for years. However, I'm distinctly not mentioning the photo of my grandfather in drag playing Miss Hardcastle in "She Stoops to Conquer" purely because of his apparently legendary 22 inch waist. Which is right next to the photo of Rupert Brooke playing a very camp Stingo in the same production. The Flower of English Youth, eh? It's astonishing we won the war at all.
Other good news - on my trawl round Godalming yesterday, I found a glorious half-price calendar of half-naked firemen, so snapped one up at once. We in the Lord H household do so enjoy our naked calendars - and aren't too bothered which sex they happen to be. So I am now gazing adoringly at Andy from Norfolk, who is interested in motorcycling, gym and socialising. And is the proud owner of a very fine chest. Yummy.
Today's nice things:
1. Finding a photo of my grandfather in drag
2. The fireman calendar
3. Brighton pier.
Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk
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