Wednesday December 21, 2005

Last of the shopping

Well last night we went shopping for the last time before Xmas. We will not like many of the UK population go during Xmas eve and join the crowds. Supermarkets are the worst. People seem to buy tons of food fearing a famine in the UK or the fact that no shop will ever open again. I expect loads of food is wasted. We have bought sensible amounts of food that will keep us going over the Xmas break. We have bought things that will keep fresh and will be able to avoid a last minute shop to get items that only keep fresh for a day or two. It is easier for us as there are no kids or family visiting. Just two of us. One year when shopping on Xmas eve in Oxford the jostling crowd of trollies by the tills got too much for my wife and she walked out - suggesting as she left that I follow her. I nearly did. It was like a herd of wilderbeast. Xmas is meant to be enjoyable I am told. Keeping away from stores until after Xmas will ensure it is for us.

Bleak House

Over the last few weeks we have been glued to the TV on Thursday and Friday nights. Charles Dickens story Bleak house. On those evenings a thirty minute 'soap' style episode was shown then repeated on the Sunday. This followed the way most Dickens novels were published. Bleak House was published in ninteen monthly installments, each containing thirty pages of text and two illustrations by Phiz . Each cost one shilling, except for the last, which was a double issue and cost two. Central to the story is an ongoing court case of where a pot of money should go when the will governing it was unclear. The book is very typical of a Dickens story set in the cruel times of Victorian England. Back to the TV series the cast list was magnificant and the best player must be Charles Dance who played the evil Mr Tulkinghorn a lawyer. Sadly he got bumped off near the end.

Other actors which I must mention: (not the full list of actors) Denis Lawson as John Jarndyce, he looked after Richard and Ada (who might get their inheritance from the court case sometime..) and their friend/companion Esther. They all live in bleak house.

Esther Summerson (Anna Maxwell Martin) companion of Richard and Ada. Her mothers identity is revealed in the story. The funny thing about the casting is that everyone says "oh how you look like xyz" where in fact she bears no resemblance to the person who ends up being revealed as her mother !

Richard Carstone (Patrick Kennedy), a flighty chap who tries his hand at many different jobs before sticking in the army for a little longer than his other careers.

Ada Clare (Carey Mulligan) Richard's bride to be.

Harold Skimpole (Nathaniel Parker) a nasty chap who says the most unfortunate things you could think of. He lives as a guest in Bleak house but I would have thrown him out. But he played the part very well.

Lady Dedlock (Gillian Anderson) , the mother of Esther; Gillian was excellent at this part.

Sir Leicester (Timothy West) Stuffy pompous chap who havs no idea of his wife's dark secret.. Bucket (Alun Armstrong) snuff sniffing, wine slurping policeman who investigates among other things Tulkinghorn's murder

Rosa (Emma Williams) maid of lady deadlock who is 'let go' much to Tulkinghorn's annoyance.

Clamb (Tom Georgeson) clerk for Tulkinghorn. Guppy (Burn Gorman), a clerk who tries to make a bit on the side by finding information for Lady Deadlock but ends up being thwarted by Smallweed and Tulkinghorn.

Smallweed (Phil Davis), a cripple who is nearly as evil as Tulkinghorn, after he is set down in his portable chair the first thing he says is "shake me up xyx!"

As usual in dicken's stories their is plenty of tragedy and nasty things going on but the there is a nice ending to it that I won't reveal. Loads of other folks played smaller parts like Warren Clarke, Pauline Collins etc. If you want to see it all again or missed any or all of it a DVD set is available and on Thursday 29th December 2005 on BBC Four the whole series is to be shown again.