Dublin....
A Gorgonzola sandwich (with mustard, of course)in Davy Byrne's most moral pub.
And a glass or two of Jamesons raised to the people I know who would understand the significance.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Kenilworth
To Kenilworth Castle. Which has a walk on part at the end of Lady G. I used to walk there from Coventry, come to think of it.
At this time of year the low sun warms the red brick and cuts precise shadows across the lush grass. The dried out mere stretches off into the distance softened by ground mist. It's very beautiful.
Robert Dudley intrigues me. Everything: dynastic politics, the urge to power, pride, greed and possibly genuine affection were all pushing him towards the one women he couldn't have. So the ruined castle stands as metaphor. He took one of the strongest castles in medieval England and compromised its military integrity by converting it into a pleasure ground to seduce Liz 1. And after he'd almost gone broke entertaining her, she said no and left. The way we change ourselves to attract someone else, the way we get left stranded neither nor. Between the Keep and the apartments.
We escaped from the friendly ticket office where the only thing they didn't try and sell us was the castle itself and headed for the stables where they sell something they describe as coffee. Fortunately, there was a free concert of medieval music. The trio, called Nonimus, were excellent. Usually I start running when I see people dressed in tights and cloaks. I have sat through some hideous "medieval music", bad musically and worse historically, but these guys were excellent. A rare combination of enthusiasm, energy and musicality combined with a delightfully awful line in puns made this visit to the castle special. Chris and I were their only audience. People kept coming to the stable doors, looking inside and turning away. The fools. Hopefully their performances later in the day were better attended.
We bought the cd. What else can you do? It was well worth it. It even has a good version of the much murdered John Barelycorn.
At this time of year the low sun warms the red brick and cuts precise shadows across the lush grass. The dried out mere stretches off into the distance softened by ground mist. It's very beautiful.
Robert Dudley intrigues me. Everything: dynastic politics, the urge to power, pride, greed and possibly genuine affection were all pushing him towards the one women he couldn't have. So the ruined castle stands as metaphor. He took one of the strongest castles in medieval England and compromised its military integrity by converting it into a pleasure ground to seduce Liz 1. And after he'd almost gone broke entertaining her, she said no and left. The way we change ourselves to attract someone else, the way we get left stranded neither nor. Between the Keep and the apartments.
We escaped from the friendly ticket office where the only thing they didn't try and sell us was the castle itself and headed for the stables where they sell something they describe as coffee. Fortunately, there was a free concert of medieval music. The trio, called Nonimus, were excellent. Usually I start running when I see people dressed in tights and cloaks. I have sat through some hideous "medieval music", bad musically and worse historically, but these guys were excellent. A rare combination of enthusiasm, energy and musicality combined with a delightfully awful line in puns made this visit to the castle special. Chris and I were their only audience. People kept coming to the stable doors, looking inside and turning away. The fools. Hopefully their performances later in the day were better attended.
We bought the cd. What else can you do? It was well worth it. It even has a good version of the much murdered John Barelycorn.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Launch
24 hours in a droning tin can...now there's a challenge, find something poetic in international air flights.
We launched Lady G in the Herbert Art Gallery. In a space between the new Godiva gallery and George Eliot's piano. Mat Merrit was kind enough to turn up and read some poems to get the thing rolling. Then half an hour of Lady g, stories, some questions and it was all done.
The refurbished Herbert is a beautiful building. Given the amount of ugly post war buildings in Coventry there's a certain amount of suprise in that statement. More of that later.
Before the reading Chris and I walked down to see the Old Cathedral. It's illuminated at night and the way its broken walls and spires shape the darkness around it, adding shade and colour to a cloudless night sky was worth freezing for.
We launched Lady G in the Herbert Art Gallery. In a space between the new Godiva gallery and George Eliot's piano. Mat Merrit was kind enough to turn up and read some poems to get the thing rolling. Then half an hour of Lady g, stories, some questions and it was all done.
The refurbished Herbert is a beautiful building. Given the amount of ugly post war buildings in Coventry there's a certain amount of suprise in that statement. More of that later.
Before the reading Chris and I walked down to see the Old Cathedral. It's illuminated at night and the way its broken walls and spires shape the darkness around it, adding shade and colour to a cloudless night sky was worth freezing for.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)