The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
‘Women’s lives do not matter to anyone at this court. Before every queen stands her pretty successor, behind her a ghost.’
An historical romp through the courts of Henry VIII through the eyes of Katherine Parr- his last wife.
The research is brilliant- I have been immersed for days and googling the life out of Henry Tudor’s court!
View all my reviews
Directed by Petter Næss and Pål Jackman, written by Mette M. Bølstad, State of Happiness is about power, profit and politics. When Stavanger, a small Norwegian fishing village becomes part of the 70s oil boom, everything changes.
Loved the first series and just finished the second. Different, great cast and highly entertaining. very, very good!
Mum is a British sitcom written by Stefan Golaszewski (Marriage) centred around recently widowed, suburban 59-year-old Cathy and her family, following her husband’s death. Each episode is named after a calendar month in the year, except series three which is set over just one week.
Starring Lesley Manville and Peter Mullan. I watched this on the back of Stefan Golaszewski’s Marriage (Nicola Walker). Similar format- the comedy/ drama is in the minutia of everyday life, cleverly delivered.
I will be looking for more of this writer’s work.
‘A holiday turns from heaven to hell with a gunshot – and the consequences will linger long after the final bullets are fired.’
Written by Louise Doughty and starring Keeley Hawes.
What would you do if it happened to you? (Louise Doughty)
Binged the three episodes of this last night. Reading the reviews, the ending has divided its audience. Gripping and fast moving. I liked it.
https://www.bombaysapphire.com/distillery/
‘Uncover the secrets of our Bombay Sapphire gin on the site of a former paper mill in the Hampshire countryside. Learn about the rare production processes used to make our world-famous gin and discover the sustainable measures and ecology of the conservation area that we call our home.’
Had a road trip down to Lavestoke in Hampshire for a gin tasting experience the other day. Set on the site of an old paper mill (it used to manufacture all our paper money before it went over to a mainly plastic content) the location was historic.It stood beside the River Test; a chalk river bustling with flora and fauna.
We learnt about the gin making process and had a few gin cocktails throughout the tour. There were two beautiful green houses showcasing the botanicals used in the gin making; one housing tropical plants and one Mediterranean. Both were welcome for a quick warm up on a chilly autumn morning.
Pricey at £70 for two tickets but worth it for the beautiful setting and informative tour.
Nine days ago we did a tourist visit to Windsor; Tuesday 7th September. Wednesday 8th September our Queen sadly passed away. We went back today to pay our respects and feel involved in some small way.
A very different Windsor greeted us. Somber, grand, busy. Lots of press areas with crews from all over the world. The Queen’s staff from the castle, resplendent in their uniforms, standing on guard outside and talking to the crowds paying their respects. Police mingling with the people in the crowd. Young and old all respectfully jostling to catch a glimpse of the scene. And so many flowers!
Preparations were also well underway for Queen Elizabeth to arrive back home to her final resting place at the castle. Roads cordoned off, big screens going up, scaffolding for the cameramen. Windsor is getting ready to embrace their queen for the final time.
RIP our beautiful Queen Elizabeth II.
‘In times when nothing stood
But worsened, or grew strange,
There was one constant good:
She did not change.’
Philip Larkin
Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A brilliant psychological, matter-of-fact thriller! Lily the anti-heroine is a clever, calculated killer- justifying murder with the fact’…that everyone dies eventually anyway…’. It is cleverly woven plot with an interesting ending.
View all my reviews
Return road trip today with a stop off in Windsor and Eton.
Windsor is a town on the River Thames in southeast England and home to Windsor Castle, a residence of the British Royal Family.
As well as the castle, we took a quick look in Windsor parish church of St John The Baptist with its beautiful depiction of The Last Supper by Franz de Cleyn.
Eton is a town on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor, connected to it by Windsor Bridge. It’s famous for it’s public school, Eton College.
The college was founded in 1440 by Henry VI. It has been attended by, among others, Princes Harry and William, prime ministers David Cameron and Boris Johnson and actor Eddie Redmayne.
Short break over and back home to Sussex, but nice to move inland and see a bit more of the culture and countryside that makes up the beautiful country of England.
Milly Space 