I spotted this photograph of a well known film star:

 

But do you recognise her?

Thanks EL.  Random guess Bette Davis (something about the eyes, obviously very early picture 30's??) or possibly Jean Harlow or Carole Lombard??

Squiggle, your first thought is right. It's Bette Davis

I'm not sure if you got to see strictly squiggle, but here's my picture for you anyway; Michael and Natalie were awesome! They did a ballroom number and wowed the judges, scoring some 8's! They finished joint 2nd on the leader board! Also joint was Victoria & Brendan, she didn't mess up her tango and the judges loved it Kimberley & pasha did a great little red riding hood performance, which also saw them in joint 2nd place, in first was Louis and Flavia who also did a tango. They scored 8-9-9-9!!!!! Sid came last on the board, I don't think the change of partner helped him but it was clear that last week knocked his confidence Lisa, Denise and Danny surprisingly didn't perform great! Lisa was heavy on her feet, Denise was nervous & stiff and Danny was Alright but not as good as previous weeks, although she did cope well with her complicated routine...

Excellent summary of Strictly, Summer.

Squiggle, fingers crossed that the engineer can fix your Sky tomorrow.

Good guess Squiggle, and you're right, it's the eyes that give it away.

Hope you had a chill-out time with your brother, El.

Went out on a shopping trip with hubby and DiL today.

What did you buy yogi? Anything festive?!

Thank you for the wonderful Strictly summary Summer - ooh alliteration!

 

Considering I have no tv I have had a lovely viewing weekend, culminating with another viewing (my second) of Gosford Park.  Sort of like a Downton fix and the beautiful beautiful music of Ivor Novello, this is ringing in my head now, with the wonderful singing of Jeremy Northam who played the part to perfection.  Apologies to EL who I know cannot stand Gosford Park but I thoroughly enjoyed it - so many interesting things to see that you missed the first time round

 

We did buy something but it wasn't festive. *sshhhh*

Goodnight all, see you tomorrow.

Goodnight all sweet dreams

Good morning everyone

 

Some blue sky here but generally cloudy. Dry but rained at some point overnight.

 

Squiggle, Jeremy Northam as Ivor Novello in Gosford Park was excellent. His brother Christopher played the piano in a couple of the Novello pieces.

 

Did you lnow that Ivor Novello was in an early Alfred Hitchcock silent thriller film called The Lodger (1927)?

It's viewable on this link:

http://archive.org/details/AHtheLodger

 

I was not impressed by someone who I used to do tax returns for ringing me just after 8 yesterday evening. Just about to become self-employed and wanted some info. He also rents out a property which is why I used to do his return though he's done it himself the last few years. When we talked about what sort of fee I would charge he was not impressed with what I said - he was of the view that a fee of £20 to £70 a year was more in order. The conversation promptly ended.

 

Good morning everyone, it's a really beautiful morning here.

 

Well the Sky engineer is here - nice guy too, so he came and looked at the Sky box first, I turned it on, the sound blared out, lovely Sky signal nice and strong there was a sound also, my jaw hitting the ground   But all became clear when he inspected the dish, it is rusted through and has been blowing in the wind like mad, one of the downsides of living so close to the sea.  So a new dish is being fitted as I speak and we should be all good to go in about half an hour.

 

Have a lovely day everyone, and I thought this pic was a nice way to start the week

 

Good morning its milder here but I feel cold! I need some hot food at lunch to heat me through! Which version of Gosford park are we discussing? I saw a modern version a few years back, the trailer looked fantastic but I wasn't impressed with the whole film El, you did right, why sell yourself short!

Summer, there's only one version of Gosford Park. Both Gosford Park and Downton Abbey star Maggie Smith and written by Julian Fellowes. Both have similar settings though Gosford Park is set later in 1932. 

But Robert Altman directed Gosford Park and his films aren't among my choices. Generally American, multi-layered with lots of characters with varying stories running through his films. He had his admirers but I'm not one of them.

 

 

Thanks el, I wonder why I thought it was a re-make then? Forgot to say, that's a great picture squiggle, it made me smile

I found that only on watching it again could I get Gosford Park straight in my head EL.  But then it was fascinating.  What struck me most of all was that they had the great Ivor Novello playing and singing in their midst but the upstairs people couldn't have cared less.  'Don't clap, you'll only encourage him'   It really was pearls before swine whereas the servants were listening enthralled, it was very very telling.  The upstairs people were only interested in money, money, money.

Ivor Novello's birthplace in Cardiff:

The one with a blue door - you can see the blue plaque for his birth next to the door. Father was a rent collector. Mother was an internationally known singing teacher and choral conductor. She had a school in London and Ivor clearly inherited her talent. He was privately educated in Cardiff, then in Gloucester where he studied with the Gloucester Cathedral organist.

So in Gosford Park, the character of Ivor Novello was not in the same social class as those upstairs, and in 1932 that would account for why they couldn't have cared less, and why those downstairs would have been enthralled.

 

I used to be taught to play the piano when I was much younger EL and my wonderful piano teacher whom I adored suggested to my parents that it would help with my appreciation of music (she was a very gifted teacher and I was, at that time a very promising pupil - can't play a note now sadly) if they took me to see one of Ivor Novello's shows, heaven knows which one was still running in the very late '40's or the early 1950's.  I can't remember much about it but I do remember it was delightful and I loved the music.

Squiggle, if you look at the Wiki article on Ivor Novello:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Novello

the show you are most likely to have seen would be either King's Rhapsody which starred Ivor Novello or Gay's the Word which was his last show but he was not in it and is different from his usual show in that he contrasted European operettas and post-war American musicals.

Here's a clip of some of the music to King's Rhapsody with photographs of the actual play which might jog your memory:

There was a later film adaptation made with Errol Flynn and Anna Neagle.

I can't find any clips of Gay's the Word which starred Cicely Courtneidge. With the change in the use of the word gay, searches come up with something rather different

 

Thank you for that EL, I am sure it was King's Rhapsody, very OTT to our eyes nowadays but the music is lovely.

Hello everyone. Had a bit of a busy day, hope you are all well

Hi Yogi what have you been up to today then?

Hi Squiggle I was clearing out some cupboards. I don't seem to have created much space, even though I managed to fill several bin bags.

I think there's a law that governs that Yogi, it's the same as when you dig a hole there's always too much earth to go back in afterwards

That's so true

Oh oh, what's going on with Ken Barlow and Wendy Crozier?

Goodnight all, see you tomorrow.

Good morning everyone

 

Dry and sunny morning here.

 

A clip of the music to the film The Mission conducted by the composer Ennio Morricone. Beautiful music though I found the film one of the most downbeat films I've ever seen.

In yesterday's episode of Doctors, the opening scene after the credits had some hauntingly beautiful music which I've heard before but can't place it. Any ideas any of you?

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/e...s_Series_14_The_Cry/

 

Good morning everyone. Weather is chilly with light rain ATM. Sorry El, I'm on my iPad and it won't let me watch the clip - it says there is an error I'll try to listen to it later when I'm on the laptop. Going out with my eldest son and DiL, will be back later. Have a good day everyone

 

I don't know on the music front, but that was a lot of effort getting the milk, pouring it into a jug and dropping the tiniest slurp into his tea!!!

 

I know Waterloo Road have a website where they list all the music used in each episode.

 

If you have a smartphone have you tried "Shazam" ?

 

 

I think that as part of a BBC piece on Hollywood/filmstars.

Good morning chilly but bright here, I can live with that. I've been watching news of hurricane sandy, hope it subsides soon Hi enthusiastic Yogi enjoy your day

Well I'm pleased I got one quick message I before I get busy

Good morning everyone, I haven't caught up with the damage done by that hurricane yet, it looked very threatening, no doubt I will find out during the day.

 

Beautiful music EL no idea what it is but I get easily distracted (butterfly mind ) thinking 'ooh I used to have that teapot' what am I like?

 

It's sort of still this morning, looks like its getting ready to do something, I hope it's not pour with rain again

EC, you are right in that I saw the photo of Bette Davis on one of the BBC web pages. The photo I posted was from elsewhere. Link to the BBC article I saw but the other photos were less striking: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-19947444

I don't have a smartphone so can't use Shazam but thanks for the suggestion.

 

Summer, the news about Hurricane Sandy isn't good and it has been declared a major disaster. It's the flooding which seems to be causing the biggest risk and with rain levels forecast at like 10 inches of rain, this may turn out to be one of the biggest disasters. The scariest bit of news is that the oldest nuclear power plant in the States has been put on alert due to rising water,

 

Crikey I'll put the news on as soon as i get home This will only fuel the doomsday conspiracy theory about the world ending this December!

Update on the nuclear power station:

"Gov Christie also says the nuclear power plant at Oyster Creek is fine. The plant was forced to close because of downed power lines, but there are no problems with the facility, he says."

A BBC clip has found its way onto Youtube - Horrorgami :

You'd need to be very patient to do that horrorgami model making.

 

Watching the aftermath of Hurricane sandy on the news, it's quite shocking.