Those Sodden Prickney elections...

As is to be expected, any newcomer to a village will be met with a certain amount of suspicion, and that is certainly the case with the arrival in Sodden Prickney of Lieutenant General Tobias Sandwich, who has bought 'Farthings', which is a large house at the end of a private drive on the Eastern outskirts of the village. The locals usually remove the 'h' from the name when any reference is made to the place, but generally nobody took a lot of notice of the previous inhabitants because they never mixed with the community, and got all their groceries from Harrods, delivered to their door every few days!

Lt.Gen.Sandwich has changed all that, and has already spent several hours in the local pub,  'The Bells', discussing 'politics' with various locals, including Miss Newt and Ron Groat, who'll do anything for a free port and lemon and a pint of Shep's 'Spring Bastard', (6.7abv),  and he has also had the misfortune (some say benefit - Ed) of becoming allied with Cynthia Molestrangler, who rather likes becoming involved with anyone who seems to have money, and has already set her glinty eye on the occupant of the new Bentley parked outside! In short, the new man in the village is determined to become important!

The current Council chairman Cllr. Sid Trumpet is also getting a bit unsettled because Lt.Gen. Sandwich is considering standing in the local elections, and after the debacle of the last election, with the unpleasantness of Basil Kalashnikov's outburst and Edwina Baggage's inburst, (is that meant to be funny - Ed), coupled with the disentanglement of P.C.Lumbersnatch's involvement with taking various statements, then losing them from his saddle bag at the last minute before the hearing, the whole village is becoming a slough of concern!

So, it seems that the village is now caught up with a national political infiltrator, who seems intent on several issues...

• To discuss bicyclism with Ms.Edwina Baggage
• To place several orders for comestibles and beverages from Miss Amelia Newt, for 'information'
• To somehow get PC Lumbersnatch to find out who pinched his wing mirrors
• To displace Cllr Sid Trumpet as - er - chairman, or anything else for that matter...

The plot thickens, and the relevant authorities have been informed!

Crime Prospect...

 

I guess I've mentioned far too many times, that I'm a huge admirer of Helen Mirren... 

'Prime Suspect' is just one of those series which endures forever and is incredibly well-written - Lynda La Plante excels at this - and the acting and stories just cannot be faulted in my opinion!

Last evening, noticing a dearth of Prime offerings for a change, I decided that it had to be another Helen-Evening, and hellfire, was I not disappointed! It's ages since we watched the first episode, and although a few vague memories of the plot and the story filter through, it was a riveting watch, and even a couple of tots of Waitrose Brandy didn't take the edge off anything, and extended the desire to watch the whole programme in one sitting, which I did!

Trouble is, Scrobs eventually turned in around half-eleven, and spent the next five hours dreaming and solving several cases in ridiculous circumstances, seeing suspects falling off high buildings, losing cars, watching water rise around etc., and quite frankly, I was really glad that little/big dog started to wake me up around 4.45am, as I'd solved/witnessed/avoided every blasted crime in the book, and I'm still reeling a bit!

I think a measured time in the garden this morning will finish the case, and as a lot of phoning is due this evening, I may allow myself some time off from my heroine - for good behaviour...

Et tu Brutalist...

AK Haart has a post which reminds me of visiting Stratford-on-Avon to see a production of our 'O' Level set play, Julius Caesar, in 1964.

One comment mentioned that the place was excellent until the woke brigade got involved, and that he doesn't go there now, and I can agree with that!

In the theatre, when we arrived at our seats - after a few illicit pints, all we could see was a sort of gloomy concrete ramp leading down to a basement, and a similar ramp leading up to a platform a few feet above. The curtain was open.

So the play started, and we knew some of the words too... Roy Dotrice was Caesar, and dressed in pure white with similar make-up, and looked like a ghost, while the others didn't look much better!

Now, I'm never going to be an expert in plays, and this production was probably the one which made me decide that there were more interesting productions to watch in future. It was very disappointing really, especially as we all knew what was going to happen in the end! Yes, I suppose the acting was good, but as all you could see was a sort of mausoleum set, which echoed the shuffling feet and the odd stabbing noise, there wasn't much else to keep one's interest.

I failed English Lit...

Keep on trugging...

 

One of these fabulous wooden baskets has never been far from the Scrobs Family!

They used to come from several places around here, but this chap is in Northampton, and he has to get our local materials for a very skilful job...

My dad had one of the biggest trugs for years, and it was my job to fill it with logs for the fire, a task which usually set me off moaning and groaning!

I bought Senora O'Blene a smaller one years ago, and she used to polish it sometimes! I may have to give it a little TLC soon, as it's in the greenhouse, and that isn't the best place at the moment.

Incidentally, the same willow supply ends up in cricket bats, also made from here - there must be something in the air!