tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338968877925075892012-01-29T07:33:25.879+13:00Kate's BlogKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.comBlogger5041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-9745299498300018152012-01-28T10:04:00.000+13:002012-01-28T10:04:50.866+13:00Why do I sing?
Eamonn McNicholas, a fellow performer recently asked the question, 'Why do I sing?' He is doing a project on the answers and would like as many as possible, so please go to his blog and leave your comments.
I thought about this question and realised that I always have - I used to sing at school and in the church choir. I always just liked the release it seemed to give me, and I was told I had aKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-73301598845075233252012-01-27T15:36:00.001+13:002012-01-27T15:36:37.856+13:00Friday Five: Favourite books of 2011Earlier this week I did a piece on Radio New Zealand National about my favourite books of 2011. Slightly misleadingly, it was introduced as the books I have read over the summer, which isn't exactly true and has led many people to believe that I read incredibly fast - I don't; I just spend a lot of time reading! Furthermore, among the books I read over summer was Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-70783729025107130652012-01-20T11:12:00.000+13:002012-01-24T08:53:55.356+13:00Friday Five: HairstylesGoing to the hairdresser can make you feel great. A good hairstyle can give you confidence, whereas a bad one can ruin your day. Of course, different styles suit different people (and different moods and occasions), but there are some classics that always look stylish.
5 Favourite Hairstyles:
The beehive - preposterous but fabulous. I'm thinking Dusty Springfield, Bridget Bardot, Audrey Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-77488349146873212402012-01-18T15:40:00.000+13:002012-01-18T15:40:01.298+13:00Submarine
Submarine
(dir. Richard Ayoade)
Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) deadpans early on in Submarine, “The only way to get through life is to picture myself in an entirely different reality”. With cringing self-consciousness he imagines he is original, although he is actually an achingly average adolescent. His primary concerns are to protect his parents’ marriage and to lose his virginity.
Richard Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-62660269390406427482012-01-16T18:12:00.000+13:002012-01-16T18:12:02.129+13:00Films watched in 2011 (Part Three)
No Strings Attached (dir. Ivan Reitman, 2011)
A bonk buddy film in which the platonic friends with benefits fall for each other – oh, how original. It’s meant to be different because it’s the girl who shows indifference, but she changes in the end, as we knew from the beginning.
The Oxford Murders (dir. Alex de la Iglesia, 2008)
The billing of Elijah Wood and John Hurt led me to expect more Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-59692075454727911722012-01-13T12:10:00.001+13:002012-01-13T12:10:42.774+13:00Friday Five:Mini Steps to RecoverySix weeks ago I ruptured my medial head gastrocnemius playing football. Apparently it is a textbook injury (I prefer the word 'textbook' to 'common') and the rheabilitation period is twelve weeks, made in incremental steps.
I spent two weeks in a cast with my leg totally immobilised, and hobbling around on crutches, and no, sadly, I didn't look anywhere near as good as Emily Blunt. I am going Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-1224581370732805232012-01-11T21:42:00.000+13:002012-01-11T21:42:54.285+13:00Films watched in 2011 (Part Two)The Fakers (dir. Richard Janes, 2004)
Crime comedy set in London – witty gangsters; art forgeries and high stakes – you know the sort of thing.
The First Grader (dir. Justin Chadwick, 2011)
Beautifully shot although entirely predictable film about an 84-year-old man attempting to go to primary school in Kenya to take advantage of the free education. If you allow yourself to be swept up in the Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-55742604980783892212012-01-10T12:23:00.000+13:002012-01-11T12:41:59.419+13:00Films watched in 2011 (Part One)Having already posted about my favourite films released in 2011, I thought I would post about all the films I saw this year. Of course, they were not all released this year, so I have put the year in brackets. There are quite a few of them - once again, I didn't realise I have seen so many, so I shall split them up into three posts. They are in alphabetical order, so without further ado...
13Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-6337804753860725102012-01-06T17:39:00.000+13:002012-01-09T17:40:11.334+13:00Friday Five: Best Films 2011One of my favourite things about this time of year is all the lists of best this and that over the past twelve months. Of course, I love lists as much as the next person, so I shall join in.
5 Favourite Films of 2011:
The Trip (dir. Michael Winterbottom) - Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play sort of themselves in a semi-scripted not-quite road trip as they travel the North of England in the bleakKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-90823539699454946552011-12-31T12:19:00.000+13:002011-12-31T12:19:05.290+13:00New Year starts here
My New Year's Eve celebrations have begun early - Stevie's back! He comes off the bench at Anfield to captain the team to victory and score a goal himself. You beauty - pass the champagne.Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-45604547644980887202011-12-30T11:06:00.000+13:002011-12-31T12:09:20.867+13:00Friday Five: The Sea
For someone who loves the sea as much as I, it may seem a little strange that I live almost as far from it is as possible in this country. Now it's not like I live in America, Australia or Russia or anything like that, where it could be miles to the nearest wave - I am still at most a three-hour drive from the big wet wobbly thing that fish swim in. But I like to get closer when I can, and Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-83774872073354632602011-12-24T14:30:00.001+13:002011-12-24T14:38:06.248+13:00My Newest Favourite Thing: Simon's CatNo explanations necessary.
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-7998485042664686082011-12-23T10:02:00.000+13:002011-12-23T10:02:22.777+13:00Friday Five: Festive BirthdayHim Outdoors has a birthday today - happy birthday to him. People often say how awful it must have been as a child to have your birthday so close to Christmas. I share this opinion, but not because of the dread of the combined birthday and Christmas present - quite frankly, if you are not religious, why are you celebrating Christmas with gift giving anyway?
No, the reason for my antipathy forKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-41881146386629187582011-12-16T13:44:00.000+13:002011-12-17T13:46:26.852+13:00Friday Five: Cover VersionsVery few cover versions can compare with the original and most remind me of bad karaoke. I knew people like to hear tunes that they know, rather than sometimes take a risk on an unfamiliar sound, but I've never really got the point of cover versions.
Having said that, there are some that are fantastic and make me realise why bands bother - I realise in all cases, I actually really like the Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-27934204838634706432011-12-14T14:07:00.001+13:002011-12-14T14:07:30.154+13:00Just Plain Stupid
Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) instructs Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) in the art of looking fine
I watched Crazy, Stupid Love. on the way home from Sydney. It was perfect plane viewing – pretty obvious and not at all demanding with some good solid acting and snappy dialogue. The official blurb is, “A middle-aged husband's life changes dramatically when his wife asks him for a divorce. He seeks to Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-48544479164037224462011-12-09T07:00:00.000+13:002011-12-09T10:33:51.471+13:00Friday Five: Scooter
It is with infinite sadness that I write about the death of one of my dearest friends, Glenn 'Scooter' Reid. Him Outdoors and I have known Sooter for a dozen years and he has enriched them in a way I cannot express. He has the biggest heart of anyone I know, but sadly his little body wasn't strong enough to deal with the pancreatic cancer with which he was diagnosed almost a year ago to this Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-20657600982455545492011-12-02T11:55:00.000+13:002011-12-02T11:55:00.371+13:00Friday Five: SummerApparently it's official: summer is here. It starts on the 1st of December, so I am told. So it seemed appropriate to do this:
5 Best Things About Summer:
Long evenings - it doesn't matter what you do with them (go for a bike ride; take the dog for a walk; meet friends in a beer garden; sit on the patio with a good book) - it's just nice not to come home from work and straight-away have to Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-4458331510659283702011-11-29T08:36:00.001+13:002011-11-29T09:12:17.793+13:00You're Right to Vote
Last weekend a general election was held here in New Zealand. Back at work, people having been asking me, 'Did you vote?' I am amazed by this question and simply answer, 'Of course!'. Apparently one third of the the eligible voters in this country didn't - that's about a million people. That's something I don't understand.
The fact that the party I didn't vote for and the one I despise is Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-17061136304087913382011-11-25T10:49:00.001+13:002011-11-25T15:16:51.148+13:00Friday Five: VegetablesThis week, the Quick Quintet is back by popular demand (well, a couple of people asked why I'd stopped). Posting every day proved to be quite exhausting so I cheated a little here and there. I have decided to make the Quick Quintet a once-a-week thing: hence, the Friday Five - catchy, huh?
A while ago some friends and I had a heated debate over what was the Devil's vegetable - we ended up sort ofKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-25808029938953161952011-11-17T10:27:00.000+13:002011-11-24T10:30:34.912+13:00Walking Dreams
In dreams I can walk on my hands.
Not a useful talent,
But a good party trick:
It entertains, and people smile.
I launch forward through my arms;
Lurching from side to side:
Chest pushed out; neck stretched;
Legs bent over like a question mark
Asking when will I fall,
And if it’s before I wake,
Will I die in my sleep?
Is that entertainment?Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-48589011753589765882011-11-09T10:22:00.000+13:002011-11-23T16:07:21.504+13:00Look-i-like-i: Avram Grant/ Baron Greenback
I know I am not the only one to see the resemblance between former Portsmouth, Chelski and Happy Hammers manager, Avram Grant, and arch-villain and Dangermouse nemesis, Baron Greenback, but I feel it should be pointed out anyway. Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-85028691348315562032011-11-03T17:39:00.000+13:002011-11-22T15:13:37.167+13:00Barefaced Cheek: My Two Weeks Without Makeup
Disclaimer: These are not my eyebrows. Nor, in fact, my eyes.
Before going on holiday I decided to have a massage. Because this is indulgent, I thought I would inflict some pain at the same time (I know, I’m not even Catholic!) so I had my eyebrows shaped. I’ve never had this done before. It sounds calming and gentle, but involves waxing, ripping, raw flesh and sweating.
The lovely beauty Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-20937314171424749722011-10-31T20:17:00.000+13:002011-11-20T09:51:38.802+13:00Quick Dectet: Last Lines Because it is the last day of October and hence the last of my quick quintets, I thought I would choose closing lines from novels for my subject. Opening lines get all the credit, when the credit should really come at the finish. Some of my favourite books don't have great last lines (and the last line of Jane Eyre is not 'And reader, I married him' - that's the first line of the last chapter Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-11290504812990947992011-10-30T10:34:00.000+13:002011-11-22T15:14:08.819+13:00Quick Quintet: Cartoon CharactersAnd today's quick quintet is a request from Bad Fairy who suggested cartoon characters. This set off a huge train of thought - do cartoons include children's TV like Captain Pugwash, Camberwick Green, The Clangers, Roobarb and Custard, Henry's Cat and the sublimely ridiculous Ludwig? For the purposes of this post, I have decided that they don't.
I've never really liked the saccharine DisneyKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-34523076738271525972011-10-29T17:05:00.000+13:002011-11-17T17:34:12.381+13:00Quick Quintet: Sweet TreatsThis is a special request by the Fudge Princess (funny that!). I'm sticking specifically to sweets here, rather than chocolate or biscuits.
Most of the sweets that I like are memories of childhood, when we used to go to the local sweet shop and buy quarters of confectionery that were weighed out on scoop scales and poured into paper bags. My sister used to send me to buy her Kola cubes and I wasKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-11622961912020586302011-10-28T18:35:00.000+13:002011-11-16T19:27:33.245+13:00Quick Quintet: Dream DestinationsOn the subject of dreams (which we were) and holidays (which we have been), here are some of my dream destinations. They're all places I'd really like to go on holiday but cost a fair bit; maybe if I won a medium-sized lottery I'd blow the cash on one of these. Mind you, I suppose I would have to start buying the tickets first.
5 Dream Destinations:
Safari in Africa: It's all about the Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-80256021447225940642011-10-27T12:34:00.000+13:002011-11-14T18:02:30.909+13:00Quick Quintet:Possible DreamsWhen I was a child and I couldn't sleep, I tried to think of my favourite dream and wish myself into it. I think they used to feature fluffy kittens and the like. My neice once came downstairs in tears after bedtime because "I can't find a dream with me in it", so I am not alone.
I still do a similar sort of thing - not always when I am trying to sleep; some of them are just my favourite Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-60075189077500870322011-10-26T17:01:00.000+13:002011-11-14T17:24:04.299+13:00Quick Quintet: OrangutansHands up who thought orangutans were so called because they had orange fur. Yup, me too. Wrong. Orang means man in Malaysian, and utan means forest, so these are men of the forest. (Or women, obviously.) We were thrilled to see several at the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre in Borneo and I learned a few things about them.
5 Things I Learned About Orangutans:
Whereas they used to be Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-82190781134328539082011-10-25T14:55:00.000+13:002011-11-04T14:56:25.428+13:00Quick Quintet: Taking it for GrantedHolidays are great; coming home can often be a bit depressing. We have just returned from the most amazing time in Borneo visiting family and exploring. Life back at work is a bit of an anti-climax (although it is always a pleasure to see our gorgeous cat again) so I played at Pollyanna to cheer myself up.
5 Good Things about Being back in New Zealand:
Flushing toilets
Clean drinking water Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-31246104009331553122011-10-24T14:44:00.000+13:002011-11-04T14:45:08.622+13:00Quick Quintet: Past Pictures
This list will be slightly skewed, because I have been on a couple of long-haul flights recently and watched in-flight 'entertainment'.
5 Most Recent Films Seen:
Bitter/Sweet - terrible American romantic 'comedy' in which an American businessman is sent to Thailand to purchase coffee beans and ends up falling in love with a local girl, despite his far more attractive - in every way - Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-59636307372489411582011-10-23T15:05:00.000+13:002011-10-28T15:06:30.008+13:00Quick Qintet: Dad's advice
In the interests of equality:
5 Things My Dad Taught Me:
It's never 'just a game' - play nicely, but play to win
The person who doesn't pour the wine gets to choose the glass
Never drive drunk, or let anyone else do it - if you really can't stop them; don't get in the car
Listen; you might learn something
Don't mock what you don't understand
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-61022967312338432442011-10-22T14:54:00.000+13:002011-10-28T14:55:01.100+13:00Quick Quintet: Mother's CommandmentsEvery now and then the topic of mentors and role models is raised, particularly around sporting events. There has just been a rather large one here in New Zealand and with on-and-off-field antics, people are once again questioning whether children should look up to sporting heroes for behavioural models.
I think not. I believe that's what parents are for (or else, what the hell are they Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-10490870622940490112011-10-21T11:06:00.000+13:002011-10-27T11:07:36.838+13:00Quick Quintet: Slow-guns Following on from yesterday's post I've been thinking about catchy advertising slogans. They may not necessarily be for the best product (in fact, usually aren't), but they are irritatingly familiar, or in some cases simply perfect.
Hundreds came to mind actually, which probably shows I take more notice of advertising than I like to admit. Several of them are local - Boddingtons: 'If you don'tKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-45882891905173540612011-10-20T10:21:00.000+13:002011-10-27T10:23:49.265+13:00Quick Quintet: Brand PowerI don't remember exactly when it was that everyone became obsessed with labels - sometime in the 80s I think, when it was all Lacoste this and Adidas that. I do remember if you didn't have the right trainers or sports bag, you were ridiculed at school.
Him Outdoors had a non-authentic action man when he was a kid. Apparently he had a squishy head and his hands fell off (the non-action man that Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-83397219814347368832011-10-19T15:39:00.000+13:002011-10-25T16:50:56.831+13:00Quick Quintet: Actual ConversationsThere used to be a time when you could have endless pointless debates in the pub about anything at all - when did Ziggy Stardust take his final bow; who scored the winning goal in the FA Cup Final of 1957; in how many films did Doris Day star with Rock Hudson; you know the sort of thing.
Now, if you ruminate on any sort of question of this nature, someone will irritatingly whip out their Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-82404910801108213012011-10-18T16:49:00.000+13:002011-10-25T16:50:24.773+13:00Quick Quintet: Hit Me With Your Rhythm StickToday is my birthday - yes, I know, Happy Birthday to me. While I have nothing against the song Happy Birthday, I wish there were more songs that people could sing to expreess their many happy returns: Stevie Wonders' Happy Birthday is specifically about Martin Luther King; no one knows the lyrics to Altered Images' merry ditty; and the Sugarcubes' Birthday is just plain bonkers.
So Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-14413048387329578732011-10-17T14:10:00.001+13:002011-10-19T03:16:35.229+13:00Quick Quintet: Aunty Katy
I have been visitng my brother and sister-in-law and niece and nephew in Miri. We have had a great time experiencing their ex-pat lifestyle and some Miri hotspots (at 40 degrees and 98% humidity, it's actually all pretty hot) and, although excited about the prospect of seeing monkeys in the rainforest, were a little sad to leave them behind and move on to the next stage of the trip.
5 Great Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-63657668001159919042011-10-16T09:00:00.000+13:002011-10-16T09:00:01.216+13:00Quick Quintet: Lazy Sunday5 Things I Like to do on a Sunday Morning:
Sleep in/ cuddle
Read the Sunday newspapers
Go for a walk
Go out for coffee/ brunch
Speak to family members on the phone
Saddly, this isn't me, but you get the picture, as it were
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-72598398093060749362011-10-15T08:30:00.000+13:002011-10-15T08:30:00.571+13:00Quick Quintet: After the Rain
5 Things I Like About the Rain:
The sound it makes as it drums on the roof - as long as I am warm and dry inside
The fact that it gives you an excuse not to do a fat lot
The smell of the wet earth after the rain has stopped
The way it helps plants and flowers to grow
The wildlife that comes out to play in the puddles
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-18031025685704060312011-10-14T09:30:00.000+13:002011-10-14T09:30:00.669+13:00Quick Quintet: We Go Together...5 Top Colour Combinations:
Red and white - it works for Liverpool FC, England, Father Christmas and me!
Purple and green - designer types may call them aubergine and avocado, but whatever it's called, they just look good together
Blue and yellow - sun, sky, sand, sea - it's a winning holiday combination
Orange and yellow - spices in the bazaar; tantalising
Black and gold - Greek vases and boxes Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-21481254064191639072011-10-13T08:30:00.000+13:002011-10-13T08:30:00.269+13:00Quick Quintet: Tastes Like ChickenWhenever people eat something a bit different - frogs' legs; snake; crocodile; squirrel - they invariably say, 'it tastes a bit like chicken'. This is probably because chicken is such a versatile meat that it can actually taste like almost anything itself, even squirrel. I like chicken - yes, free range organic and all that, and it goes very well in a variety of dishes.
5 Great Chicken Dishes:
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-55947967908967949272011-10-12T10:00:00.000+13:002011-10-12T10:00:01.743+13:00Quick Quintet: Female monikersA friend of mine has just had a baby (as yet un-named) girl - I offer my congratulations. Obviously the health of mother and baby is of paramount importance (they are both fine by the way, except the poor baby may be suffering from excessive cuddling - if there can be such a thing) but the naming will be a serious matter.
According to a recent survey the most popular girl's name in New Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-76618730015032491322011-10-11T10:00:00.000+13:002011-10-11T10:00:03.739+13:00Quick Quintet: More MusicI used to love buying records. There was the trip to the record shop in Marlow, Maidenhead, High Wycombe or even London, flipping through racks of vinyl while feigning nonchalance and knowledge. And then bringing the thing home in a big bag and playing it over and over again on the turntable; scrutinising the sleeve notes and memorising the lyrics - you'd invite your best mate round or take the Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-73631848434624911502011-10-10T12:47:00.000+13:002011-10-10T12:47:00.164+13:00Quick Quintet: Fictional Lions
The Weevil told me that she recently watched The Wizard of Oz for the first time ever, having previously been too scared of the witch. Her children kept asking her what was going to happen, and she couldn't tell them - I wouldn't tell them but would wait for them to find out; suspense is a wonderful thing.
My favourite thing in that film is the cowardly lion - of course he has courage all Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-39273499682449630132011-10-09T10:00:00.000+13:002011-10-09T10:00:02.301+13:00Quick Quintet: High Days and Holidays
I used to love the summer holidays during my student years. I have heard that some people didn't - apparently they got bored. Where was their imagination? True, the holidays seemed to stretch on forever, but that was the joy of them. You could always postpone that essay on Marxist interpretations of linguistic theory while you went to pubs in the afternoon and drank real ale in the sunshine.
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-34831863793669648932011-10-08T09:30:00.000+13:002011-10-08T09:30:00.312+13:00Quick Quintet: Team SupportWith all the Rugby World Cup shennanigans going on, one of the interesting things that has come to light has been the talk of the 'minnow' teams, by which it is meant a team that isn't from the Five Nations and Italy, or the Tri-Nations. (Incidentally, most of the players in these teams hate this patronising tag, and rightly so.) Many folk in the 'provincial' towns have 'adopted' a team, so Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-72914478754345030802011-10-07T09:00:00.000+13:002011-10-07T09:00:00.751+13:00Quick Quintet: First Impressions
They say you should never judge a book by the cover, but I think they are wrong. We make snap judgements all the time based on appearances and assumptions.
I am (nearly) always happy to be proved wrong, but I form instant opinions about people when I first meet them. These opinions may well change as more information comes to light, but if we're honest we all form our first impressions on a Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-25032842852601709152011-10-06T07:30:00.000+13:002011-10-06T07:30:00.899+13:00Quick Quintet: Photography
5 Subjects I Like to Photograph:
My cat
Reflections in water
Vineyards
Plants
Cyclists
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-10901909257424282842011-10-05T12:01:00.000+13:002011-10-05T12:01:00.855+13:00Quick Quintet: You Make Me Feel Like DancingThere is a lot of music that I love and a lot of bands that have shaped my life. We all have an inner soundtrack and The Jam, The Pogues, The Smiths, The Damned, The Cure, Pulp, Blur and Oasis all feature highly on mine.
You know how it is - there are certain songs that no matter where you are or what you're doing, or how tired you are, you just have to get up and dance. They may not even be Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-14133249331528017432011-10-04T12:11:00.000+13:002011-10-04T12:11:00.168+13:00Quick Quintet: booksI've been very busy recently with various shows, but always manage to squeeze some time in for reading. Some of it is decent (what I believe is called) literary fiction, and some of it is light relief:
5 Most Recent Books Read:
Dolci de Love - Sarah-Kate Lynch
The Cat's Table - Michael Ondaatje
Painting Ruby Tuesday - Jane Yardley
The Imperfectionists - Tom Rachman
On Canaan's Side - Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-68963855503820441352011-10-03T10:32:00.000+13:002011-10-03T10:32:00.457+13:00Quick Quintet: Jewellery
Collectors, screen buffs and jewellery lovers were all of a flutter recently when it was revealed that Elizabeth Taylor's magnificent jewellery collection was going to be sold at auction in New York by Christie's in December (what a lot of prepositions in that sentence - does that make it preposterous?).
She was certainly a beautiful woman (who incidentally reminds me of my mother in some Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-2350644024875496322011-10-02T09:15:00.000+13:002011-10-02T09:15:00.234+13:00Quick Quintet: Morning routineBecause I am a creature of habit, and I am not particularly good in the mornings, I have a checklist of things that I do each morning before I leave the house. It includes, but is certainly not limited to:
5 Things I Do Every Morning:
Get up
Brush my teeth
Make the bed
Have a cup of tea
Feed the cat
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-35776208584809767512011-10-01T22:06:00.000+13:002011-10-01T22:06:59.945+13:00Look-i-like-i: Martin Johnson/ Sam the EagleI actually find Martin Johnson curiously attractive, which is particularly inexplicable considering he looks a bit like a muppet.
Martin Johnson
Sam the Eagle
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-13235526085637511402011-10-01T12:49:00.000+13:002011-10-01T18:43:08.582+13:00Introducing the Quick QuintetI thought I would kick off the month with the 'Quick Qunitet' - it's basically a list (how strange for a Libran to come up with a list!) of five things on whatever random topic I happen to be musing. I'll try and post one a day and I invite you all to join in - answer the question in the comments.
Five Sounds That Make Me Happy:
Pop, glug glug - the first pour of a good wine (or beer) on a Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-54947961737219172512011-09-22T09:46:00.000+12:002011-09-23T10:05:16.831+12:00When communication counts
One of the things I enjoy about theatre and performing or directing is the way all the elements come together. Sometimes these blend almost seamlessly, and at other times they are more awkward.
We are currently in 'black week' for the Alexandra Musical Society's production of The Full Monty. This is the term given to the week before the performance where the actors, having been the focus for Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-24439128254047548222011-09-16T11:05:00.000+12:002011-09-17T11:07:25.662+12:00Some Corner of a Foreign Field... That is Forever EnglandI don't know who was more thrilled by the prospect of some of the England rugby team visiting the Arrowtown Primary School - the adults or the kids. The children were arranged in rows wearing their red and white to meet and greet the players. The word went round, 'Johnny's not coming' but that didn't seem to dampen anyone's spirits and there was still much excitement as we waited for them to Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-74566313505514516192011-09-12T09:15:00.000+12:002011-09-12T09:15:09.530+12:00Haere MaiI’ve never been a fan of opening ceremonies – I find them shallow spectacles, lacking in substance and too politically correct to actually be entertaining. I am anxious about the complete cock-up London will make of the Olympics (the sheer weight of necessary cultural touchstones will doubtless sink the enterprise), however, so I watched the opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup with interest, Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-18090720668416065662011-09-09T10:26:00.000+12:002011-09-09T10:26:29.094+12:00And so to the next one...
The day after the season of Secret Bridesmaids' Business finished, I took myself over to Alexandra (a 70-minute drive) to carry on with rehearsals for The Full Monty. This is the latest musical to be staged by the Alexandra Musical Society which they are putting on during the Blossom Festival at the end of the month. Their last two shows have been Oliver! and Annie, so this is somewhat of a Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-5442764797455967832011-09-06T12:48:00.000+12:002011-09-07T10:47:07.480+12:00The secret's out!
Susan Auty, Zelia Horrell, Camilla Lojdstrom and Fiona Stephenson promote the latest Remarkable Theatre show
Thanks to everyone who came to see Secret Bridesmaids' Business. I hope you enjoyed it! We had a great season and I'm sure everyone who performed in it loved the experience - thanks to great direction by Victoria Keating and excellent assistance from Phena Byrne.
Huge acclaim to all Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-12073463609125273972011-08-29T16:53:00.000+12:002011-08-29T16:53:47.931+12:00Frighteningly good football
I don't usually blog about football teams other than the Mighty Reds, but, unable to sleep last night, I got up and watched Man Utd v Arsenal. What a game that was. It didn't help much with my insomnia.
The first thing I notice is that the Arsenal back four isn't working effectively, or in fact, at all. Their away strip makes them look like Wycombe Wanderers, which probably doesn't help, and Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-63831039342433939542011-08-24T10:32:00.000+12:002011-08-29T11:06:34.276+12:00Playing Dress-UpsThe Weevil took her children to see a production of Pinocchio at the Gryphon Theatre the other day. They loved it, especially as they got to meet the actors afterwards; the Blue Fairy was a big hit by all accounts. There are photos on the wall of the theatre of previous productions and they spotted me in one of the pictures. 'Is that Aunty Katy playing dress ups?' the youngest one asked, Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-71919087545257813492011-08-18T11:43:00.000+12:002011-08-26T12:27:04.709+12:00Bisy BacksonThis is the reason I've not been a particularly prolific poster over the past couple of weeks. I have been rehearsing hard for The Remarkable Theatre production of Secret Bridesmaids' Business. It's an intelligent play full of real relationships and awkward questions that you don't want to ask in case you get an answer you don't want to hear. It's funny and smart and tinged with emotion Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-1017760757935391532011-08-10T21:14:00.000+12:002011-08-19T22:36:36.433+12:00Beervana 2011: Part Two
Now that's what I call real ale
Ta-Iti (Peak Brewery, 4%) - Now, that's a real ale! Low-carbonated hand-pulled tastiness.
Stu-dious drinking
Best Bitter (Cassels & Sons Brewing, 4.3%) - Surprisingly grassy and lemony for a bitter - if this were a wine it would be sauvignon, and it's not that far off as a beer, either. The tasting notes include the words 'gooseberry' and 'zesty', Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-83059079307029474992011-08-09T14:04:00.001+12:002011-08-19T21:32:51.904+12:00Beervana 2011: Part One
Gathering on the Westpac Stadium concourse
As we entered the Westpac Stadium, Weevil was asked to show ID and then given a red bracelet to wear. She thought it might be so she could go down the hydroslide, but was told it was so she wouldn't get asked again. Being as she's over twice the legal drinking age, she thought it unlikely she would be, so refused to wear the bracelet. Him Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-77154755207146569142011-08-05T10:18:00.001+12:002011-08-11T10:31:54.255+12:00Look-i-like-i: John Sargeant/ Jo BrandI don't want to be mean (and saying a woman looks like a bloke is never kind) but I really do see a similarity between these two. It's in the nose and the wry, sarcastic, intelligent and self deprecating expression in the eyes. And the pursed lips - both the political commentator and the social comedienne always look as though they find something terribly funny but are not sure they should share Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-26831536019717459392011-08-02T22:20:00.002+12:002011-08-02T22:20:01.372+12:00A night in with the boysThe boys have released another couple of dark horses from the stable, so we purchased a few from the shop (Wanaka Fine Wines) and had a little tasting session of our own.
We began with Hud-a-wa' Strong, named after a tough Scottish ancestor, apparently. It pours a rich amber colour and looks like one of the 'ales' you get in the local pub, but it tastes a lot better. The hoppy character and the Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-31038300867423506782011-08-01T19:58:00.000+12:002011-08-01T19:58:25.708+12:00Ha haSometimes there is not a lot to smile about, but two things I read today made me laugh out loud. I make no apologies for my dubious sense of humour.
Thing One: Somewhere on this planet, a woman gives birth to a baby every ten minutes. She should be found and stopped.
Thing Two: Q: What did the fish say when he swam into a wall? A: Dam.
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-55633925760680204132011-07-30T13:49:00.000+12:002011-08-01T16:09:41.877+12:00Let me feel the fibre of your fabricWe are embroiled in the great uniform debate at work. We need one. Some feel that the current one is tired and are pressing for a new tunic to wear over our day clothes. Everyone has a different opinion on style, fabric, cut and colour. As long as we haven't got to iron it and it's not yellow, I don't really care - I am not one of the few people on this planet who can wear yellow well.
We have Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-21926530968543249362011-07-26T15:50:00.001+12:002011-07-30T13:10:31.576+12:00HP7Pt2
And so it is finished. And I am glad.
Don't get me wrong; I love Harry Potter and I really enjoyed the earlier books - getting to know the characters and the magical world of Hogwarts. This was adapted well in the first films as we were introduced to all the elements of great storytelling. The later books continued this thread, and then it all seems to have gone horribly wrong.
Harry Potter Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-48949587112807388072011-07-21T09:51:00.000+12:002011-07-22T13:57:56.123+12:00Market ResearchI suspect I am a terrible person on whom to conduct market research. I don't wish to sound egotistical or anything, but I think too much. Often the multiple choice options don't include my view, and then I deliberate interminably over my response, as the researcher rolls their eyes, fidgets with their pen and generally just wills me to get on with it.
Wherever possible I feel compelled to answerKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-18745099176317985712011-07-18T10:54:00.002+12:002011-07-20T19:04:09.142+12:00Stars of the Future?
Songstars
Underground Productions
Queenstown Memorial Hall, 14-16 July, 2011
Following on from the success of Starry-Eyed, Margaret O’Hanlon brings us Songstars in which twelve artists perform their original songs and the audience votes for their favourite. The format is the same, with an introductory video clip before each artist, and the band and backing singers provided, but we are told Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-52174952270501583942011-07-15T17:12:00.001+12:002011-07-19T19:12:23.478+12:00Green GoblinCongratulations to Mark Cavendish on winning his eighteenth Tour de France stage (his third so far in 2011), and the green jersey - it's a good colour; it suits him. I'm impressed by the way he came back from his defeat on the line the previous day at the hands (or feet) of André Greipel to reclaim his dominance - few can beat him in a sprint; he's an amazing little Manx dynamo. Good for him.Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-91244040668354979632011-07-07T16:28:00.000+12:002011-07-15T15:45:39.458+12:00It's Never as Good as the First TimeWe are having a mid-season break from Dr Who. This might be a good thing: I need to pause for breath and to recap, as the plot developments have come thick and fast, distorting perceived realities and suggesting thast time is, indeed, 'bendy-wendy'. I like this new series, although it is more sci-fi geekdom and less personality-fest than on David Tennant's watch, but the latest instalment of Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-82003826679990286952011-07-03T16:23:00.000+12:002011-07-10T11:45:33.479+12:00Huevos Rancheros
One of life's pleasures is a lazy Sunday breakfast with cups of coffee and a peruse of the papers - that's one of the many bonuses of not having children. Often we go out for breakfast and the experience takes all morning. Otherwise we have it at home, on the patio in summer or by the fire in winter.
Eating at home narrows the options somewhat, however, as, much though I enjoy cooking, I can'tKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-32433385460703076882011-06-29T17:52:00.000+12:002011-07-01T14:06:00.619+12:00Time flies...The other day I was ‘working hard’ in the office when my colleague asked me if I had my mobile phone on me.
Well, it wasn’t on me because I was wearing a pocket-less outfit, so I went out the back to my handbag and rummaged around through all of the shap (combination word because I don’t think I’m allowed to put either of them individually in print) that breeds in there to spill out at Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-91616191636780476892011-06-21T10:12:00.002+12:002011-06-30T09:27:42.720+12:00Shortest DayToday is the shortest day of the year. It is 10.10am and the sun has just peeped up over the hill, ready to thaw the hard frost that coats our garden. We have run out of gas for the fire, but Chester doesn't seem to have noticed.
Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-1647665790534720272011-06-17T10:18:00.001+12:002011-06-30T09:25:45.857+12:0072 Hours in Christchurch
Saturday
2pm - Today was going to be the first time I had flown with Jetstar. Problems with checking in our bags proved to be problems with checking in at all – the flight was cancelled because ‘your plane is broken; it can’t fly’. Not terribly reassuring, but the staff at the desk (and at the Air New Zealand desk, where we booked a flight later in the day) were very helpful and pleasant. ThatKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-72097566755567189662011-06-14T17:25:00.000+12:002011-06-22T17:46:55.412+12:00Our Man in London: The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
RSC, Stratford upon Avon
The Royal Shakespeare Company has recently spent over £100m on redeveloping its site in Stratford. That’s probably more money than Liverpool FC’s current crop of players is worth. The redevelopment has seen the main theatre extended and stage layout remodelled. It now has a stage which thrusts out into the audience even more so than at the Globe. Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-58495907180845393922011-06-09T12:46:00.000+12:002011-06-22T17:22:09.711+12:00The trouble with young people today...
We are now being 'entertained' by Dancing on Ice 2011, which has arrived here quite quickly after it was shown in Britain. I won't look anything up because I hate spoiling it for myself - I want to know who wins, but only when I've seen all the dances and outfits, the lights and the sequins, the thrills and the spills, the spins and the jumps. So please don't tell me the outcome, as we're only Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-61715431848925590222011-06-06T16:43:00.000+12:002011-06-22T16:53:02.907+12:00Convenience FoodsWe are really lazy, aren’t we, us humans?
At the supermarket I noticed that the chopped variety of the tinned tomatoes was all sold out. (Supermarket shopping simultaneously thrills and stimulates me – can you tell?) Fair enough; they were on special, but so were the non-chopped ones and there were still heaps of those left.
Further investigation (gosh, I could work for Fairly Slow with Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-20328915494658162692011-06-01T12:59:00.002+12:002011-06-07T18:00:07.959+12:00My Newest Favourite Thing: FC BarcelonaObviously I would rather it were Liverpool waving that trophy aloft, but as that was never going to happen this season, it couldn't happen to a better club than Barcelona FC.
Their play in winning the Champions League Final 3-1 was superlative. Mesmerising football and spectacular precision passing by the likes of Pedro, Villa, Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez made for sumptuous viewing. Mascherano wasKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-28842269580814673432011-05-30T09:11:00.000+12:002011-06-02T10:30:55.712+12:00Juke Box JuryAll Shook Up, Showbiz Queenstown
Memorial Hall, Queenstown
19 - 28 May, 2011
Does the world of entertainment really need another juke box musical, or have they become a dime a dozen? Your response to that question will determine your reaction to Showbiz Queenstown’s latest offering; All Shook Up.
Their marketing trumpeted, ‘The story’s all new; the songs are all Elvis’, which is wrong on both Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-50502111364666825022011-05-25T11:21:00.000+12:002011-05-27T13:46:50.042+12:00Welly Wouldn't!I loathe the idea of the 'Wellywood' sign. For those of you who have matters of importance to worry about, this will probably have passed you by, so let me explain. The owners of Wellington Airport (Infratil: 66% and Wellington City Council: 34%) have decided that it is a good idea to spell 'Wellywood' out on the hillside approaching the airport in big white letters, a la Hollywood. Many Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-19922460075741308842011-05-23T09:18:00.002+12:002011-05-26T09:38:09.817+12:00Our Man in London: All's Well That Ends WellAll’s Well That Ends Well at The Globe, London
First trip to The Globe of the year and probably not an obvious choice of play to go and see. All’s Well seems to be viewed as one of Shakespeare’s ‘problem plays’, but I am not sure I see the problem in the same way as I am meant to. The problem is meant to be that the main characters are a flawed bunch. While I agree that they are, another problemKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-43421363860419694902011-05-16T18:04:00.000+12:002011-05-26T09:11:27.142+12:00Caps off to the Lion Foundation!I recently learned that The Lion Foundation is involved with an initiative to recycle the aluminium screw caps on wine bottles. This pleases me greatly, and appeals to my wombling mentality.
I like recycling. I like the feeling that I can contribute something to someone else. When we were kids the Scouts used to collect newspapers. It was my job to bundle them up in orderly piles, tie them up Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-80392567371951013362011-05-11T13:16:00.000+12:002011-05-20T17:01:07.296+12:00My Newest Favourite Thing: Downton Abbey
As the nights draw in and the temperatures plummet, it makes sense to snuggle up to a warm fire and some period drama on television. As I don't watch reality TV or trite American sitcoms, there isn't much for me on terrestrial TV (and now the Premier League has all but concluded, even SKY is looking rather drab), so I anticipated the arrival of Downton Abbey with excitment. Sad, I know, but it Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-22245139562512583092011-05-06T16:17:00.000+12:002011-05-16T22:42:30.953+12:00Cribbies: Act TwoAs the second act of Cribbies begins, Mrs Smith, Mrs Brown and Mrs Evans each bring a plate to the New Year's Eve party.
"There's an old piano and they play it hot, behind the Green Door" - the cast get into the dance moves. L-r: Caitlin Sexton; Marlene Polson; Trish White; Marion Patton
Alf and Rob stagger back from the pub, which "closed up at 6 o' clock."
Cynthia and Norman Smith listen to Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-44629107688938682972011-05-04T16:58:00.001+12:002011-05-16T21:39:12.451+12:00Cribbies: Act OneHow about that for a set! I loved the Cribbies set, designed and built by Alan Sutton; it was simple and functional, but highly effective. Alan was also our stage manager and, despite being new to the role, he performed his duties expertly throughout, always with a winning smile and the least amount of fuss. He was ably assisted by Myles Green who has an excellent curtain manner!
Carolyn Crum asKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-48044729431157619822011-04-29T16:37:00.000+12:002011-05-06T16:26:15.644+12:00Magical Vanishing ActPeople in Otago don't like rabbits very much and their Great Easter Bunny Hunt is very different from ours (don't let children or sensitive folk look at that link). Him Outdoors and I performed our very own version of the magical disappearing rabbit trick at Easter weekend. Here is the evidence - just don't ask us to make it re-appear!
Later that night... Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-81533174024541545452011-04-26T12:57:00.000+12:002011-05-06T10:28:12.523+12:00Easter WeekendGood Friday
Actually, the long weekend started last night when we had friends round to dinner. I made baked figs with blue cheese (and prosciutto for the non-vegetarians among us); penne pasta with mixed mushrooms and goat's cheese, served with a big green salad drizzled with parmesan infused olive oil, and apple and peanut butter crumble (made with apples from Jo Reid's garden) and Bird's Eye Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-84931484851845202512011-04-20T11:01:00.000+12:002011-04-22T12:04:00.865+12:00Kitchen Statement
Last week I went to see the play The Guru of Chai which I thoroughly enjoyed. Its sarcastic premise debunks the mystical, spiritual hokum we are fed 'from The East' where people go to find themselves and return spouting empty aphorisms and diarrhoea. The eponymous guru sells chai from a railway platform and tea towels in the foyer. I bought one because it made me smile (not something you would Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-44651584161191369752011-04-14T08:38:00.002+12:002011-04-14T16:52:04.529+12:00Community MattersIn the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake, many buildings have been damaged. This is nothing compared with lives lost, but it still has a big effect on the civic community. People identify with buildings; be they churches, cinemas, schools or theatres.
Children are sharing schools; they are taking it in turns to use the classrooms and facilities, causing great disruption to the parents whoKate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-87289745199803570582011-04-11T13:53:00.002+12:002011-04-11T18:36:26.576+12:00The Eighth Blackhurst Beer Festival (Part Two)Continued as promised...
Beer Number Six - Schöfferhofen Hefeweizen (Germany, 5%)
Try saying that three times fast before and after drinking a bottle. This wheat beer rates quite highly in random lists of ‘my favourite beer’ and is apparently ‘quite savoury and spicy for a wheat beer’. Actually I have very little to write about this beer as the only comments I can find on the internet are in Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-35873003203279281732011-04-10T15:46:00.002+12:002011-04-10T15:53:14.493+12:00The Eighth Blackhurst Beer Festival (Part One)For various reasons, this year's Blackhurst Beer Festival occured later in the season than previous sessions. There was plenty of beer to be had, however, and we offered our 'discerning guests' a selection of ten brews from nine different countries. This is what was said:
Beer Number One - Peroni Leggera (Italy, 3.5%)
From the people who brought you Nastro Azzuro (as tasted at BBF VI) comes a Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-67401911470645627682011-03-30T17:16:00.000+13:002011-03-31T17:23:23.046+13:00Save a PrayerChester caught a praying mantis today (I did not take this photo - I found it on Flikr taken by Bryce McQuillan who specialises in wildlife and macro photography). I rescued it and removed it to the lemon tree. It had clearly been caught in a cobweb and when I tried to remove the sticky threads, it made to attack me. I guess there's no such thing as gratitude in the animal kingdom.Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-83904865597239176432011-03-24T09:19:00.000+13:002011-03-29T09:31:25.530+13:00Are you sitting comfortably?While the Borneo branch of the family has been staying with us, Hoggy has been reading The Jungle Book as a bedtime story to the children. I have been curling up with on the sofa-bed and listening too. Much as I love reading myself, there is a certain pleasure in hearing a story read by someone else.
Of course Hoggy is at pains to provide different voices for all the characters, but he does not Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-4112789266209785462011-03-18T09:59:00.000+13:002011-03-18T09:59:22.065+13:00Fantastic Falstaff
Congratulations to Roger Allam, who won the Best Actor Olivier Award 2011 for his portrayal of Falstaff in the Dominic-Dromgoole-directed Henry IV Parts 1 and 2.
Of course, the fact that I saw these shows at the Globe Theatre when I was home in England last year makes me especially happy. Although I knew they were excellent at the time, it never does any harm to have that opinion validated by Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-67785322568388012232011-03-11T10:27:00.000+13:002011-03-11T10:27:55.582+13:00Wonderful Whitby
I love Whitby. I love those North East seaside towns where the houses look like they are about to tumble down to the sea; where the streets are narrow and cobbled with a pub on each corner; where the fish and chips (and mushy peas) are substantial; where the winds are brisk; the cliff-tops walks 'refreshing'; where colourful boats bob in the harbour; where the people are weather-lined but not Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-27897916021494703412011-03-08T04:29:00.000+13:002011-03-08T04:29:16.701+13:00In My Red Heaven
What a fantastic result from an excellent game. I know it's just one game, and one for which we were always going to make a considerable effort, and you can't use it as a barometer for the rest of the season, and yet I can't help but allow myself a glimmer of hope that my team are back. We didn't even miss Master Sulky-chops as Suarez played to near perfection. The goals were all tapped in by Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-89242726909866074102011-03-04T14:40:00.000+13:002011-03-04T14:40:45.544+13:00'Credibility is in the details'I had a lecturer at university who used to tell me (among other things) that, 'credibility is in the details'. As his own credentials were impeccable, I took him at his word, and it is a lesson I remember in all my own writings.
When writing poetry or fiction it is important to supply specific details rather than generics. From Victoria Wood to the Coronation Street team of script-writers, this Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0