Easter Hols

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Easter Hols

by lizdavies @ 31 Mar. 2006 – 20:18:06

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My Easter hols have begun! Went for a run round the block first thing, then spent my day doing the housework and laundry, in between editing and adding photos to a genealogy report for my sister-in-law's father, and re-watching the first part of Lord of the Rings. I've started re reading the books too, so thought I'd have some pictures - Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom are always worth drooling over!
(Also booked a couple of nights in York for next week. We thought it would be a nice break for Mum and Dad, and we haven't seen York for ages - don't think we went at all last year.)
Talking of drooling and thinking of Shakespeare - yes, I know that was an apparent non sequitur but I was (by way of Gandalf/Iain McKellen/Richard III, I expect) - who was your favourite Henry V, Olivier or Brannagh? And favourite stage version?
My all time favourite staged Shakespeare play was of course Sir Iain's Richard III, which we saw in Cairo many moons ago.
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18 Comments to Easter Hols

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- Rick (Visitor)
- http://tricky3.co.uk
- 01 Apr. 2006 @ 07:35:48
Is Henry V the father of Child V from your previous post? Did he make spaceships?
- - lizdavies
  - 01 Apr. 2006 @ 08:53:15
  It was Child D who wanted to make spaceships - pay attention! You're thinking of Henry F, who made cars.
  Perhaps I should have used A and B, as obviously D and V are their inititals and anyone who knows them might possibly be able to identify them.
  I'd go to any film Child V makes when he grows up - it's sure to be imaginative and reflective, but probably not a sci-fi or a shakespeare...
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- Usksider ^Pro
- http://www.usksider.co.uk
- 01 Apr. 2006 @ 07:35:55
I'm sure you'll enjoy that nice break you have in front of you Liz; I know I'm certainly looking forward to my few days off over Easter.

My brother used to live in Cawood, which isn't far from York and we'd spend time in the city whenever we visited. York is a lovely place and full of such amzing history. I always come away feeling I've learned something new, but still wanting to go back again.

Isn't it wonderful how a series of stories concocted for his children have reignited the public's imagination via the silver screen to reinstate Tolkien as a best seller? I loved JRR's books when I first read them and still do.

My daughter expressed a wish just the other day to be taken to Stratford; it seems she's acquired a desire to visit Shakespeare Country. This is certainly not something to ignore, so we're planning a trip while she's at home over Easter.

In film, my favourite Henry V has to be Olivier although I did enjoy Brannagh's portrayal. Sad to say, I've never seen Henry V performed live: we always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time!
- - lizdavies
  - 01 Apr. 2006 @ 09:09:06
  We're really lucky that we live in Surrey, within an hour of central London by train, and 15 minutes of the M 25, so Stratford is less than 2 hours away, and there are a couple of theatres in Croydon we can go to, too.
  My friend Lissa will agree with you on Olivier, I expect, but I think Brannagh - pity he was so muffin faced then, he's better looking now he's older.
  We've seen some good Henry V's.
  An outstanding one because it was part of the Millenium History Cycle at Stratford in 2000, and we saw them all, including the 3 parts of Henry VI in one day, was Samuel West, who had previously been Hal in Henry IV, so you could really see where he had come from, within the context of the whole series. We'll never forget that one.
  But I think as a stand alone, I loved Adrian Lester in the National Theatre production 2003, which really linked the play to current events in Iraq, and brought it completely up to date.
  PS apologies to Sir Ian McKellen, whose name I got wrong - must remember he has no extra i, a or r!
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- - LissaT ^Pro
  - 01 Apr. 2006 @ 14:04:51
  I loved "The Hobbit" as a child, reading it four or five times a year from the age of 6 to 12, then I read "The Fellowship of the Ring", got halfway through "The Two Towers" and realised that I had grown out of that type of fantasy fiction and was bored to tears by what I was reading. Many years later I took my three nephews to see the first of the three films at the cinema - Joe loved it and now has the whole series on both video and DVD, Josh liked it, but has since had the same experience I had with the books at much the same age, and Jacob and I both thought it looked great but was far too long, noisy and a lot of fuss over nothing.
  
  Wouldn't it be a dull world if we all liked the same things.
  - - Usksider ^Pro
    - http://www.usksider.co.uk
    - 01 Apr. 2006 @ 14:20:34
    Indeed, the world would be a very poor place if we were all into the same things. I'm inclined to agree about the length of the films; I fell asleep in the last one!
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- Usksider ^Pro
- http://www.usksider.co.uk
- 01 Apr. 2006 @ 11:37:48
We don't get up to London much these days; it's become too expensive to travel by train and is a real pain in the car unless you dump that somewhere en-route and continue into the city by train. I guess we're about the same distance from Stratford as yourselves; our journey is also around the 2 hour mark.

Our local theatres are okay, but the programmes often leave a lot to be desired. That said, some of the things the Bristol Old Vic put on are worth the effort.

From a male point of view I wouldn't like to comment on Brannagh's good looks (or otherwise). I'd certainly agree that he's gained in stature as he's aged though.

There's an awful lot of Timothy in Samuel West, don't you think? No bad thing of course.
- - lizdavies
  - 01 Apr. 2006 @ 13:28:58
  Well yes, on both counts. And slender pomposity did rather well as Henry V!
  - - LissaT ^Pro
    - 01 Apr. 2006 @ 13:53:43
    Yes, Liz, Olivier for Henry V, though I prefer Ian McKellan's Richard III. I once saw Timothy Dalton as both Prince Hal and Henry V - in the 1970s - I can't remember whether the production was any good (I think it must have been or I wouldn't have gone back for a second helping, though it was a theatre club trip so I might have signed up for the series), but I remember he was gorgeous! And there was the one we went to at the Barbican in 1994/5 which had its moments.
    
    My mother and her friend once had lunch or tea with Prunella Scales (Samuel West's mother, and the friend's friend rather than my mother's) when they were all struggling young actresses, and they spent the whole time discussing the difficulty of buying really good bras.
    - - lizdavies
      - 01 Apr. 2006 @ 16:10:00
      Who was that? Another Ian? I remember he was very hunky...
      - lizdavies
        
        02 Apr. 2006 @ 22:43:27
        
        Just remembered, it was Ian Glenn.
        
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        LissaT ^Pro
        
        03 Apr. 2006 @ 01:08:15
        
        I can't remember. Were we feeling mean? Didn't either of us buy a programme?
        
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- LissaT ^Pro
- 01 Apr. 2006 @ 14:25:21
Might I see you over Easter? May even also visit York to see my cousin and a museum or two, but probably won't run into you there.

David (boss at the museum) says there's a new hands on archaeology place in York, but it needs booking in advance. May be a child rather than an aged parent thing.

I just got a a letter (still following on from Bert Coulbeck from a lady who is also descended from Ann Pennell - she is my grandad's second cousin twice over, so she is my 2 x second cousin twice removed and your third cousin twice removed (just the once so far as I know) - anyway she has two generations of Coulbecks and their wives with maiden names I haven't got beause I never got round to looking in the Waltham registers - I will have to check as I don't know the methods of the other distant cousin who did the research she is using, but it could be significant; on the other hand there are mistakes in the later generations so I'm not holding my breath.
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- LissaT ^Pro
- 02 Apr. 2006 @ 12:05:01
On an earlier subject . . . if Ed is Smee, are you Captain Teach?
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- Kivinia
- www.deviantthoughts.net
- 03 Apr. 2006 @ 22:55:18
Thankyou for your comment =) I'll keep your advice in mind, after all you never know what's going to happen next week or next year. Gotta live life as it comes don't you. Thanks again, be well.
Amy x
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- topofthestairs ^Pro
- 05 Apr. 2006 @ 11:33:15
I don't live too far from Statford and have been twice to see 2 of the great Shakespearian actors, Alan Howard and a little less great I guess, John Woodvine. At both times, I am ashamed to say, I fell asleep! Mr SPeare is not for me!
- - LissaT ^Pro
  - 05 Apr. 2006 @ 11:42:01
  I dozed off during Henry V at the Barbican, but I did have the excuse of an early start (5.30a.m.) to get to London and three museums before we even reached the theatre! I always fall asleep during ballet, and usually at the opera - the combination of music and darkness. I do as much of my theatre going as I can on hard seats in the open air.
  - - lizdavies
    - 05 Apr. 2006 @ 12:03:52
    I rarely sleep out of bed, even during boring things - I just fidget. Ed has fallen asleep during the all the Harry Potter films so far.
    I've just finished watching the 6 DVD extended version of Lord of the Rings, plus some of the appendices. I think even I'm sated now, although I'm still just short of Moria in the books.
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