2nd edit session

Returned to Film Farm 22 November for the next session which went pretty well although working with so many different format films, archival stuff and VHS is hurting the brain of the new system which decides to crash periodically. Have devised the time lapse chapter headings and progressed on to Oundle but realise need more footage of the school so am trying to organise that for early next year - at least it is just down the road from FF.Whilst in residence I wandered down to the greenhouses one day to check out the remaining tomatoes and discovered this absolute beauty which weighed in at 1lb11oz (the establishment works in old fashioned Imperial despite the modern technology) and tasted pretty darned good when sliced and teamed up with mozzarella, olives, capers, avocado and home grown chillies with a drizzle of unfiltered and balsamic.

As correctly predicted by the weather men the snow fell on Thursday and the house grew progressively colder (they didn't predict that consequence) - by Saturday morning my bedroom windows were iced over INSIDE! Aaaargh! Returned to Kent Sunday (almost coincidentally) with a burgeoning cold which does not bode well for Wednesday's lecture. UGH!

PR in London

Since I had to go to Christie's, South Ken, to advise on a couple of possible Brangwyn works, I decided to catch up with some more Reyntiens, so skipped round to the V&A to see the Piper/Reyntiens Christ between Saints Peter and Paul (located in room 88, sacred silver and stained glass). Smaller than I expected but beautiful jewel like colours. The other work I had hoped to see, Brittany Beach, was, according to the website, in room 222 but such a room does not exist. Anyway, I'm trying to fix up to see all the JP/PR and PR works in store so maybe I'll get to see Brittany Beach at the same time.Thence for lunch with younger son and see his Cuban photos - not quite as exciting as I'd anticipated and he said the food was disappointing, but I'd still love to go there before the Castros pop their clogs.

And then on to St Margaret's next to Westminster Abbey, windows by JP/PR in 1966. 8 triple lancet windows in the south aisle, abstract design and muted colours. I thought it worked exceedingly well.

I would then have returned to the V&A to do some research in the Library but since I was on the slow train (the high speed train fare having risen to a whopping £49.50) I walked along the embankment to Charing Cross and got back to Kent about 6.30.

PS Was amused to note in St James' that an elderly Big Issue seller was attired in smart suit and long black coat and looked just like a city gent!

First edit session

Having had a mere week back in Kent scaring the living daylights out of the spiders which had taken up squatter status and clearing all surfaces of the Miss Haversham style dust covering, I returned to Film Farm for the 1st edit session. We reckon that we are going to need at least 7 week long sessions and in between my lectures and Charles' other commitments we have booked ourselves for editing purposes almost every other week until mid March.
This first session, in the brand new edit suite (see above) went very well. We tried out one of crumple-pops split screen devices for the opening and their new bottom 1/3 captions. Being Patrick, the film is already shaping up to being both humorous and instructive.

Survival - fittest?!

Yorkshire is wonderful, don't get me wrong, after all it's 'God's own', but was I glad to finally return to Kent, the garden of England, yesterday. And that's a rhetorical question. Emotional blackmail, complete lack of appreciation, absolutely nothing I did was right and towards the end there was some serious nursing for which I am just not cut out (yes I do have some failings!) - rubber gloves (which I've always previously abhorred) and hospital style alcohol hand gel became two of my 'favourite things' - Lady Macbeth had nothing on my anal hand washing routines!
Anyway, suffice it to say that my mother is now happily ensconced in The Hall and I am again free to continue with my life. I did actually manage to transcribe and write the scripts for both Gordon Russell and Reyntiens films whilst 'up north' and the latter I think is quite light hearted and should be fun - how I managed to think chirpy in those conditions I know not!