Bad gore, good gore?

May 22, 2013 by 2 Comments

I don’t really do gratuitous gore. My days of staying up late with a horror-fiend friend watching ‘torture porn’ (i.e. the Hostel and Saw genres of film – not actual porn) are long gone. I do not, as a mature grown up person with a LoveFilm subscription, enjoy films containing gore for gore’s sake.

However, I’m of the opinion that some forms of gore are necessary in films and that in those cases, saying that you don’t want to watch them because of the gore is verging on the unacceptable.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had negative responses to tweets mentioning a couple of ‘gory’ films. The first was Looper [recent blockbuster starring Bruce Willis]. Friends stopped watching it because “we found it too gory”. That’s probably fair enough, given as a major plot element involves shooting your future self in the head. The second was The Killing Fields [Oscar winning true life story], which after I tweeted that I was watching it received the response: “I can’t stand gore”. That may be your standpoint on gore, but quite frankly, it’s utterly essential to the film and its message…

I found myself watching The Killing Fields after a long Saturday of theology reading. I’d had it for a while, but was inspired to finally watch it having read a Guardian article about the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. Yes, I do realise that the film is set in Cambodia, but I think you can see the connection. I’d been trying to remember the name of a Rwandan film I’d watched a while ago and ended up in yet another Wikipedia vortex – this resulted in my wanting to do nothing more than watch another genocide film. I know it doesn’t sound relaxing and it wasn’t, but once a historian, always a historian.

There are several films relating to genocide which could be described as ‘gory’ and they are. But you know what? So is genocide. Most of these films are based on true events and tell stories that the rest of the world need to hear. None of them could possibly depict violence, death and destruction that’s even half as bad as what actually happened. Avoiding these films because of their gore is effectively denial. Denial that this has happened multiple times in the last century. That it keeps on happening in this self-destructive world. That it’s probably happening right this moment in Syria. That it may happen somewhere else in the very near future.

If the gore upsets you or makes you nauseous, close your eyes; walk out of the room briefly; hide behind a cushion; or fast forward – but whatever you do, don’t use the violence within these films as an excuse to not watch them. The people who died in the real versions deserve to be heard.

The_Killing_Fields_-_3Dith Pran & Sidney Schanberg as they appear in the film.

This may seem a bit wrong, but here are some of my ‘must watch’ films on this subject:

The Killing Fields – The massacre that took place under Pol Pot’s regime in Cambodia in the 1970′s. Tells the story of two journalists (one American, one Cambodian) who work together to share the truth of what was happening prior to the Khmer Rouge’s invasion. The fields in the title were paddy fields covered with the bodies of thousands of Pol Pot’s victims.

Shooting Dogs; Hotel Rwanda; Sometimes in April – All cover the Rwandan genocide, from slightly different perspectives. All are well-worth watching.

Schindler’s List; The Piano; Sarah’s Key – Obviously, there are hundreds of films featuring the Holocaust, but these are three that spring to mind. Schindler’s List depicts the utterly mindless violence of the death camps. The Pianist evokes the terror of being a Jew in Warsaw, while Sarah’s Key does the same but for Paris. The latter (which is the most recent of the trio) is utterly heart-breaking.

As I wrote this, I tried to think of films that are set during the conflict in former Yugoslavia – all I could think of was Welcome to Sarajevo which I’ve never actually seen. It’s strange that given the atrocities there, few films have emerged. If I’ve overlooked any you know of, do let me know.

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The Joy of Procrastination – Childhood Edition

May 21, 2013 by 2 Comments

I’ve just emerged from a cloud of essay toil. Yesterday, I handed in my second essay in the space of three weeks, on the not-so-simple subject of Systematic Theology (specifically, the Trinity). For many, many days, life had little more to offer than the reading of textbooks, the making of notes, and the eventual writing of 3000 words. However, the writing process was made especially long and arduous because my procrastination tendencies decided to kick in (I blame the fact that I’d only written an essay 3 weeks previously – an essay written with minimal procrastination).

You know how it is, you’re trying to put together a coherent argument on why the doctrine of the Trinity is essential, and all of a sudden you find yourself on Wikipedia, reading articles about your favourite childhood TV show – all because the old podcast you’re listening to as you write happens to mention an actor that starred in it…

[Tell me I'm not alone! Doesn't everyone find themselves in a black hole of Wikipedia articles from time to time without any real idea of how they got there?!]

Anyway, this particularly Wikipedia jaunt also resulted in a search on YouTube and a yell of delight when I discovered that finally – after several searches since YouTube began – videos of The Biz were available. If you weren’t aged 10-15 in 1995/6 and living in the UK, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. Basically, it was a CBBC show of the traditional children at drama school fame genre, which my sister and I considered to be the best thing since we first watched Grease. What can I say? We both desperately wanted to go to stage school (especially a boarding school version) but this was the closest we could get. [Although I did go to a secondary school that took in those asked to leave Sylvia Young and Mim did become a drama teacher. Obviously, she wins.]

This song was my first find, complete with the realisation that despite the passing of 18 years, I could still remember 90% of the words. Yes, the vocals sound really thin and the singers aren’t the best, but it was glorious – honest!

There are a whole host of clips from the show (just the songs as they’re uploaded by the series’ composer), they’re probably only interesting to former fans of the show, but there must be at least three of those reading this…

That was Friday’s major procrastination. [Notice that I didn't do any blogging - I didn't want to do anything that would reveal to others that I was being distracted!] Saturday’s was even more joyous and potentially more relevant. I’d worked hard all morning and over lunch flicked through the channels, alighting upon the final 5 minutes of the 1995 version of Frances Hodgson-Burnett’s A Little Princess. It’s probably my favourite of H-B’s books (yes, even over The Secret Garden) and I was shocked to discover that this version was set in New York, during the war and had a different ending – scandal!

Back to Wikipedia I returned, looking for information on the adaption that I consider to be the best – the 1986 LWT version, starring Maureen Lipman, Miriam Margolyes and Nigel Havers. Seriously, a children’s series with that cast of adults? How could it be anything less than awesome? YouTube was an obvious next step and there I found every single episode – the delight! I was worried I’d be disappointed, but it was just as I remembered. I sobbed over and over (it’s an incredibly sad story). I swooned over Havers. I mused on whether the title cards were designed by the same person who did Tenko (they’re a similar era of TV). I sobbed again when it reached its conclusion.

And, I watched all six episodes before I’d finished my essay. (Though, in my defence, I stopped after episode 1 and didn’t restart until I had over 2000 words, so I think that’s less awful.) Here’s part one:

Procrastination is a joy when you discover things like this.

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Friday fun with history and dates

May 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Before you get too caught up in all the stresses and strains that a Friday afternoon in the early part of the 21st Century brings, allow yourself a few minutes to see how life used to be…

Isn’t that beautiful? I can’t quite believe that once upon a time, there were no tall, shiny buildings behind the Tower of London; or that horse and carts were regularly sighted on the bridges of London. I don’t think I’m alone in finding it strangely poignant too – the many young men featured would probably be fighting in WW2 within little more than a decade.

From the sublime 1920′s to the ridiculous 1920′s. You know what’s set in the 1920′s? The next season of Downton Abbey. Ever wondered what this next season might look like if it was performed via the medium of Musical Theatre? No, I hadn’t either, but someone did and it looks rather wonderful:

As with so much of life, the dominant pre-occupation of Downton is relationships – primarily, marrying the right person, with the right inheritance, at the right time. (And then producing an heir to that fortune before script writers kill off one of the parents…) In the 1920′s, they had society balls. In the 2010′s, we have online dating. OK Cupid! would be one such example of this kind of match-making facility, but sadly it is not quite as attractive an option as a society ball. This is partly because you can make an amusing YouTube video out of the ridiculous things men include on their profiles – witness:

You think they’re exaggerating, don’t you? They’re not. Christian dating sites are even worse, apparently. Men publicly declare that they’re looking for ‘their princess’, or that they will ‘respect your purity’ – and use profile photos that feature themselves crying, or believe that their church building is an adequate image to use instead of their face. I digress. But talking of Christians, this gives me an excellent opportunity to share this video, which helpfully connects with the subject of Christian dating…

And with that, I should get back to my wrangling with the Doctrine of the Trinity. Nothing changes in the Christian world – people will always use ridiculous words in attempts to communicate the incomprehensible.

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No picnics. No mini muffins. And never Adele…

May 9, 2013 by 2 Comments

Boundaries. It can be a bit of an obsession in Christian circles, particularly with regard to men, women, friendships and relationships. Essentially, this post is part 6 of my Eternal Problem series – but I thought I’d give it a rather more interesting title.

A few weeks ago, current favourite sitcom New Girl featured a scene in which one male character outlined to another the things a guy could and could not do for a female friend. Not familiar with New Girl?  (Why wouldn’t you be? It’s all kinds of awesome!) Three guys (Winston, Schmidt & Nick) and one girl (Jess) share an apartment; the guys learn all sorts of things from their quirky female flatmate; one guy (Nick) and the girl have something of a will they/won’t they friendship; and it’s very, very funny.

New Girl titlesI basically want to be Jess. Or Zooey Deschanel. Or a hybrid of both…

The scene in question takes place when Winston confronts Nick about his friendship with Jess, which appears to be rather more complicated than it ought to be. Winston basically creates a list of ok and not ok things to do with or for a friend who happens to be a girl:

It’s because you don’t have boundaries! 
As a friend, you can lift a heavy object, but you cannot drive her to the airport.
You can hold the elevator, but only if you see her coming down the hall saying “hey man, can you hold the elevator?”.
No picnics. No mini muffins. 
And never Adele. Never Adele.
Most importantly, you will not help her build that dresser. It’s furniture that implies that one day you will share it with her. And that’s not going to happen.

It sounds ridiculous, but are such rules necessary in our relationships with others? Is it reasonable to expect people to respect or initiate boundaries? Are Christians (especially) over-obsessed with the idea of boundaries, particularly in male/female friendships?

If boundaries help to prevent us from getting hurt, then they’re a good thing. If they stop us from ever drawing close to people we should be close too, they’re a bad thing. But I think that there can be a happy balance between the two.

Personally, I know that there are friendships in which I should have applied the picnic boundary early on – perhaps I wouldn’t then have found myself having to specify boundaries several years later, when trying to move on from a complicated friendship. (“You can laugh with me, but you’re not to laugh at me – or encourage others to do so…”) Then again, I think of the male friend who helped me build my bed a few years ago, and know that it didn’t mess with either of our heads!

Asking the question “is this helpful?” in a situation in which you know that there are feelings or complications is definitely sensible – on the part of both parties. Of course, it’s also hard to say no when you really want to be spending time with someone. Who wouldn’t want to have a picnic on a sunny day with a nice person? Or to help someone out with their newly purchased Ikea flatpacks? Or to listen to Adele… (Maybe not!)

Talking over the New Girl plot with a friend, we realised that this was possibly the only time we’ve seen the concept of boundaries feature in a TV show. There’s a long history of ‘will they/won’t they’ plots throughout TV history, but I’m virtually certain that this conversation has never happened before. A quick look at some of the obvious subjects would suggest this:

  • Ross & Rachel in Friends – Joey warns Ross about the “Friends zone” but boundaries were invisible! (To everyone in that rather incestuous friendship group, actually.)
  • Joey & Dawson in Dawson’s Creek – Much theorising about relationships and teenage angst takes place, but boundaries never crop up. Again, things might have worked out better for all concerned if they had.
  • Lorelai & Luke in Gilmore Girls – Lorelai just doesn’t do boundaries!

There are many, many other examples, but these were the first that came to mind. In fact, as our conversation progressed, I pondered the fact that I always root for these relationships to work out. Just the other week, I was re-watching the end of Gilmore Girls season 4 – the episode in which Lorelai & Luke finally get together. I first watched it on a train and found myself clapping when they kissed. Commenting on Twitter that “Would you just stand still!” are the best words Amy Palladino ever wrote, I received several replies from people who felt the same as me. For four seasons we’d been rooting for that relationship to happen. In TV, will they/won’t they friendships always end positively, at least for a while – Rachel got off the plane; Dawson eventually slept with Joey; Luke kissed Lorelai – you never have a situation in which it doesn’t work and they have to come up with a set of boundaries in order to move on.

TV gives us unrealistic expectations that the same will be true of our own ‘will they/won’t they’ scenarios, which sucks.

It dawned on me that I always root for these TV relationships to work out because it hasn’t (yet?) worked out in my own will they/won’t they scenarios. Luke was always my favourite of Lorelai’s boyfriends, because they were just meant to be together. Ever since New Girl began, I’ve had a thing about Nick – yes, he’s a bit of a loser and rather depressed but there’s a part of me that finds those to be endearing qualities in a man. Plus, he clearly cares for Jess and was doing things that ticked all the boxes I’d want a man to tick in my life – picnics, furniture building, mini-muffins and heavy object lifting…

Then Winston dropped the boundaries bombshell. TV finally got real.

Nick & Jess

I’ve no idea what happens next with Nick and Jess (I know the second series is nearly over in the US, but I like to avoid spoilers). I suspect they’ll get together, at least for a while. I hope it doesn’t end badly because my romantic sensibilities couldn’t handle it.

Boundaries. They can be a total reality check, but I think that’s why we need them.

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The luck of the (Northern) Irish

May 8, 2013 by 2 Comments

Visits to Belfast are always punctuated with the regular consummation of tea and cake – not just because a wealth of tea is available in my parents’ home (all nicely labelled, obviously) but because the city possesses some of the best places in which to sit and eat cake.

For a start, my Dad’s theological college has tea and scones every morning. Who couldn’t fail to love an institution that pauses at 10.50 every day for such a refreshment? And, when I say ‘scones’ I don’t just mean the regular raisin variety, I mean baskets of all sorts of variations – wholemeal with dates; strawberry and white chocolate; cherry; plain… It makes our St Mellitus biscuit assortment on a Monday morning pale in comparison.

Edgehill SconesA basket of Edgehill scones.

Then there’s the hitlist of places I require a visit to on every trip to the city…

Avoca [renamed 'Avocado' by the iPhone autocorrect] which also does a fantastic line in scones. (What can I say, I love a good scone – as long as it’s sweet. Savoury scones are wrong, wrong, wrong.) Their pear and vanilla scone has to be consumed to be believed! On this particular trip, as I’d only had a college scone a couple of hours previously, I went for the lunch option of Carrot & Ginger soup with a side of wheaten bread – utterly delicious. The café is the upper floor of an equally delightful shop that sells what can simply be described as ‘nice things’. The foodie bit of it is wonderful, and a good place to go for an affordable dessert for a dinner party if you want your guests to be fooled into believing that you made it yourself.

The Ikea café. Yes, I appreciate that one can eat Swedish meatballs in practically every major city around the world, but Belfast’s Ikea must have the most entertaining cafe view of the entire chain. In Edmonton you look out over a roundabout; in Wembley it’s the A40; and in most other locations it’s the car park, but in Belfast it’s the runway of Belfast City Airport. [We don't ever refer to the 'George Best' bit of its name.] You don’t need to be a plane spotter to appreciate the entertainment value of planes landing and taking off, though it becomes rather more geeky when your companion uses their flightchecker app to establish the destination/origin of each plane. Plus, what’s not love about a mid-morning tea break that includes free beverages (thank you Ikea Family Card) and three Swedish cakes for £1.50? I also love visiting Ikea when it’s physically impossible for me to buy anything but that which can be easily carried in hand luggage (basically, cushion covers and Swedish liquorice).

Common Grounds. The traditional Saturday brunch location of the Belfast Clutterbucks and an incredible example of social enterprise. Run by a combination of paid employees and volunteers, all  the profits are put into social transformation projects locally and abroad. It has a fabulous atmosphere and delicious food, plus lovely means of showing love to others. They had the ‘suspended coffee’ concept long before Starbucks and you can also pay for a coffee/snack for a friend when they next visit – the chalkboard above the counter bears the names of those who have a treat awaiting them. It’s no wonder that it’s effectively become my mother’s second office. According to their website, in their 8 and a half years of existence, they’ve given away over £55,000 – quite a feat.

Lunch at Common Grounds & Harlem CafeOn the left, my go-to savoury brunch at Common Grounds (potato cakes with chilli sauce) & the Veggie Fry at Harlem Café. There’s a potato theme…

Harlem Café. A new addition to my ‘places to visit in Belfast’ list, but well-deserved. It’s eclectically decorated with myriad ojects d’art, generally vintage themed, but with a cracking menu of local delights. (I had their Vegetarian Fry, which was carbtastic in a way that only happens in Ireland – potato farls, soda bread and pancakes!) I noted that they also do a range of afternoon tea options (something to explore on another visit), including a ‘Gentleman’s afternoon tea & cognac’ (with an optional cigar extra). The mind boggles…

The Dock. I’ve saved the best till last. This pop-up café may not be around forever, so catch it while it is! Located in a new shopping strip in the Titanic Quarter and barely a 5 minute stroll from the Titanic Experience, this café is run by the Church of Ireland and staffed entirely by volunteers. There are no prices, you simply donate what you feel your food and drink was worth. (I’m virtually certain this results in people giving more than they might actually have been asked to pay.) There’s a mix of furniture; interesting art on the walls; friendly volunteer staff; free books; and they serve Suki Tea, seriously, this place is amazing!

Homemade Chocolate Tea CakesHomemade chocolate tea-cakes at The Dock. I am now obsessed with getting hold of a silicone mould in which to try this out myself – as inspired by a technical challenge on the last series of the GBBO.

Oh, and talking of the awesome Suki Tea, my other Belfast foodie essential is St George’s Market, where I was able to stock up on tea leaves – Earl Grey Blue Flower (a classic) and Mango Tango (a newbie, sampled at The Dock and likely to be an excellent candidate for summer iced tea making).

Wee Buns at St George's MarketAnd this stall, at St George’s Market, will always make me giggle. Because I am a child.

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Friday Fun with diversity

May 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Today’s Friday Fun begins with a video that might typically be expected to finish a Friday Fun post. The Evolution of Music has been doing the rounds a bit on social networks (if I’d not been essay writing this time last week, it would no doubt have appeared more novel to my readers), but worth a share in case you’ve not seen it. Admittedly, I wish it had concentrated more on pre-20th century music and had been less American-centric, but it’s still quite a feat:

Continuing with a somewhat educational theme, regular readers will be aware that I’ve long been greatly amused with some of the ridiculous things you can find online about periods. (See previous posts on the subject.) A recent discovery has been a terribly old school Disney film about ‘the story of menstruation’ that managed to get banned. Think Fantasia, sponsored by Kotex…

If you thought that was cringeworthily old fashioned, you *must* watch ‘Growing Girls’ from the BFI archives – one of my personal favourites. Kotex still sponsor informative period videos and have been responsible for some gems in the past (just search YouTube), but I rather liked their recent myth busting campaign. Apparently, it was believed that women would turn spaghetti sauce sour once a month…

Moving on (as I’m sure some of you will be relieved to hear). What do you get when you combine the best of Shakespeare with the best of the internet? Shakespearian insults accompanied by cats, obviously!

Shakespeare cat 1

Shakespeare cat 2

Continuing the theme of uniquely English humour and language, I defy you not to be amused by at least one of these examples of British graffiti. (Warning: some may offend and are NSFW.)

Graffiti 1

Graffiti 2

Graffiti 3

Finally, something I gave to Twitter in lieu of Friday Fun last week (when I was up to my eyeballs in deadlines for this past Monday), courtesy of my fun friend Jenni – how do you fancy playing Lego virtually? No need for a tub of bricks, all you need is Google Chrome, a few spare hours and a vibrant imagination…

Building Lego with Chrome

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A Titanic “experience”

May 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The most popular tourist attraction in Belfast has, for the last year, been the curiously named ‘Titanic Experience’. What kind of an experience do visitors have? You may well wonder…

On my last trip to Belfast (11 months ago), we attempted to pay a visit but discovered that owing to its popularity, advance booking was essential. [Instead we explored the incredibly moving memorial to the ship in the dock where it was built.] This time, tickets were booked as soon as my flights were confirmed and, this afternoon, my mother and I spent nearly two hours thoroughly ‘experiencing’ the Titanic. [She'd visited a few months ago and was insistent that a visit was well worth it.]

I’m pleased to report that the experience element of the museum has nothing to do with the events of April 1912 – there is no water and no ice. In fact, the exhibition does an amazing job of not sensationalising the disaster that befell the Ship of Dreams. (Not that the disaster wasn’t a massive tragedy, just that it’s one aspect of the ship and the shipyard’s history.)

H&WHarland & Wolf gates

Instead, what you experience is what the process of shipbuilding was like in the early part of the twentieth century. That may not sound particularly riveting (!), but it really was. Ok, I’m a history geek and love nothing more than a good exploration of social history, but this was done brilliantly – not least the bit of the experience entitled ‘shipbuilding ride’. I’ll say no more, but it was funner than it sounds.

Part of the experience is the result of the building’s architecture – based on the ship’s design and the iceberg that sank it. At various points you emerge from the galleries into light spaces with windows looking out on to the docks. In one such moment, you can stand in precisely the place where Kate and Leo were on top of the world…

View from the bow of the TitanicView from the bow of the Titanic while it was being built.

Ship building transformed the city of Belfast and this is a fantastic testament to that element of its history. It’s also a moving memorial to one of the shipping revolution’s biggest disasters. There isn’t a minute by minute rundown of how the sinking occurred (surely most people know the score thanks to James Cameron?), instead, you see it as it was recorded by the wireless operators on board the Titanic and other ships in the area, including the Carpathia which ultimately came to the surviving passengers’ rescue. The rescue operation, inquest and stories of those lost are chronicled with sensitive detail.

Glimpses of the TitanicThe bow of the Titanic as it now looks under water.

Oh, and it’s only fair to warn you that the penultimate gallery (prior to a segment on the discovery of the wreck in 1985) is dedicated to depictions of the tragedy in the arts. Obviously, this section is accompanied by Celine Dion singing *that* song, meaning that thereafter, you will find yourself humming or even singing it to yourself. Admittedly, I should probably confess that I entered the building with a mental list of a musical Titanic medley, consisting of For Those in Peril on the Sea (sung in a service on board), Nearer my God to Thee (played as it sank) and *that* song. Until musical references crept into the later stages of the exhibition, I’d managed to stay quiet. Afterwards, it was an impossibility.

Anyway, if you ever find yourself in the city with a few hours to spare – go. Only don’t try and attempt it with a school group. It’s booked out for school parties until 2015 apparently. That’s how good it is.

Titanic Experience & former H&W building

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Neighbours

April 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I’m always impressed that whenever I’m out walking the streets of the parish with the vicar, we never reach our destination without stopping to greet a few people along the way. Having had the ‘cure of souls’ for the parish for over decade, he’s a familiar face to many, but he also goes out of his way to catch up with those he recognises. It’s an admirable quality that I hope I’ll be able to emulate in my ministry.

Today, we headed out for a lunch meeting (at which the vicar would pick my brains about Twitter) at the church’s second office (the cafe on the corner of my street) and within two minutes had stopped to check on someone. As we reached the cafe, we bumped into our most well-known parishioner - a Hollywood actor in fact. The vicar greeted him just as he had the hospital worker we’d passed moments before and the actor returned the greetings with enthusiasm. After a pleasant exchange about the actor’s recent West End run, I was introduced and we shook hands.  Seconds later, we departed to get on with our meeting.

The actor concerned is Rupert Everett, a resident of the parish and a nearby neighbour of mine. On my very first visit to the area with a view to potentially taking up a placement here, his residence was pointed out on my parish tour. (I presume the idea was to illustrate the diversity of the local population – I was sold!) In my first term, he read at the community carol service, but I, ever the introvert, did not put myself forward for an introduction (despite being terribly excited). To quote the vicar’s 9 year old daughter – who had a lengthy interaction with him – I should have ‘got in on the chat!’.

Rupert EverettObviously, I was deeply disappointed that the beard’s not currently in residence.

It’s been 10 months since I moved into my flat and today was the first time I’d ever spotted Rupert on the street. Seven hours later, I returned home and passed him outside my building. You wait ages for one bus and then two come along at once…

Obviously, there’s a ministerial formation lesson to be learnt here:
In ministry, every member of the congregation and parish is equal – there are no celebrities. In a culture that idolises celebrity, it’s incredibly important to give everyone space, respect and love, regardless of how the rest of society treats them. So, I need to get over my starstruck-ness and get on with loving the parishioners… 

Incidentally, if you believe that Rupert hasn’t done much of note since My Best Friend’s Wedding (basically, I just want his character from that film in my life), you clearly haven’t watched Hysteria (it’s a little bit dodgy but essentially about women’s liberation in the Edwardian era) or Parade’s End – my favourite TV drama of 2012. Reacquaint yourselves with his genius. You won’t regret it!

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Not quite a marathon…

April 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I started this post a week ago. It says a lot about the multi-deadline, post vicar weekend nature of today, that I’m only just finding the time to finish it… 

Last weekend [as in the weekend of April 20-21] was almost epic in its loveliness. Not only were there geeky trains and buses in the company of an old school chum, prior to an afternoon in a park with my favourite 18 month old, there was also an international athletics event to attend in the company of fabulous people.

April 21st had been marked in my diary for quite some time – a friend had scored an elite [i.e. not a ballot place] spot in the marathon (he runs a lot of them, in fact his PB is faster than some of the women who competed in last year’s Olympic marathon) and I wanted to see him taking part. Fortunately I was duty-free at church, so was able to have the morning off. It was going to be an opportunity to relive some of the Olympic excitement of last year and a rare chance to hang out with some of the best people I know. On Monday evening preceding the marathon, I was chatting with my sister about it and her jealousy that she couldn’t be there too. Little did we know that as our conversation was taking place, bombs were going off at the finish line of Boston’s marathon. That evening I pondered whether events in Boston would stop me going to the marathon – but if anything, it made me even more determined to be there. I think a lot of runners and spectators felt the same. There is never a place for such violence – but especially not in sport.

Robin races along The HighwayRobin races along The Highway. (Credit.)

So, on Sunday morning I was in Shadwell bright and early – just missing the leaders of the wheelchair race, but in time for the women’s elite. I passed a happy few hours watching the race, bumping into several people I know (so many people in fact, that my friend’s boyfriend – who I’d just met – asked if I knew everyone in London) and intermittently pondering whether I could ever run a marathon.

We were tracking our runners using the marathon website, meaning that we could see their times at each 5km point along the course. (This is a genius development in marathon watching, although 3G does tend to get a little slow with so many people around.) This struck a chord with me, as the previous morning I had only been 200m short of 5km on my very first 25min run on the 0-5k app. Since last Saturday, I’ve done three further 25min runs, meaning that I’ve run just over 11 miles in the last week. If you told me I’d manage that when I wrote this post about starting the app, I wouldn’t have believed you.

At the moment, I’m not in a state to do much more than 5km in one go. In fact, I’m moderately concerned about the increase to 30min runs in just over a week’s time (this week it’s 28, hopefully that will help). With the aid of the RunKeeper app, I now have an idea of how far I’m running during 25mins – it fluctuates. Yesterday I managed a paltry 2.2 miles thanks to the hilly nature of the countryside where vicar weekends take place. Last Thursday, I managed a new PB of 3.2 miles around the streets of the west end. I wouldn’t say I’m enjoying it, but I am motivated to get out of bed of a morning and get going – even on the Sunday morning of a vicar weekend. In fact, I’m particularly motivated on a Saturday morning when the streets of London are deserted and I can do fun things like run to Trafalgar Square and back.

Post-app, I have a plan. For a start, the RunKeeper app will allow me to carry on with regular runs of specific times and/or distances. Plus, my friend Abi and I are going to do a Parkrun together. I believe once I’ve done that I’ll be permitted to call myself a ‘runner’. Oh, and I need to buy new trainers and a new sports bra…

It’s got to be said, aside from my own iron determination (which kicks in every so often and regularly surprises me), what’s got me through the 0-5k programme has been the following:

  • Myriad apps. Obviously, the GetRunning 0-5k app was crucial, but so too is RunKeeper for distance tracking. Basically, I like to have enthusiastic female voices cheering me on along the way. 
  • Good music. In addition to the running apps, I also have Spotify on in the background, with my ever-evolving Mixing for Gymming playlist keeping up my enthusiasm. I will never cease to be amazed by the positive impact a good piece of cheesy music will have on my physical performance…
  • Twitter. I made a pledge at the start that I’d keep myself accountable to Twitter and I generally have done. As a rule, I’ll tweet about a run when I’ve done it – not in a sanctimonious ‘I’ve just done some exercise, yay me!’, but to prove to those following my progress that I’ve done it. Twitter also cheers me along and it told me not to go for a run the morning it was snowing and my boiler was broken. [I have done 3 snow runs, it's just that with no hot shower afterwards, they're grim!]
  • The beauty of London. Running in the city can be a pain – yes there are squares and parks – but there are also a heck of a lot of pedestrians and pedestrian crossings, which slow you down. However, deserted London weekend runs make it all worth it.

Who knows, maybe in the next decade I’ll be cheered on my way by a team of friends on marathon Sunday…

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How lovely is your dwelling place…

April 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

…oh, London Transport.

Today, I spent three exceptionally pleasant hours in the dwelling place of the history of London Transport. Astonishingly, given that:
(i) I love London Transport and all its works
(ii) I live just 10 minutes walk from its location
this was my very first visit to its premises in Covent Garden. Also surprisingly, when I mentioned the museum in yesterday’s Friday Fun, I had absolutely no idea that I’d be visiting it the following day. Unsurprisingly, I had a jolly good time.

Well, who wouldn’t? I got to drive three different types of tube train and a bus. (My tube driving improved slowly. By the third line, I’d mastered the art of stopping within the station – no mean feat on the Jubilee Line extension, I’ll have you know!) Needless to say, the driving was simulated – though the controls were exactly the same as the trains. In fact, if I can be permitted to gripe, the simulators are not suitable activities for small children – wielding the controls requires quite a strong right arm and three year olds don’t tend to possess such a thing.

Northern Line SimulatorComing up to the station. (I definitely overshot this one.)

Actually, another gripe regards the bus. A transport museum frequented by geeks of the first order is not the location in which to make a bus faux pas. The bus behind whose wheel one could sit was a number 9 on the outside, but a RV1 on the inside. As it was a modern double-decker, it would be impossible for it to be a RV1 as that particular route (which runs along the river – hence the ‘RV’) is only a small single-decker. [I'm not just being geeky, it happens to be one of my favourite routes.]

Bus driving joysSuper excited sitting on the driver’s seat & the peculiar bit of a bus for driving.

Anyway, the whole thing was a delight. From the lovely ticket office lady who allowed me a student ticket despite my lack of ID (I had a plethora of library cards and a believable story about being a student vicar); to the woman at the end who chatted with us while we completed her survey, it was lovely. The current exhibition of posters was as brilliant as I’d hoped – this was a favourite:

Heels - safety firstThe dangers of wearing heels..

We had clearly been identified as childish adults, as we each received a stamp card presumably designed to amuse children as they wend their way around the displays. Finding the relevant stamps certainly added a frisson of excitement to the visit.

Completed stampcardNote the presence of too many stamps in the bottom right corner. Someone couldn’t quite get the hang of the stamping machine…

There are myriad forms of London Transport – I guess that might be obvious – plus a fairly comprehensive history of how London Transport as an entity came to be. Given that I’m a geek, a lot of it wasn’t news, but it was terribly exciting to sit in old train stock and explore ancient buses. (I’m easily pleased.)

IMG_9861Ladies only to Rickmansworth

LT Roundel Coffee TableRoundel coffee table – I *need* this in my life!

On the Circle LineOn the District/Circle Line

Bus blinds What bus blinds look like when unrolled – I’m staggered they’re this long!

To be honest, my only disappointment was that there wasn’t anything about my favourite area of transport geekery – ghost stations. Surely that would be fun for all the family? Similarly, there was virtually nothing about the darker side of the transport network. There’s a small section on the two world wars and a blink-and-you’d-miss-it mention of the 1987 King’s Cross fire, but I didn’t spot any mention of 7/7. I guess it is a family destination, but plenty of other places manage to balance the harder aspects of history with the light-hearted.

Floating SignageFloating signage

Anyway, the brilliant thing about my ticket is that it lasts an entire year, so I can go back and practice my tube driving skills until I can safely drive a train, and catch up on all the artefacts and gems I no doubt missed. Normally I’d slightly resent paying £11.50 for a museum trip, but not when there’s plenty of scope for return visits. Oh, and ironically – given how many times I’ve visited it before – we didn’t have time to go to the shop, so that needs to be done too.

(There are a few more photos on Flickr.)

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