The season of holidays and family birthdays is over. The trees are already looking autumnal and the stormy rain and wind are flinging the leaves down the street. Much is grinning because a fern has grown over him, so he is pleasantly sheltered. I write this huddled up in a winter sweater. Later today Daughter will drive to Northumberland to visit family and I suspect it'll be even more wintery up there. Hopefully her aunt and uncle will have the wood-burning stove blazing away.
It's not long now before Aesop's Fables comes out. The illustrations make it such a beautiful book, I can't wait for it to get into the hands of readers.
Now, for all those of you across the Pond, I recently have been thinking about The Archers. HOW CAN YOU LIVE WITHOUT THE ARCHERS? The Archers is a British institution. It is a radio soap 'an everyday story of country folk', and was started in wartime as a way of passing on useful advice to British farmers. I supppose patriarch Dan Archer passed on wise advice ON how to grow turnips in a gas mark case or something, honestly, I've no idea. But it has become an indispensable part of British life. The dialogue is a law unto itself, nobody speaks the way they speak on The Archers, but it's irresistible, on the lines of, 'Pip's done well in her A levels, hasn't she?' 'She has, Vicky, especially when you think of all the trouble she had last year, with that awful boyfriend...'
Let me warn you, there is something uncanny about the death rate in Ambridge, the Archer village. The chances of an early bucket-kicking are pretty good, especially if you're married to an Archer woman who can then be the romantic interest again. (I went right off The Archers after Nigel fell off the roof.) But I can't help it. I can't stay away. Not now, not when the wetter than wet James and Leonie are flitting around the village... and Emma and Nic are due for a major handbag fight... and Bridge Farm Dairy is going down the tubes... and Ruari is starting school so Jenny is going into a flat spin... oh, how I love it!
What's your guilty soap secret?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I don't watch television and movies are only special occasions, but most of all I wish that I were wearing a sweater now. Where I am, it's still Summer till October!
Though at least the 101 degree days are over - I think...
Which state is that? I know that Texas has been bone dry all summer.
Ah, but the Archers is on radio! Last night there was a touching farewell and a hissy fit while I cleaned down the kitchen. Now I'm going up to work in my cosy attic with the wind and rain battering on the windows : )
Post a Comment