@thane16 .. you got me started.. Having three sons two of whom are now in tertiary education the injustices experienced by their and your generation are very much a constant subject of conversation and concern here.

Yes when I started University, after  taking a very extended gap year/s it was free. I was fortunate to be able to do three years…[Read more]

Never seen “George” in anything but am tempted to give Catch 22 a try. I read the book for first year Eng Lit and enjoyed it.

Have just watched season three of Last Kingdom and really enjoyed it despite the gratuitous blood letting. Oh for the days when some things were left to the imagination. I liked the way they commented on tolerance and…[Read more]

@thane16 We did Macbeth in Year 11. We were fortunate to have a wonderful English teacher who loved the play and inspired us with a love of it too. It is said that Shakespeare is taught badly in Australia, but I think the real problem is the plays are meant to be acted out not read off the page and as we have a dearth of theatre here we don’t…[Read more]

@cathannabel and @winston I too really loved His Dark Materials and I enjoyed the film though my main impression of watching it at the cinema was the cold, realising that what we see can influence how we feel. I was freezing during the snow scenes, it being mid summer and being dressed for Aussie summer not artic winters. I also loved the setting…[Read more]

@pedant beautiful. Love the colour on the legs. It does resemble a “Dog Rose” as  I recall anyway from my Hons Drama project which included a rather cursory study of Elizabethean gardens.

@blenkinsopthebrave Confession, we don’t actually have a DVD player. Have always played them through the computer. These days we don’t even use a TV but…[Read more]

@blenkinsopthebrave I had not heard of “The Caesars” until I read his obituary in the Guardian. Sounds interesting. I looked about but could not find it. Such a pity there is not just an online library of some of these old classics, accessible to everyone. After-all anything made by the BBC or in Aus, the ABC has been paid for out of our taxes.…[Read more]

@whisht Just read his obituary. He was such a distinctive actor, and brought warmth to whatever he was in. I have not seen any of his recent roles but was so memorable in what he did, most notably for me, Children of the Stones, and Mayor of Casterbridge. He was considerably younger then though.. I did not realise that Toby Jones is his…[Read more]

Hi @cathannabel

@winston watched the first three episodes of Good Omens last night and thoroughly enjoyed them.  Unfortunately however we are also two episodes into the new series of Stranger Things so now is a toss up as to which to watch first.

there are apparently lots of Dr Who “Easter eggs” in Good Omens. I will have pay more attention as…[Read more]

@blenkinsopthebrave Yes and I think there is also the “if I acknowledge it I might have to do something about it” fear. Oddly enough though two of the “greenest” people I know are climate denialists. I think in their case it is fear of loosing what they love, this natural world.

On denialism of abuse of Aboriginal people. I think when I was at…[Read more]

@winston It’s mid winter here, according to the calendar at least, but the sun is glowing, the air mild, birds are beginning work on nests and the husky has started malting. Sure this is South Australia and it is normal for trees to start to blossom in late July but this is early July, not normal at all.

Meanwhile Australians have just voted back…[Read more]

SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER...

@winston Really looking forward to Good Omens. Have not had time to watch it yet. I am currently ‘discovering” Terry Pratchett and loving his writing. I am currently reading Mort. Good Omens might be a good “pick up” watch after Chernobyl. I am also looking forward to Stranger Things which starts next week. The boys insisted I watch it last year…[Read more]

@mudlark, written by RTD, has Emma Thompson in it, left wing, (as I would expect from RTD). It is very definitely on my “too watch” list. I have been reading the reviews and it sounds interesting. I am currently writing a story set in “near future” dealing with the impact of climate change and growing income inequality. Was supposed to set in the…[Read more]

@mudlark I appreciate the importance of maintaining the historical integrity of a building and it is always difficult to balance that against maintaining livability. We have very little, “built” history here and for far too long it has been undervalued. So many of the lovely old pubs in town have “modernised” an now just look yuck. I was talking…[Read more]

BBC APPROVED SPOILERS...

Now that is some guard dog… dalek.

I think the wooden structure is organic enough to “fit”. Have seen far more anachronistic things tacked onto historic buildings. I think it all depends on how wealthy the property owner is, and who their friends are, well with some councils anyway. Hope that they win out on this one. I would certainly be…[Read more]

@thane16 urgh. I hate those criteria sheets. They scare me and I have an hons degree in English. No wonder kids are suffering increasing rates of depression these days. The education system seems intent on intimidating them rather than encouraging them. Re’ essays. Our second son, (R.2) did really well because he worked out the formula. The…[Read more]

@thane16 Interesting words. There seem to be more and more right wing nutters gaining traction in our system though they maybe did not do as well as I feared. The problem, and it is one with democracy in general, is that so many people have no clue as to whom they are voting for or why. They are now totally alienated from politics. There is so…[Read more]

@thane16 and @blenkinsopthebrave

Indeed. Afraid I am loosing faith in compulsory voting too. A vote becomes worthless if the voter is ill informed and has no clue who they are voting for or why. Sorry always feel bitter after elections, and feel for the younger generation who are having their futures stomped on by the clowns that run this country…[Read more]

@thane16 Today it was for Bob Hawke though I was at uni when he brought in HECS and felt utterly betrayed. Tomorrow I should be wearing it for Australia in general and for the future of my children.The first election I voted in was 1983. I was travelling and went into the embassy in Dublin to vote. (not a service available at embassies any more).…[Read more]