A staple of my summer event calendar is the Chalke History Festival, a mix of re-enactments, talks and performances that can entertain for a day or a week, depending on budget. Spending too much money in Waterstones, watching WWII artillery in action and exploring a Royal Naval Commando Beachmaster station were all highlights. However, it … Continue reading Chalke History Festival: Important Dates in History
2023 has felt, at least to me, like an odd year in film. Long-running, tentpole franchises misfired (I'm looking at you Mission Impossible, Marvel and Indiana Jones), while projects, which on paper, had a smaller draw, ended up smashing box office records. And, that's before the recent writer and actor strikes are taken into account. … Continue reading Best of 2023: Films
With an ever increasing number of streaming services on offer, it seems harder than ever to decide what to watch, as a range of tantalising options are dangled in front of us, as "recommended for you" True quantity over quality often wins the day, but if you are patient and willing to try new things … Continue reading Best of 2023: TV
With filming costs ever increasing, studios are looking for sure-fire projects to invest in. Adaptations provide the perfect conditions due to a combination of ready to go material and built in audiences. Yet, history shows adaptations are never as sure as they appear on paper. A successful adaption wins overs its build in audience, while … Continue reading Adaptations: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Should truth be sacrificed for the sake of entertainment? This is the question I ask myself every time I sit down to watch Netflix's Drive to Survive, the so called "inside track" on the latest Formula 1 season. Hamilton alone at the restart in Hungary as rest of grid takes advantage and pit With 2021 … Continue reading Fact or Fiction? Netflix’s Drive to Survive
Ever since the Second World War ended, 75 years ago, historians and commentators have pulled apart the Bombing War, examining it in exacting detail and passing their knowledge onto the general public through books, documentaries and podcasts. It’s reached the point where you’d think nothing new could be added to the conversation. Yet ‘new’ is … Continue reading Lancaster: The Forging of a Very British Legend by John Nichol
I was recently invited to take part in the album challenge currently making the rounds on FaceBook. This is where you are invited, by a friend, to choose 10 albums which greatly influenced your taste in music, simply sharing the covers without explanation or review. I duly chose my 10 albums, but as I fancy … Continue reading The Album Challenge
Every reader will tell you that there are books they liked, books they loved and books they couldn't escape... stories which got under their skin and stayed with them long after they turned the final page.
Diane Setterfield's Once Upon a River is one of those books.
Acting as inspiration for the highly acclaimed 1953 film of the same name, The Cruel Sea doesn’t hold it’s punches, drawing on author Nicholas Monsarrat’s own wartime experiences in the R.N.V.R (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) to depict one the most intense and ferocious battles of the Second World War; the Battle of the Atlantic. This … Continue reading The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat
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