Yes, I know if we’re talking about our favourite things it should be ‘whiskers on kittens’, but bear with me. So, round the dinner table, the other night, with one of Tom’s Fat Boy chums (actually, now both Fat Boys Slimmed) and a fellow WAG (except we have our own hair, teeth, boobs and nails – ‘though, I wouldn’t rule out swapping any of mine for a better set) we got on to the subject of our favourite things. FBS has a huge collection of music, so I asked him if he could only pick one album what it would be.
After moments of um-ing and ah-ing, he decided on Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’, FWAG picked, Sting’s ‘Fields of Gold’, Tom, classical music expert, went for ‘Anything by the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Or the Kinks.’ (What is it about the Kinks? Is it a boy thing? Still, I have eaten in the India Garden in Epsom with Ray Davies on two occasions, ‘though not at the same table so he probably won’t remember.) Torn between Nick Cave and John Martyn, I made do with Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’ (are you sensing a certain vintage here?) which immediately drew, ‘sooo miserable’ comments.
It was the same with films which raised ‘Zulu’, ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’/ ‘Love Actually’, ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ (Yes, Tom again. Sigh.) and ‘Blade Runner’ (the original version with voice over - which is pretty cheerful by my standards). Anyway, by the time we’d done this a couple of times the upshot of our discussion was I was left wondering why wallowing in a good old miseryfest really cheers me up. Is it just me, who doesn’t get Huge Grunt? Or Emma Thompson? (Although I could probably put up with her for the sake of seeing ‘Tutti Frutti’ again, just to see if it was as good as I remembered.) My daughter, Rose, is feeling very torn at the moment too, because she really wants to see the film of Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go’, but one of her flashpoints is Keira Knightley and she doesn’t know if she can sit there without wanting to get up and kick a hole in the screen.
Ah well, our friends’ visit concludes without any tantrums over taste and Tom and I head off to do another of our favourite things which is visiting galleries. We especially like going to see Margaret and John at Art Matters in Tenby. It’s the opening of their new premises, at the White Lion Street Gallery (they’ll be running courses and workshops at the old gallery from May to October 2009) and it’s good to see lots of people enjoying the paintings. Just a Tom Tomos or two and it would be perfect. Anyway, it’s all looking good, so if you’re in Tenby, do take the time to pop in a look round a very friendly gallery.
While thinking about a few of my favourite things I hear the doorbell. When I go to answer it I find a prawn waving its whiskers at me through the small glass panel. Actually, Mrs Across-the-Road is making it wave, but the good news is she has brought all its friends along, ready-cooked, as a thank you for some trivial favour we have done. (We are not that neighbourly - we just insist on doing favours for Mr & Mrs Across-the-Road, so they’ll keep bringing us lots of fresh sea food.) If you never had Cardigan Bay prawns you are missing a treat; fresh, fat, sweet and juicy they go down a treat with a chilled bottle of sauvignon blanc from Mrs Across-the-Road’s home country, New Zealand. Perfect!
Image is 'Trees at the Seaside' by Tom Tomos
Comments
Anyway, thanks for the memories!
I quite understand your daughter's thing with Keira... though I think she has improved a bit with age: Duchess and Atonement. Probably at her worst in Love Actually.
I really fancy a glass of chilled white wine now. I'll have to make do with a cup of tea.
I will forgive the annoying Emma T anything for that heartbreaking scene in Love Actually when she realises the necklace wasn't bought for her and all she's got is some ropey old CD, possibly by the ghastly Joni Mitchell (who E loves). KK ok, had forgotten, til saw JJB's comment that she'd been in Love A. Notting Hill adorable, rather fond of Hugh G actually. Lovely blog CH.
You're so lucky that you and Tom both enjoy visiting art galleries, though. I can't think of many things me and H both enjoy without being danger of coming to blows over what's fab and what isn't. And you're making Tenby sound incredibly tempting... I think I may have to start thinking about a visit...
Good luck with the rewrite!
lx
Used to love seeing the Kinks performances at the Beacon Theatre, then a tatty, converted old movie theatre.
xo
CKx
KK got better for me with Atonement, then Duchess - she lost the guppy look then!
I could do with a glass of wine too.
I'm with you on the neighbourliness business and would be mowing and spading for gifts of fresh, cooked prawns.
Don't get me started on men and their music. The Great Dane thinks Iron Butterfly is the greatest.
I love prawns, too.
xxPat
FP, you'd better not go to the cinema with Rose then, there could be a big hole in the screen! Prawns were LUSH!
JJ - no, but I'm going off to look for them on Spotify! Perhaps we could have a good virtual miseryfest together?
Milla - interesting about The Kinks, yes, I like a bit of Joan Armatrading, too. No, I am too hard-hearted to feel for ET! Thank you, dear heart.
LBD, exactly! Although if tied down and forced to listen could probably manage 'Days'. Tenby is great - but don't go when it's heaving. And if you have an ice cream watch out for the seagulls; Rose got mugged by one!
Liz, yes, but I don't get as much lovely sunshine as you (give or take the odd open air downpour when you're at a gig!)
Frances, I bet you were more subtle than I was! I practically pointed my fork at him in the restaurant, poor man (on both occasions!).
Elizabeth, especially when you get the prawns delivered to your door!
SBS, lucky son, indeed. I think I ought to see 'Atonement' judging by the rave reviews here.
Debs, - well he ain't Richard Armitage, that's for sure! oh, here, have a glass of wine to take to the shed with you!
Pondside! The snow's got to you today, hasn't it? I do hope you've come down off the roof by now - UPL and I need you!
Pip, oh good, another one for the virtual wallow!
Pat, aw! There must be a story behind that...
I, too, tend to wallow in the miserable a bit. 'Doctor Zhivago' for one! I can go with the Kinks too. I do like 'Love Actually' though, which is quite cheerful! Music is more difficult really. I'm an opera fan at heart! All the sad ones. Madame Butterfly, Tosca, La Boheme, etc...
Great to be back.
As for the prawns waving throught he window all whiskery and delicious - perfect indeed!
Lane, yes, it is worth seeing. It made me very happy.
Mags, I haven't seen that. I wonder if my girls are too old to scare them with that? Hmm.
Fennie, another of my favourite part of the world, those moody backwaters... and the inspiration for FTT. Ooh, you've made me long for more prawns!