This film is takes place on a single day some time around the Cuban missile crisis. George Falconer (Colin Firth) is trying to overcome the grief of losing his long term partner, over the course of the day he has various encounters, and we are treated to lots of flash backs and day dreams. The film is visually stunning but with too much symbolism for my tastes hence only two stars.
Such a nice day on Sunday I decided to take a trip round College lake with the Father in-law. We arrived at about 13:00 and parked up, BBOWT do not charge an entrance fee but suggest a £2 parking donation. The new visitors centre is very airy, there is an exhibition and a cafe area. The cafe area used to be on the north side of the site in a wooden building, but now you have to enter the site via the new one.
I must add that I have never really been a fan of college lake, I am not sure why maybe because the hides were very distant from the birds. The walk round was to change my opinion, there are now some new hides and well as some of the old ones. The water area close to the centre has been left to flood after they had done some earthworks, and the new hides are well placed to take advantage of the new waterscape.
We headed off toward the Bulbourne side first, it was the middle of the day so there was not much birding action to be seen, but we did spot a hovering Kestrel. Down over the opposite end to the center we came across a toad crossing the path, then went into the newly planted area which is a sort meadow area, there were some shrubs that were covered in the lady birds, lucking the indigenous species. When you turn back towards the center there are a couple of old bits of machinery reminding you that the site was once a chalk quarry.
From the new hide on the bund we saw the Ruff that they had told us about at the visitors centre. I will certainly return, later on the the year.
We met up with A&C for a walk round Cholesbury and were in the woods by 11:15. The weather was sunny but there was still a little nip in the air. We went past the church where some distant relative from the 1800’s have a grave, then kept to the woods and headed towards Hastoe.
At one point we came a cross a wooded area where someone had put on display lads of small fairies, and wind chimes. There was no explanation for them being there, I suggested that someone could not think what to do with a large collection they had so let them free in the woods. They were all nailed in place so they were hardly free to roam.
As we got close to Hastoe it was time to take a right and then start heading back to wards where we started. There was quite a lot of bird activity going on this time of year is a good time because the birds are becoming territorial and you can still see into the trees because the leaves are not out yet. The high lights were three buzzards soaring on the thermals and two woodpeckers doing large circuits of and area as if they were courting or chasing each other.
As we got back towards the car we came across two bumblebees one dead and the other one crawling. I took a couple of pictures and a video. Looking at the video later the bee had quite a few ticks on it. I don’t think they were the cause of death as some internet research suggested that they were harmless.
Once back at the car we parked up at the Half Moon for some lunch in the pub garden where it was only just warm enough to be comfortable. The food was up to the usual good standard. All in all a great walk and meal in good company. We were back in time to watch the boat race and Oxford won by a country mile.
A Jean Reno film who one of our favourite actors. The plot is that Jean Reno plays a retired Mafia boss who is targeted by a past partner in crime who has turned a bit obsessive compulsive. He tries hard to not get revenge because he had previously promised to to get out of his past life, but slowly his rival draws him into the war.
This film star Kate Winslett and Ralph Fiennes gets off to a slow start, but then sucks you in as the plot thickens and it all starts to make more sense.
It is based in Berlin after the war and also in more recent times. A school boy has an affair one summer with a tram conductor, who turns out to later to be on trial for being an SS guard in Auschwitz. The boy reads the books he is studying to her (hence the film title).
The story then slowly takes you through the life of the boy up to date, and how his and her life are connected.
Greate story hence 4 stars.
The film is set in the first world war when a bunch of Australians miners are tasked with tunnelling under the Germans and planting tons of explosives. The miners play cat a mouse with the German tunnellers.
The film is a bit predictable in that 1st world war an and tunnelling films have been done before, but it is interesting in that I was not aware that there was such extensive tunnels dug during the war.