variety

I am very busy writing my Christmas sermons (4) and watching the Royal Variety Performance...as long as I don't get the two activities mixed up all will be well (actually perhaps a mosh-up wouldn't be too much of a bad thing!?). I know I have mentioned this before but I am very fond of variety...and this year's show has been very good thus far. Very impressed by the stand-up and some of the 'specialty acts', Cliff isn't doing it for me but hey ho. Anyway, I had better get back to Christmas sermons...

If you haven't seen this via the Church Times blog (or somewhere else) then it is a great video worth a look...

Why be Religious?: Father Matthew Presents

progress is slow but steady

It is 8.23pm and I have been hard at work here in the library all day. I worked until the library shut at 10pm last night and that is my plan tonight though I am finding it quite hard to keep going (hence the blog break). My cold is getting the better of me and I think I must be annoying the other readers with my sniffing and coughing...but so far no even a huff or puff from them (so polite). I am making good progress though. I am being very critical of my work and making some quite radical changes to the previous draft. However, I am going to have to be less radical and gather more pace tomorrow. I am about 1/4 of the way through it and one chapter (the one where I develop my practice as research - or what Sara refers to as the auto-ethnographic chapter!) in particular will need a great deal of attention - i.e. it is really pants.

I am loving it here though...the food is great, my room is very comfy, I have made a couple of good friends who are very interesting to chat to at meal times and over coffee. I just wish I wasn't feeling quite so rubbish...hey ho. As long as I get most of this done I will be pleased. Anyway, best get on.

st deiniols

I am at St Deiniols - home of Gladstone (it was, obviously not now because he is dead - but there is a good exhibition here) and the best library in the world. I am sitting on a very comfy chair in the library surrounded by lovely books in complete silence. It is fantastic. Though I didn't come here to mes about on facebook or write my blog it is quite the nicest place I have ever had the pleasure of messing about on the interweb.

Although I have a cold and am self-medicating variuosly on lemsip, asprin, honey lemon and ginger, chocolate biscuits and crisps I can still smell old books, oak and leather. A heady combination that makes me want to write a PhD...so that's what best get on with doing. Tea is at 6.45pm so I have 1 1/2 hours of creating to do. Wish me luck.

cold - retreat - music hall

I have a cold - which is very sad because I have a busy week planned and could really do with not being ill. I am off to St Deiniol's for a few days to get my head down and do some serious work on my PhD. I have been panning this for months and feel a bit peeved that I now am ill and my head hurts. Still, I have had a good chat with Sara (supervisor) about what is needed so hope that something (i.e. a new draft) will come out of the next few days hard work. I am also hoping that I get a little break and some time-out. Just being away for a few days will be nice.

I think I have access to the interweb in my room so I will be receiving mails, facebook etc but I will be disciplined about time spent away from my developing thoughts on Liverpool's music hall.

must go and pack my socks and pants...

western pier

I have just seen the footage of burning Western pier I am feeling a bit nostalgic and sad...can't believe it has just gone. That's another bit of music hall history gone up in flames...

The plank

Today is my day off so I have been resting, had a lovely lunch with Mark in town and went to visit Gaby Malcolm and have been tweeking my sermon for Sunday (I know I am not supposed to do that on my day off but I couldn't rest properly until it was tweeked!). I have also been looking at music hall videos on youtube. Whilst browsing I came across The Plank - I remember first watching this with my Dad a long long time ago and thinking it was genius. Since then I have used it a couple of times to explain a bit about how slapstick works as well as mime, music hall humour and character acting works. If you haven't ever seen it before then sit back and enjoy it for the first time, if you have (perhaps you were in one of my seminars!?) then have a plank moment and enjoy!
(it is in five parts...)

The Plank 1967 (original film) Eric Sykes and Tommy Cooper,Jimmy Edwards,Roy Castle,Jim Dale,Hattie Jacques,Stratford Johns,Graham Stark,Jimmy Tarbuck,Bill Oddie,John Junkin,Dermot Kelly,Libby Morris,Rex Garner,Dave Freeman,Johnny Speight,Joan Young,Clovissa Newcombe,Anna Carterett,Kenny Lynch,Barney Gilbraith,Howard Douglas,Thomas Gallagher,Tricia De Dulin,Ian Wilson,Ronnie Brody and Dennis Golding.

music hall

I am just adding the final touches to my sermon...nearly there. I am sure I will have last minute nerves but the preparation stage is almost complete.

Today has been quite exciting. The long awaited trampoline is nearly assembled. I hope it doesn't go the way of the garden furniture - which was removed without consent on Wednesday (I got it back but there was an incident!). So, I know that prayer for the security of trampolines is not that conventional but it would be great if you get a moment! Eva is out there bouncing as I write - she has always wanted a trampoline so it very very happy. I might have a go shortly.

We spent the afternoon at the theatre - well actually it was an old warehouse on the dock road decked out as a theatre. The show was Smoke and Mirrors: a Cabaret for Liverpool. We got free tickets because we live in North Liverpool so the Loudon family took Henry Corbett (my boss) out for a jolly. It was very jolly actually, though the matinée was a bit of a struggle for the performers! As music hall is my second love (God and the church being my first - naturally!) I was intrigued by their interpretation of the style and content. From a performance point of view working in that style is tricky but I think they pulled it off (even if we, the audience, weren't helping them much). I loved the music and despite the fact that the story was quite dense I took my hat of to the sterling effort made to combine social commentary and entertainment.

Anyway, I off for a bounce.