Some things that I have enjoyed in January

Hooray, we have made it through the darkest 6 weeks of the year. On the occasions I managed to crawl out of my duvet cocoon, I have enjoyed some great telly, films, walks, food, podcasts and radio programmes. Motivation has been at an all time low in this house, but I have found fun, comfort, and interest in the following :

8 am dog walks and owls

Sunrise has conveniently coincided with my early morning dog walks. Some sunrises have been more dramatic than others but the silhouettes of skeletal trees enable clear viewing of some whopping birds of prey. Owls with their funny, tufty ears ready to go to bed and motionless buzzards waiting to swoop. It’s a lovely way to start the day.

Gumbo

Gumbo has been a popular feature on the family menu and I can highly recommend this recipe from Felicity Cloake. Sitting somewhere between hearty stew and soup, Gumbo has a fabulous cajun kick. From the cuisine of Louisiana, it feels more fun and interesting to eat than standard English winter fare and you can create your own hybrid with whatever you have in the fridge.

Streaming

Am I the only person in the country not watching Traitors? Love all the Highland styling but I haven’t got the attention span for protracted reality TV. We were all glued to Playing Nice on ITV despite the improbable plot twists. Set on rugged stretches of coast in Cornwall, it made us think about what we’d do in the event that one of our babies had been swapped…

During ‘Born in the Limelight: Nepo Babies UNTOLD’ , Phoenix Brown (daughter of Spice Girl Mel B) explores how society views those born to the rich and famous. During the one hour documentary, Pheonix attempts to make it as an artist using her mothers name and her crude smiley faces canvases are well received. She is acutely aware of her privilege but explores whether nepo babies are being blamed for society’s inequalities and if constantly bating them is necessary or helpful.

Top of the Popes

Top of the Popes, Ralph Fiennes is excellent in Conclave and I thoroughly enjoyed the insight into the papal election behind the closed doors of the Vatican City. The Cardinal who matched his vape to his crimson robes was a real highlight.

Mr Chalamet’s sanitised version of Bob Dylan is far more pleasing than the real deal in ‘A Complete Unknown.’ I adored the images of 1960’s Greenwich Village and the Dylan bangers were fantastic.

Listening

Louis Theroux’s interview with Jade Thirlwall (ex Little Mix) links neatly to his recent documentary ‘Boy Band Forever.’ Thirle talks about her love/hate relationship to fame through X Factor. Highlights include Jade’s early-days relationship with Harry Styles and getting blasted by the Gallaghers.

I have also been enjoyed the back catalogue of the podcast ‘Unreality.’ Talia Augustidis guides us through short stories that make the listener look at the narrow margins between the imagined and the truth. I particularly enjoyed the episode ‘Sound Collector’ which discusses memory.

There are plenty of things to look forward to in February including Amandaland (the spin off from Motherland), spring bulbs popping up and longer days.. hooray!

Storm Eowyn is really kicking off here in Cornwall. I hope that wherever you are reading this, you are safe, warm and have access to some good snacks.

Sophie

Still some good stuff in the Poppy and Honesty Sale including this valance and pillowcase in Florence.

Popcorn please - the immersive joys of going to the cinema

A trip to the cinema is one of the only things which will detach me from the sofa in January. As soon as our local cinema opened their doors after the Pandemic, I was in there like a rat up a drainpipe, ordering every confection available at the Box Office. Despite the joys of being tucked up with popcorn and immersed into a fictional world, box office sales have been in rapid decline due to the increase of streaming subscriptions. With big fancy televisions and access to all films at anytime, we are seeing the slow death of the cinema.

When cinema opened back in 1930 it was the predominant cultural pursuit. Women would put on a cloche hat and wear a marcel wave and dress up for a night at the picture palace! (Lisa Stead). Cinemas continued to thrive for the next half a century and were particularly popular during the Second World War and the Great Depression in the USA. Sitting in our beautiful Art Nouveau cinema, I feel so sad to see most of the plush seats flipped up. Streaming services offer a good bang for your buck, but a trip to the cinema offers so much more.

Watching a film at the cinema will provide you with around 2 hours of uninterrupted escapism. If you are anything like me, then watching a film at home will also involve scrolling through your phone, answering to the snack needs of your family and responding to work emails. Without these distractions I can fully immerse myself in the plot, setting and characters. Watching a film at the cinema is viewing it as the Director intended. Some films are a visual feast and even the most sophisticated televisions cannot compete with the definiton of a cinema screen. I recently enjoyed the gorgeous wide angled shots in Conclave : the scarlet vestiments of the Cardinals illumininated against marble courtyards in the Vatican City.

The collective experience is the best aspect of watching a film at the cinema. Everyone is captivated by the same thing as we share laughter, sadness and surprise together. A couple of years ago, I watched the horror/comedy Cocaine Bear and the whole experience was enhanced immeasurably by the shared response of the audience. People were shouting, screaming and then laughing as the intoxicated bear goes on his murderous rampage. Several viewers had their coats over their heads and another had crawled under the seat.

One reason we go to the cinema less these days is simply because it costs so much to do so. However most tickets cost the equivalent of 2 pints of beer and there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of punters outside our local. So how can we revive The Golden Age of visiting the Picture Palace ? The experience has been elevated by companies such as Curzon who offer beautiful art deco styling and an adjacent bar. I personally think that nothing beats an evening out at the cinema, stepping out of everyday life for a couple of hours to laugh or cry with a bunch of complete strangers.