A Lark Ascending

No 17. Not one of the strongest in the series but an entertaining read set in the Lake District. Short novel about memory and history, how we perceive, construct and misrepresent the past. My favourite theme. Had me thinking of another novel that explores this theme, Graham Swift's 'Waterland' (one of the rare novels I've read twice). Must re-read Barnes' 'A History of the World in 10 1/2 chapters' - that one really gripped me when I first read it 25 years back.

I did start the first Kynaston about three years back but found it too detailed to hold my attention and gave up after 100 pages or so. I think they are writing for different audiences - Kynaston is more the academic, Sandbrook writes for the wider audience for popular history. I get the impression Sandbrook's real passion is popular culture. Will hopefully have another crack at Kynaston now I've not got the distractions of a working life!

More an underseascape: British underwater photographer of the year and British waters wide angle winner: Matt Doggett with ‘Gannets Feast’, Shetland Islands, UK Brilliant picture. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2015/dec/30/the-best-of-the-wildlife-photography-awards-2015-in-pictures

Grim, taught thriller set in Belfast as 'The Troubles' hit their first nasty peak. Viewed largely from the perspective of a rookie squaddy thrown into the mayhem, a victim of the internecine politics of the province and the mysterious undercover connections between the army and the various sectarian groups. Apart from an early scene where the RUC take apart a Catholic home the film didn't give much of an idea why the anti-British hostility was so high. Dominic Sandbrook - Let Us Entertain You (BBC) Sandbrook has written 4 excellent books on Britain from 1965 to the late 70s (well, 3 of them are excellent, I've still to read the fourth)...even though he shows his Tory inclinations! Manages to balance the political and economic complexities with cultural changes. A highly dubious thesis to this series - Britain lost its place as the workshop of the world and instead became the pre-eminent entertainer of the world!!! Erm, what about the USA (let alone the cultural preferences outside the Anglocentric world?)? Nevertheless, an entertaining series so far (I'm two episodes in) - Sandbrook is always good on the continuities of history where most popular TV series stress the changes. Good second programme on the British entertainment industry's obsession with the aristocracy, public schools and the monarchy - I think he's dead right in his argument that all the 'rebellious' culture over the years has been co-opted by the establishment and used to further shore up its defences rather than being undermined by it.

Apparently it was made for the BBC iPlayer initially. A second series has been commissioned.

I'm no film buff - I only have the vaguest notion of producers/directors and often get left puzzled by classic films of the past (I had to give up on La Dolce Vita half way through). Watched 'Citizen Kane' last year which I enjoyed but couldn't really see why it was regularly nominated as 'best film ever'. However, I loved this last night. OK, some of the dialogue and action (the car whizzing through Vienna at breakneck speed) seemed a bit corny 60+ years on. But overall it was an intriguing film, with enough ambiguities left in it to keep you thinking...loved the ending with the girl walking off quite indifferent to the 'hero'. Above all it was beautiful to look it - incredibly sharp b+w photography, odd camera angles and use of shadow; and the Escher-like chase in the sewers. Managed to conjour up post-WWII Vienna with a minimum of locations.

Another one of those weather maps: https://twitter.com/SimonOKing Wouldn't want to be in Iceland. Scotland seems to be bearing the brunt at present in Britain. Very windy here in the north Midlands but no rain...yet.

Perfect blue here too. I think it was Ireland that was getting it today. Wednesday is supposed to be awful...then clear skies at the end of the week.

A wind map showing Storm Frank which is threatening more mayhem: https://twitter.com/CorkHarbourWX

Floodwater surrounds houses in Cawood, North Yorkshire Flood waters reach the foot of Clifford’s Tower in York A view of Huntingdon Road and Yearsley Crescent covered by floodwater after the River Ouse and River Foss bursts their banks in York city centre I know that what the north of England is experiencing is as nothing compared with the flooding (and other natural disasters) that happens elsewhere in the world; but when it's places you are familiar with and not that far away it really hits home. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2015/dec/27/flooding-northern-england-pictures

Love these images - regulars in history textbooks and as source evidence on exam papers. Nice to see a collection in a Guardian section today: London, a pilgrimage: Gustave Doré's historic visions of the capital city

"And Then There Were None" - three part BBC adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel. Afraid I'm finding it very corny (last part tonight) with all the characters at a perpetual pitch of hysteria (understandable, I suppose, if everyone is being mysteriously murdered around you). But there's some brilliant photography - glowering skies over seascapes. Typically well done BBC production - suspect my reservations lie more in the tale than the telling. Interesting to see that the BBC swept the board with the ratings figures for most watched TV over Xmas. No wonder Murdoch has instructed Eton Boy to kill it. Also been watching: I must be the only person in Britain who has never watched a Peter Kay programme but I think this is brilliant. Who'd have thought a sit-com (and they sit a lot) about driving to Manchester and back every day could be so compelling. Really funny dialogue and a constant 'will they, won't they' tension.

Set for 'The Hobbit'? More camels. United Arab Emirates: A herd of camels at the Mazayin Dhafra festival http://www.theguardian.com/news/gallery/2015/dec/27/the-weekend-in-pictures

For a while it was replaced by 'Nice!'.

It wasn't the syntax that made me smile. It was the idea that he enjoyed dancing so the natural thing to do was start a jazz club!

I think this is new today...apologies if it has been mentioned before. Ornette Coleman remembered by Neneh Cherry

Interesting if rather sad article: All that jazz: remembering my grandfather and John Wayne Had to smile at this: "On his return from Germany, Ray fulfilled his dream of buying a jazz club. Despite breaking his leg in two places, he loved to dance." Can't image sentence two would follow on automatically from sentence one today.

Glad to hear you're not immediately troubled, Bill.

Terrible scenes in the north of England today: Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire I'm just a couple of miles from the South Yorkshire border but we've had virtually no rain today. Apparently Manchester and Leeds are under threat. I know we've a few posters here living in these regions. Hope you're not caught up in it.

Xmas in LA? Not quite the same in Lincoln last week!: (iPhone photo)

More on streamin' Beatles: The Beatles let it stream – showing that the format is the future "Streaming, with its fraction-of-a-penny royalty rates for each play, has changed the economics of the record business. Even so, the Beatles would not have signed these deals unless they were absolutely sure there were going to be more than enough people putting in their money to make it worth their while."

Ascending Hallin Fell in the Lake District The Choi Hung estate in Hong King Both from: Guardian Readers' travel photography competition: 2015 winners I like this one too: The nearly-full moon is seen among Christmas lights at a holiday display Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015, in Lenexa, Kan Sorry, from Daily Mail (boo! hiss!): http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3373848/Merry-Moon-Rare-moon-Christmas-Day.html

At the local cinema. Don't know this play; enjoyed it very much, especially the bucolic fourth act. Also watched the last 7 episodes of Mad Men over the last fortnight. Don reinvents himself again as Om Man. Sad to see it go

Happy Yuletide, y'all. Keep on mumming. Wren hunting today:

Coming down in torrents. They must be despairing in Cumbria. The TV pictures were terrible - third inundation in Appleby, a place I remember from several very happy summers down by the river.