I'm Blathering Now...

Scylla the killer. What a romantic and dangerous figure he cuts, especially when he’s voiced by the incredibly versatile actor Tom Burke! (Am I right or am I right?!) BBC Radio 4 dramatised both Marathon Man and Brothers by William Goldman for their Saturday afternoon play slot. Back in the annals of time I’d read the books, so I had an idea of the complexities of the story surrounding Babe and Doc, but I still found a few areas of the plays a bit difficult to comprehend whilst listening. You can only fit so much into a 1 hour play, and stripping down both books to their bare bones makes what you're listening to a little confused. It is the back story, those missing series of events, that make you understand the characters, which gives them reasoning, even one as ruthless as Scylla. With this in mind, I set to rummaging in the loft to see if I still had the books and thankfully I did. I decided to read the books again and then listen to the plays...any excuse to listen to To

I guess it's expected that a girl who lives in Wales will be bought dragon tea as a pressie. Well I'm hoping that that is the reason and not because my friend thinks I'm a dragon! [Although at times she'd be right...my bite is definitely worse than my bark ;-) ] This tea is almost too cute to drink, it looks fabulous when stored in a glass jar. The tea is a black tea and originates in China. Organically grown in Yunnan Province, the leaves and young buds are rolled into large pearl shapes. Black Dragon Pearls 2-3 pearls per 200ml water - heat water to 95C, steep for 2-3 mins Pop two-three pearls in a cup and watch them slowly unfurl. They produce an amber looking tea which doesn't look that strong, but it smells and tastes rich and earthy. There is a hint of dark chocolate and it has a very smooth taste so is easily drinkable and surprisingly refreshing on a hot day. I made the tea in a glass jug so I could see the pearls unfurl better, it is a beautifu

Not for the first time have people pointed out that my blog is subtitled TEA , Tom and Time for a Good Book, and that whilst I write and post pictures about drinking tea, other than a few items I wrote for the Tom Burke On Line Magazine, I don’t actually write about the tea I’m drinking. So for those of you who have collared me, I have listened; so as I sit reading or writing, I’ll make a few notes and tell you a little bit about the tea I was drinking at the time. So, let’s start with what I drank today, Sunday 9 th July, whilst writing about the theatre production Common, and reading Perfect Remains by Helen Field.   Doke Black Fusion Hand Made Organic Tea 1tsp of tea per 200ml water – heat water to 95C, steep for 2-3 mins. This was a Christmas present a few years ago from a good friend in Canada. She sent me various teas and I promised I would let her know what I thought of each one…via my blog. Better late than never is what I say, so today’s tea is from Bihar, In

I was rather intrigued when I saw the promotional picture for Common; Anne-Marie Duff in period costume, surrounded by crows. I immediately thought there was potential for some take on the Gothic Noir and so I looked into what the story was about. “An epic tale of England’s lost land.” “Mary’s the best liar, rogue, thief and faker in this whole septic isle. And now she’s back.” “As the factory smoke of the industrial revolution belches out from the cities, Mary is swept up in the battle for her former home. The common land, belonging to all, is disappearing.” It seemed promising, a trip back in time to a darker England, a bit of history about the ownership of land, possibly how the Enclosures Act and Feudalism had an impact on those working the land. (I’m not going to give a history lesson here, but if you’re interested I’ve attached a couple of interesting articles from The Land Magazine.) It had enormous potential, and a strong willed heroine at the centre of things. I used

“Where have you been? 'Cause I never see you out. Are you hiding from me, yeah? Somewhere in the crowd” – Rihanna – Where have you been? Well this is probably the biggest hiatus I’ve had from blogging. Not because I’ve had nothing to write about, but because I’m too busy doing things! A time consuming commute, busy days at work coupled with sheer laziness of an evening after I’ve cooked tea and done whatever chores are required, has led to me not sharing my usual goings on with everyone! But is that such a bad thing? Well yes if you have a blog. A blog without entries is a pretty boring and pointless thing! But can I attribute part of my laziness in not keeping up to date with my writing because I find sharing every intimate part of your day with a world full of strangers rather a bizarre act? Is it my subconscious that is telling me I can’t be bothered? Maybe that ability I have of being able to keep my mouth shut (yes me, the woman with perhaps the loudest mouth on the plane

Handbagged is the witty imaginings of what went on behind closed doors, when Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth II had their weekly meetings at Buckingham Palace. I had been checking out the listings for a Terence Rattigan play at Theatre by the Lake, but realised it didn't coincide with when I was on holiday. (FYI - I'm making a special trip later in the year to see Rattigan!) I read the blurb about Handbagged and didn't think it would be something that either my friend or I would be interested in seeing, but then I remembered how much I had enjoyed watching Gabriel, another play penned by Buffini. I decided to take the risk and book tickets anyway, and I am thrilled that I gave the play a chance. Handbagged was first performed in 2010, three years before Margaret Thatcher died. An elderly Margaret Thatcher walks onto this empty stage and makes an announcement. As she falls into silence, an elderly Queen walks on and speaks; from then on, there is a hint of the shar