The Dog and Duck pub

Anna was standing at the corner of the bar when he approached. He didn’t see her at first, so small was she squashed up against the tall rockers. Even with high heels on she looked positively hobbit-like. Still, it was hard to miss those big blue eyes. They seemed to fill her face, almost luminous like. They reminded him of an exotic cat. He had certainly delved into their depths.

‘Buy me drink? To make up for what you did, leaving me at that pub, alone in bed! I could have been attacked, do you know that?’

Josh shook his head. ‘You can take of yourself Anna. I have the scars to prove it.’ He pulled up his left sleeve as if to prove his point. A feint scar ran from elbow to wrist; made by long talons. He’d hidden them from the other band members for weeks, ashamed to tell then that this fragile creature had used them on him. How would his reputation stand up to that?

She sure was a feisty one, he’d give her her due. And persistent too, judging by this evening. Josh was starting to feel the stirrings of flattery. She was getting under his skin….:)

Besides, she did not look that shabby, he had to admit. Tonight, she had a skin tight top on, her nipples poking through the flimsy material. Hip hugging jeans and high spiked heels completed the look. She wore a deep red lipstick, and her hair was arranged differently. For the first time, Josh noticed how hot she looked.

Someone shoved him from behind, spilling his beer onto the already sticky carpet.

‘Look – we need to talk. Let’s go somewhere quiet.’

Anna’s face froze, as she looked over to the door behind him.Sophie was by the edge of the stage, her lips locked around Jazz. Josh felt a wave of anger wash over him. Jazz knew that he fancied that Sophie! Forgetting all about Anna, he stormed over to confront them.

‘What’s this then?’ He grabbed Jazz by the shoulder, and pushed him. Jazz fell flying, ending up in a heap in the middle of the music stands. Sophie rushed to his side shouting for help.

The room went quiet, as everyone stopped to look at the commotion.

‘All over folks. Nothing to see here.’ He held his hands up in submission. ‘We’re just fooling around.’

He retreated hastily, to look for Anna. She will console me, he thought.

At the bar, he stopped in his tracks. Anna was standing close to another guy, who had his arm around her shoulder. The guy was whispering in her ear, and they both laughed, oblivious to anyone around.

The night could not get any worse….

 

 

Film Review: The Revenant

 

We paid a visit to the cinema last weekend,to see The Revenant. I’m a lover of historical fiction, action scenes (with gore as well) and am a big fan of Leonardo Di Caprio.

So, it was a no brainier really.

I loved the film. It was gruesome in parts, especially the bear attack scene, which led to a debate on the way home. How could someone survive that attack? The man was dead, surely! This must be a Hollywood exaggeration.

However, as the film is based on a true story, it seems that the powers to be have got it spot on! And the awards that it has received reflect that.

It tells the story of Hugh Glass, a hunter and a frontiersman in the US in the 19th century. The scenery is spectacular (Montana and Dakota), the effects are breathtaking, and the music throughout is hauntingly beautiful (Ryuichi Sakamoto, who was in one of my favorite bands, Japan).

The narrative is very limited, but the film relies on the haunting images, the desolation and the scenery. 8/10

 

 

The Gig

The crowd went wild. The music seemed to pulsate from the very core of the gig. Josh sang the last song, his powerful voice blasting out the sound. Behind him, Jazz belted out the beat on the drums, his background vocals perfectly complementing Josh’s voice.

On the stage was where he felt more alive than anywhere. Up there, in front of a raucous crowd, he could forget his paltry life; the council house, the dole and the meagre existence.

He was appreciated.

As he looked down at the crowd of jiving bodies, partially covered by masses of long hair as they swung their heads in time to the sound, he felt a connection. They wanted the same as him; to forget the troubles of life, poverty and shallow lifestyle. To forget sullen partners, whinging girlfriends, and judgmental parents.

The song ended on a high with a final crash of drums. The room went wild.

At the bar, the queue was three people deep. Josh approached, the lights from the rows of scotch beckoning him to drink some of their nectar. A group of lads around his age stood back, making a space for him to order. They patted his shoulders, looking in awe.

‘Great man, you were just great.’ the nearest lad sang, in a thick Geordie accent.

Josh never failed to enjoy the adoration of the crowd. This spurred him on; the thought that he could get out of his dull existence.

Just last week, he’d had a bluey with his uncle, who’d called him a ‘no good dole scrounger.’ Josh had not risen to his bait; he knew how dull their lives were, existing for week to week with barely enough left for cigs and fags.

He was going to be different. he was going to change the world….

Suzanne Bowditch, 2016

Cat Cafe

My son and his friend visited a cat cafe in Brisbane today. The cafe caters to rescue cats of all ages, and is touted as “a wonderful space for cat lovers to enjoy.”

Guests are encouraged to cuddle, play and stroke the felines, with a view to potentially adopting them.

What a fabulous idea. I hope this one catches on. 🙂

Film Review: Star Wars

 

I am not, and never will be, a complete sci-fi fan. So, when the original Star Wars film was released in the cinemas in the seventies, I was not in a rush to watch it. It had great reviews I remember, but I still stubbornly refused to acknowledge it as a ‘credible’ story. Why would a bunch of weird looking characters speaking a made up science language appeal to me? Why were robots remotely interesting? A big fat no no, and let us get back to real films.

Then, my younger brother brought the film home one night on DVD. He raved over the story of some war going on in the outer reaches of the galaxy. He had the light sabre and posters on his bedroom wall of a huge creature called Jabba, alongside the humans.

Gross.

Fast forward a few decades later, and the new film has been released. Mmmmm. So, my son wants the box set for Christmas, which I duly bought. Boxing Day finds us all spread out on the couch, full up with turkey curry and chocolates, watching these films for a second time (well, in my case anyway).

This time though, I am hooked. The story lines are sharp and witty, and the humour is quite enchanting (especially a very cheeky Han Solo).

Which leads me up to the present film. Maybe its the remnant of a memory from long ago but I was not that interested in watching the new one (eeek!).

Yet again, I have been proved wrong. I loved it. The time went by extraordinarily fast, as there was not one dull moment in the whole film. The new characters fitted in perfectly, and the special effects were fabulous. 8/10

PS This leads me to conclude that I regard these films rather like I do beans on toast – not sure I want to eat them, but really enjoy them when I do.

Let the Force be with you.

 

 

 

The Swan

The lights of the city appeared up ahead and Josh removed headphones. Then, the pub on the left hand side, shining like a beacon in the night. As they pulled up into the car park, Josh wound down the window of the van. Music blasted out of the pub, giving it the feel of a ghetto blaster. The pub sign was lit with a picture of swans on a lake illustrated the name of the pub.

‘Here we are then lads, my favorite venue, The Swan. I have to get a pint in me before we go on tonight, then someone else can take the wheel in the morrow. What say you lover boy?’ Jazz giggled as he poked Josh in the ribs. The sound of a childish chuckle coming from such as great lump always amused him.

Luke pulled across the van’s sliding door and jumped onto the tarmac. Stones crunched as he walked to the pub door, stretching and yawning. Then he stopped at the door and pointed in the other direction. The expression on his face was a picture. He looked as if he were going to burst with laughter.

‘Josh, me laddo, look over there!’

Josh had just opened the van door ready to jump down. He was parched, but looked to where Luke was pointing anyway.

Parked on the other side of the car park, tucked up under the pub sign, was Anna’s car. 😦

Alice’s Secret

I have some exciting news to share…I have a publisher for my book, Alice’s Secret ! 🙂

So pleased.

Alice’s Secret is the second in a  trilogy set around generations of the same family during 19th century. Elen is available in the Amazon Kindle store. 🙂 🙂

Book Review

 

Just recently I read a YA book. The book was recommended to me by a friend at the book club, along with the words “see if you can read it with out putting it down; you’ll be hooked!”

Now, YA (Young Adult) books are not my usual genre of reading. I have not read any of The Hunger Games, or the Divergent series, and Twilight left me a tad cold.

This book was entirely different. For a start,  the story is from the viewpoint of the main character Christopher, who is a 15 year old autistic teenager (with Asperger’s Syndrome, to be precise), with a naturally different viewpoint of the world from the rest of us.

“It takes me a long time to get used to people I do not know. For example, when there is a new member of staff at the school I do not talk to them for weeks and weeks. 

I just watch them until I know that they are safe. I ask them questions about themselves, like whether they have pets and what is their favorite color ….I get them to draw a plan of their house and ask them what car they drive, so I get to know them. 

Then I don’t mind if I am in the same room as them…”

Christopher struggles with social and behavioral issues, but the story lends itself to a heartwarming tale as he tries to find the mystery of the murder of a neighbor’s dog.

It was entertaining, charming and insightful, and I could not put it down. 4/5 🙂