David Starkey in Folkestone

Went to me first Literary Festival event yesterday, David Starkey's talk at the new academy. It was good! The talk, not so much the academy, it's nice and modernlooking but there is a bit of a prison quality to it.

David Starkey lives round this way, did you know that? He said "nine miles" from where the talk was (Folkestone Academy), so where does that make it? Further than Saltwood which would have been my guess, out in the sticks somewhere. Maybe Etchinghill?

2007 :: Comment / reply

Short weekend

Where did that go then? I'm sure I was only at work an hour or so ago and now it's time to go back again... Tired today, had quite an action packed weekend that just went too fast. Started off with work drinks in Trashford, a couple in the Phoenix (Smith and Jones), then a pretty good curry in Zarin. Oddly early time to be eating curry, we were in there before 7 (we got out of work early) but it was a good call for everyone to be able to eat together. Zarin looks modern in its decor and its menu, but all the food I saw on the tables was quite traditional. Next stop on to Bar Three Zero which was OK for a bar, then by about ten I thought I should go home, so I did. Whatever Clare says I was not drunk when I got in and did not fall asleep on the sofa and snore.

Saturday, shopping, we helped the inlaws choose a new telly and we bought a fantastic new camera, it's small and fast and light and has some groovy gadgets that we can't quite get to work like magic smile detection, and some groovy gadgets that we can work like a massive touch screen on the back. It really is nice.

Saturday afternoon we went to a bonfire and firework party with Clare's family on a farm, kind of near to Ashford again, then back to Chambers for a drink.

Yesterday we did something different, we went to a lecture by David Starkey on the last hundred years of the royal family. It turns out he's local, he must live in Hythe or Saltwood, so the bro-in-law probably did not imagine seeing him at Sandling station that time. The talk was like a preview of the new TV series, though he was more sarcastic and amusing in the flesh. Got another one of these talks later in the week, Monty Python's own Terry Jones. Both of these talks are at the new "Folkestone Academy", a new school. It's quite a swanky design, but the inside of it does look a bit prison like, with metal walkways spanning the interior. All that's missing are the big nets stretched across to stop Mr Big who's in with the screws chucking you from the top.

Going out late afternoon and back home again by evening made a nice change, it messed up our chili timing though, we had our big meal at lunchtime and and just a small tea.

Tired now, looking forward to this weekend.

2007 :: Comment / reply

Folkestone literary festival kicks off

We've got tickets on the way for a few events including David Starkey and Terry Jones, get yours at www.folkestonelitfest.co.uk/:

We have carefully put together nine days of eclectic and exciting world-class authors and performers to entertain you. These sessions will thrill, entice and provoke debate.

Starting with the super-sized History Weekend (2nd-4th November) organised in association with Canterbury Christ Church University, join us for talks on a whole host of topics including Monarchy with David Starkey, Great Tales from English History with Robert Lacey and London in the 19th Century with Jerry White.

New this year we have two days focusing on the environment (9th & 10th November). Examine the state of the globe through specially curated exhibitions (Burning Ice by Max Eastley and David Buckland of Cape Farewell at The Metropole Galleries) and talks by Eugenie Harvey co-author of Change the World for a Fiver and Kate Evans creator of Funny Weather. Enjoy a variety of award winning films including Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and DV8 Physical Theatre’s The Cost of Living.

We are pleased to welcome David Frost speaking about the momentous drama behind the book Frost/Nixon, Roy Hattersley on life between the wars in Borrowed Time plus Nicholas Parsons’ own inimitable performance, How pleasant to Know Mr Lear. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

2007 :: Comment / reply