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I don't know what was up with LJ yesterday, but I couldn't get it to work at all.

We should be going to see The Eagle tonight, but I'm feeling knackered, and can't be bothered. There's a particularly large evil building that I've been avoiding for weeks - today I bit the bullet and started the assault. I found a plan, and lost count after 53 rooms. Today we managed to survey two of them. In addition to two more buildings, and a couple of portaloos which I was able to score off the list as modern and irrelevant.

It would have been an appropriate screening. A couple of weeks back, we bought the Hammer Film Collection for a very reasonable price. We've been wading through films, and enjoying them in a nostalgic, ironic way. Apart from The Nanny, which was brilliant, easily rivalling your average Hitchcock. But last night's film was truly dire. It was The Viking Queen, which seemed to be firmly set in Romano-British times, featuring what I assume was the Hammer interpretation of the Boudiccan revolt. Lots of chariots with scythed wheels, but not a horned helmet or blood-eagling session in sight!!

There were druids. They looked like they'd walked straight out of the Eisteddfod. They worshipped Zeus, and the King of the Iceni was called 'Priam'.

I was very confused indeed...

I've done a very naughty thing. I've ordered the complete Sibelius symphonies and tone poems on DVD. I haven't heard any Sibelius for years, and can't wait!! En Saga... Finlandia... The Karelia Suite... Oooohhh!!!

Not to mention the 2nd Symphony...

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There were druids. They looked like they'd walked straight out of the Eisteddfod. They worshipped Zeus, and the King of the Iceni was called 'Priam'.

Whaaaaa? *shakes head*

Oh yum, Sibelius! Karelia Suite, 2nd Symphony; oh yeah!

I need the Sibelius as an antidote to The Viking Queen...

The Druids did have golden sickles ('Oh, dem golden sickles, Oh dem golden sickles, etc.) but although they burned a few Romans to death in a big cage, they didn't have a Wicker Man. Hammer missed a trick there - though maybe the REAL Wicker Man had recently been released and upstaged them.

*HAHAHA* Doggonit, woman, now I have that in my head!

Oh, and LJ got attacked big time yesterday morning; that's why it was down.

Heh, heh, heh...

I don't even know where I picked that one up. I think it may have come from an Asterix book...

The Nanny as in the one with Bette Davis?
That was really good!

I was amazed by how good it was! We bought the Hitchcock collection last year, and I think The Nanny surpassed most of the films included in that, with the exception perhaps of Vertigo, Marnie, The Birds and Psycho. And Bette Davis was fantastic in the role...

Tonight's offering will be Frankenstein Created Woman. Gah!!

I wandered around Tinturn Abbey in South Wales the other day and I thought of you! Got some (hopefully) half decent shots. There are mseveral beautiful surviving gothic carvings. It was all misty and atmospheric as well :)
I'll try to post the pictures when I get a minute...

I'm looking forward to seeing the post!

I've heard of Tinturn Abbey, but I've never seen it in the stone!

I watched Centurion last night and loved it, even though they mangled the history (not that I am an expert, but I'm thinking that a handful of Picts did not do in the Ninth)

I always thought they got wiped out in Germania, but I'm not much of a Romanist, so take my words with a large bucket full of salt.

LJ was under sustained DDOS attack on Wed and Thur hence the issues.

If you don't have a DW account yet, I'd suggest setting one up.

I'm friending, if you don't mind? A historian always needs and archaeologist to argue with! :o)

And an archaeologist always needs a historian to make sure they don't keep reinventing the wheel, or putting two and two together and making seven...

I'm disappointed that the portaloo was not relevant...

Now that things are warming up a bit, it should be safe to listen to the Sibelius symphonies without risking hypothermia... Is the Violin Concerto included on the DVD? That is one icy piece of music.

As far as I'm aware, the Violin Concerto is not included. I'm not a big fan of concerti (unless they're Horn Concerti...) at the best of times, though I do like Beethoven's Violin and Piano Concerti, and I like Harold in Italy by Berlioz which ALMOST counts as one...

I think Sib 2 would count as ideal summer weather music for Scotland - the music may verge on the hypothermic, but then, so does our climate...

Aargh! I'm still overwhelmed by the urge to listen to En Saga again - AND IT WON'T ARRIVE FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF DAYS!!!

If you don't know En Saga, check it out!

Talking of the fiddle, I've just posted a nice wee piece of Glazunov. :o)