Everything is terrible BUT…
10 nice things that are a distraction from the global pandemic.(Monday 8th February 2021)
- There’s a lady on the internet that makes gorgeous peg dolls. The photo above shows the set of the Bronte sisters that are now sitting on my bookcase. Other dolls she makes include Anne Boleyn, Jane Austen, and characters from Pulp Fiction and Star Trek. You can find her on instagram, or buy directly from her Etsy shop here.
2. You can visit an online exhibition about love letters. I miss lots of things about the ‘before times’ but a thing I really really do miss are museums. Really chuffed to have found this online exhibition (or rather it found me — thanks Facebook Algorithm) from the National Archive, of love letters from the past 500 years. Perfect Valentines week reading.
3. These Pandas living their best life. (thanks to my pal Illona who sent me this — Happy Birthday Illona!)
4. I finished reading Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell and I really enjoyed it. As a general rule, I don’t like reading fictional accounts of real people, as I’d much rather read a biography about them. However, I really loved this. Maggie O’Farrell (The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, This Must be the Place) writes about Hamnet, the eldest son of William Shakespeare. We get Shakespeare as a character, along with his wife Anne (known in the book as Agnes — which in real life was the name on her birth certificate), and their family. It’s particularly a timely novel, focusing on the plague in England at the time, and the effect it has on the Shakespeare family.
5. Learn ballet with English National Ballet. I only started ballet a few years ago and have managed to keep it going throughout lockdown. This is thanks to the generosity of companies and teachers who have put their classes online. I’ve recently been following the classes of English National Ballet. They have an on demand service where a monthly subscription gives you access to their library of classes. However, if you just wanted to have a go or find out more, they also have tasters sessions on Youtube such as the one above.
6. Awards Season is underway! Things may look a whole lot different for the film industry right now with cinemas closed in most parts of the world, and the Oscars delayed until later in the year. However, with nominations for the Golden Globes and Screen Actors guild recently announced, awards season has officially begin. The BBC have put together a handy guide for films to watch out for.
7. Winona Ryder and Timothee Chalamet made an advert for the Superbowl about Edward Scissorhands. (one of my favourite films). Winona Ryder reprises her role from the film, Timmy C plays her & Edward’s son. It’s really a way of trying to sell us a car, but I did find it fun.
8. The BBC have a script library and it’s brilliant. I write mainly for theatre, but I’m very keen to break into TV and Radio. If you’re a writer, or just want to relive some of your favourite BBC programmes, there are many many scripts that can be read here for free.
9. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier trailer is here! I’m obsessed with Wandavision at the moment, so will need something to fill that gap once this season ends. Counting down the days until this makes it’s Disney+ debut in March.
10. Sam Neill keeps cows and names them after famous people. I love this and I love the quote above. Learn more about Sam’s animals here.
That’s it for this week! Sorry I was a day late, was held up by a writing deadline. Stay safe, wear a mask, wash them hands!
Mhairi x
