Young Greek girl sold to a Pasha by a slave dealer

Shocking!
Outrageous Orientalism!

Never fear, it's the basic plot of the famous ballet, Le Corsaire, inspired by Lord Byron's poem The Corsair.

Yesterday I saw a splendid production by the Bolshoi Ballet, transmitted live to the local cinema direct from Moscow.

Edward Said might have disapproved, but Byron would have been absolutely delighted.
Still, there was some unnecessary ethnic stereotyping in this production...

Why go abroad in 2012?

I went to see the enjoyable The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel last night, a John Madden film which seems to be inviting us to live life to the full, far from our normal comfort zones, in an 'exotic' environment such as India. I can't think of any hotels quite like that in Corfu.

One of the advertisements shown before the feature film was this one (addressed to UK-based TV and cinema audiences), exhorting us all to stay at home in Britain in 2012. Fine, up to a point, given that it's the year of the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics- and that we are apt to forget what stunning beauty spots there are to be discovered all around us in the UK.

Stephen Fry, Julie Walters and the others did a good job, but did the National Tourist Boards of England, Wales and Scotland need to target tavernas and holidays on Corfu, Crete, beaches in the Med and Bondi Beach etc, as part of the campaign? Wordsworth may well have wandered around the Lake District  rather than into a Greek taverna, but for those who can afford it, there is something to be said for enjoying the best of both/all worlds.

Some quotes and reasons given for not going abroad this year:

"It's just not worth it!"

"Why on earth would anyone want to go abroad in 2012?"

"Wordsworth didn't wander into the nearest taverna"

Do watch the advertisement!
"NO PASSPORTS, NO JABS, NO VISAS, NO EUROS!"


Update May 2012, from The Corfu Blog

As a bonus, Thomas Hardy's West-of-Wessex Girl  (on Casterbridge.blogspot.com)

It serves me right to suffer!

One of John Lee's great blues

Rare recording

Listen again to John Lee addressing a soulful message to Oxford University students and academics:

"The flesh is weak".

Another outstanding performance from the same period:

The Night Time is the Right Time

Britain's Contribution to IMF Support for Greece

The Telegraph reports on the c. four billion pounds which Britain is in line to contribute towards IMF support for Greece.

It's as well to remember that one day our own turn may come.

But perhaps Greece could reciprocate by providing around 300 brave Spartan policemen as a quid pro quo contribution, as additional security for the Olympic Games this summer? That should do the trick, based on the impressive Spartan track record. An alternative contribution might be 300 tons of  good Greek yoghurt, which seems to serve a variety of unethical alternative purposes these days (cf recent George Dalaras concert, Rhodes parade, Venizelos  and Zakynthos). 

As we all predicted, the UK Olympics  budget calculations and projections left out some pretty major items.

Could have told you so.

DORSET VOICES, Roving Press, April 2012

Dorset Voices, full cover (back and front) proof

Where we began (the original flier)

For further details, see Roving Press

Details of DORSET VOICES April book launch events:

21 April
Waterstones, Dorchester, 11 am onwards
Be the first to buy copies of Dorset Voices.

21–27 April, various venues 
Bournemouth Festival of Words (BFoW)
21–27 April, various venues
http://www.bournemouthfestivalofwords.co.uk/

BFoW celebrates the written and spoken word and invites everyone who loves words to take part in this non-commercial literary festival, offering a full programme of events spread over 7 days.

Dorset Voices book launch, exhibition of poetry, prose and photographs from the book, and readings by contributors
23 April, 6–8 pm
Bournemouth Library, 22 The Triangle, Bournemouth, BH2 5RQ

Roving Press is proud to launch Dorset Voices on World Book Night, as part of the BFoW programme of events. Come and listen to some of the poets and writers perform their work, view the photography and buy the book at special discount. While there, join in the fun of World Book Night, with special Library events and displays of local heritage.

28 April
WAND Dorset Women’s Day, Dorford Centre, Dorchester, 10.30–16.00
As part of the programme, Julie Musk of Roving Press (www.rovingpress.co.uk) is giving a workshop on Getting Published and showcasing their latest publication Dorset Voices.

Prague Harpischord: Zuzana Růžičková; Prague Guitar: Vladimír Merta

This is the music I hear when I think back to my days in Prague, played by an old friend, Zuzana Růžičková

More sublime music by Bach

Music by another Czech friend, Vladimír Merta; music of a very different sort.