On this day, Midsummer Day, 1942, my parents got married. It was also a Wednesday I believe. 24/6/42 reads the same backwards and forwards. It was a wedding in wartime. 10 months later my brother R arrived and he is off to the Royal Norfolk Show today. He spoke to me yesterday as he wouldn't be able to ring me today. He said heat panic wouldn't stop him going. He is going with his wife of course and they have already been to the pre-Show cocktail party.
Yesterday I went to the cinema for the first time since my holiday. I was able to face the walk from the station. I am progressing. I went to see Virginia Woolf 's Night and Day, starring Tim Spall, Lily Allen, Haley Bennett, Jennifer Saunders and more and directed by an Iranian not-locked-up film director Tina Gharavi. Needless to say it is based on a Virginia Woolf novel. Loosely based on the novel as Gharavi has altered it a bit in the name of movie drama. It is a strange kind of movie and filming in your face and as I always sit at the front it was very in my face close-ups for character effect but I survived it. It is set in the time of the suffragette movement in London and young Katharine Hilbery (Haley Bennett) is a budding astronomer who wants to go to Cambridge and at that time girls were not even given an interview for physics courses let alone a place. And what she didn't want was romance or marriage like her father (Tim Spall) wanted for her. It is a kind of dark comedic story with Tim Spall doing a great job in keeping it all going aided and abetted by Jennifer Saunders. The film has a glow to it that keeps your attention and it is just the right length, not too long, and not too heavy. A pleasant return to the cinema for me even though the train was almost an hour late - track problems at Shelford - and I had to have my coffee after rather than before.
On Monday I met two of my poet friends for an exchange of work and ideas and general feelings about our lives as poets, where we are at with submissions and general mutual hugging. Graduation is in two weeks but I have opted out of graduation ceremony because from past experience I see it as a family day and standing alone in cap and gown without guests is a very lonely affair. They are both attending for a quick burst of applause on stage for 10 seconds and no photos booked leaving it to their respective spouses to do the honours. We will meet up again soon for them to fill me in on any gory details. Last year my head-of-course professor supervising my dissertation at the time took herself away for a week to miss all graduations. My second marker attended but said he felt like a spare part also when the attendees disappeared to the refreshment tent laid on for family and guests. It hardly seems believable that 12 months ago I was writing my dissertation, seeing the younger man and up to my eyes in poetry and no blog.
Glad to hear you're back at the cinema and celebrating poetry with like minded friends. You're out in the world again.
ReplyDeleteI saw our summer cinema has started. There are some kids films, some science fiction thing and Hamnet, Amnet in Greek. I won't be seeing it. Hopefully I'll be able to see a film or 2 this summer.
Yes, I am feeling better and able to string two days together to get out again rather than just one. I hope you get to see some films, whatever they are it is fun to be at your outdoor cinema.
DeleteNice to remember the wedding anniversary date of your parents. I am glad you got back to the cinema again Rachel. I usually like anything with Timothy Spall. Meeting up with your poetry friends sounds like a good way to spend some time. Your dissertation and younger companion seem like a world away. I am glad you are blogging again with a new fresh blog. I do think as I said on your recent post, poems about your Mum, her skills as a good cook and maybe about anything else about her, would be great material for a set of poems. Hope you have a lovely evening. x
ReplyDeleteJune 24th was the biggest date in the year for mum. So her wedding day is never forgotten and my brother R always rings me. It has become a special day for me too. I meet up with my poet friends quite regularly and we keep each other "going" with our poetry submissions. Last summer certainly does seem like a world away. Thank you.
DeleteI still haven't got around to writing about the England game! I wish to do so though... xxx
24-6-42 is a great date written down like this, but I imagine it must have been challenging for your parents and their families to have a wedding in the middle of war. Still, people got married and had babies, and went on with their lives as best as they could under the circumstances, creating a future for themselves and their children. That generation has my utmost respect.
ReplyDeleteHooray for your going back to the cinema! I am so glad you are well enough again for such things, Rachel. Spall and Saunders are both actors I like very much.
You not going to the graduation is understandable; I've never been to any graduation ceremony myself so I can only imagine how odd it must feel if one attends it alone. All the more it is nice that you met with poet friends.
It was a particularly bad time in early 1942 because that was when the German bombing came to the cities of England outside the capital, the Baedeker bombings, and they came close to where my mother was working and living immediately before her marriage. She spoke of many times hiding. She was only a young girl at the time having married very young.
DeleteWith regard to the wedding date, one of my brother's married on 27.7.72. He never discussed it with me about whether it was deliberately chosen or not.
I am pleased to be getting out of the house again to the cinema although there is not much to see at the moment.