Hitchcock, Wind and A Night Train To Venice

 

I’ve missed last Big Gay Quiz because of work but I shall return to the zoom session next week.

Last night I did some research in the quiet corners of the shift and took a leaf out Rachel’s book and booked myself some online study lectures from London’s City Literary Institute   
And so over the next few weeks I shall be looking at the Spy Thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock and how the spy genre responded to changing political and cultural contexts as well as exploring The Wind In Film ( which strangely speaks for itself) 
I’m a bit tired of tv box sets and crap tv.
Anyhow all is now booked and debit card has been emptied yet again.

I’m also looking to book the night train from Paris to Venice for later in the year.....I’ll tick that fantasy of sleeping on a train very soon.......


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Recipe and The German Lady

If you want a full proof recipe for a heart winter soup here’s mine for Broad Bean & Chorizo Soup 




 Chorizo and broad bean soup
Three large tins of broad beans
Vegetable stock
1 large onion.
2 cloves garlic
1 small chorizo ring
Large tablespoon low fat Creme Fresh.
Black pepper

This is the best of homemade winter soups!
Gently fry off the onion with chopped chorizo, 
The oil will ooze out of the sausage and stain the onions .
Add garlic and fry off.
Add beans with their tinned juice and stock and bring to boil
Then simmer gently for at least an hour
Liquidise, add creme fresh and season 

Bloody lovely
I’ve turned into fucking Nigella ....

After making soup I took the dogs for a walk and as usual bumped into Uber Couple and after them German Lady. 
I like German Lady
We only say hello, but I like her genuine smile, her jaunty terrier who is always ready for a row with Mary and her flared jeans .
Her hello is friendly and almost overwhelmed by her thick German accent 
Today she said Hello, then added “ Your old Bulldog? Has she died?” as she stopped.
I told her that she had and the woman nodded sympathetically 
“ She alvays made me laff” she said “ You must ave many good memories of her” 
I liked the fact that the woman immediately went for the positives of the situation.

Further down the lane my best memory came back to me and I almost turned to look for German Lady in order to tell her about it. 
It was just over two years ago.
Christmas day late morning 
I was sat on an empty Promenade by the sea
It was a grey cold day and I was newly separated from the Prof and grieving not only him but William, who had died in his sleep a couple of weeks before. I remember George and Mary were sat on my left pressed hard against the cold and Winnie sat on my right sulking.
Winnie was annoyed in a way only bulldogs get annoyed , 
She was livid .
I had not only brought her out for a cold walk on the beach and not her usual sheltered railway walkway, but I had made her walk, far too long along cold concrete , then made her sit with her fat face facing the wind. 
She wanted to go home and she “ Harumphed “ loudly when I started to play with my phone, in order to get the best of Christmas selfies 
Twenty minutes later she finally lost it
And grabbing my shoulders with her massive paws she heaved herself up and looked me square in the face.
Eyeball to eyeball
Her expression said it all
Now Fuck off ...Im Cold.....I want to go home”
I snapped the “ look” in a selfie
I miss those knowing looks and those quietly authoritative temper tantrums of hers.



 



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