Collaborators

 

This is the English children's writer Julia Donaldson and German illustrator Axel Scheffler. Together they have produced several wonderful, well-written and eye-catching children's books that have also been transformed into charming short film versions.

Of course, without Little Phoebe entering our lives, I would probably have never noticed their work. It has been rare a privilege. There's an endearing innocence and quirkiness about the books they have created together

I suppose that Ms Donaldson and Herr Scheffler's first major success in this field was "The Gruffalo" concerning a mythical woodland creature with "terrible tusks, terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws". The audacious mouse that The Gruffalo encounters also appears in a later sequential book titled "The Gruffalo's Child". Phoebe is very fond of that one and must have watched it twenty times.

There's something quite magical about all of them including "Zog",  "Room on the Broom", "The Whale and The Snail", "The Highway Rat", "Superworm", "Tabby McTat", "The Smeds and The Smoos" and here's a section from "Stick Man"...

Some children's books, shows and franchises seem mostly about making money but I don't feel that way about Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Much humanity, much consideration and much affection has gone into their publications and they may last the test of time because there's a timeless quality about them . "The Gruffalo" has been with us for almost a quarter of a century now. Some fourteen million copies have been sold in a hundred or more languages. Its success has been phenomenal. Julia Donaldson is one of this country's best selling authors behind only J.K.Rowling, Jamie Oliver and James Patterson.

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The Pond

 It was rather fine at lunchtime so helping to weed the pond wasn’t arduous or unpleasant 

There was something rather nice working away alongside old friends and the space looked lovely when we had finished 

Village leader Ian even saw a frog and As Nick brought the coffee , Bridget sorted out her “own” bara brith

I was so sore after the exertion …..shows my age lol 

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A Thong For Europe, Pond, News and Flis

 

I am lucky, living in Wales near the border as it’s only 29 minutes ! by car to Chester and only an hour or so from Liverpool. 

Last night I bought tickets for A Thong For Europe at The Royal Court , now I knew what I was getting into ( the title somewhat gives away a degree of dumbing down) and I was right.

Think of a Liverpudlian pantomime on steroids set against the backdrop of the City’s venture into Eurovision stardom and you may get the gist. 

Writer Jonathon Harvey loves his grotesque, matriarchal characters and Lulu ( Lindi Germain) is not a stones throw from Linda Ha Hughes ( His Kathy Burke Character in Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie) she opens the show with a bang, when she gives a hilarious and foul mouthed eulogy for his mother in church , a mother who loved Eurovision and whose ghost will haunt her is she cannot scatter her ashes on the Eurovision stage.

I think you are aware of the the level the musical is heading for from its opening moments and despite its silliness , the foul mouthed, Liverpudlian humour hits you between the eyes from the get go and it is what it is. An affectionate look at Eurovision from the eyes of a dysfunctional family of stereotypes.

Harvey throws everything at it , with a selection of iconic Eurovision entries to get the crowd clapping, a bizarre and rather amusing appearance  of a Sonia lookalike ( Sonia is a one trick UK Eurovision entry from Liverpool in 1993) and more scouse humour than could be seen at a Ken Dodd convention .

The mostly female audience , several of them almost collapsing drunk, were out for a good time , and boy did they have it, ( a fact that reminded me of my recent post of bad behaviour in theatres) 

But the whole musical was frothy, happy rubbish , so nobody cared too much .

I was home just before midnight, which wasn’t bad timing, even on the occasional school night. Liverpool has a good selection of theatres  too, which perhaps I’ve underused over the years. …time for a change me thinks.

Anyway I’ve had a nice, busy and enjoyable week off so far. 

I’m about to go and join a few more volunteers and will weed the pond borders shortly.

That will be about it for today.

And I will post some photos shortly.

I also note that blog commentator Flis has been absent for a while. I understand that one troll has taken a dislike of her comments and often says so, which is rude, nasty  and bullying behaviour. Flis has gone quiet and I want her to know that she is always welcomed here. 

End of.

Now I’ll end today on a light note. And a happy one.

Facebook has a memory app thing that shows you posts from years ago.

These photos were sent to me the other day .

They are from a sunny afternoon when I babysat the Randa girls one day and I decided to show them how to blow and decorate goose eggs

We had such a happy time messing about with those eggs on the lawn.

A precious memory now the girls are grown up now.

Little Women indeed.

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