realthog: (Default)
realthog ([personal profile] realthog) wrote2009-04-23 09:42 am
Entry tags:

[identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com 2009-04-23 02:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Happy Shakespeare Day to you.

[identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com 2009-04-23 02:51 pm (UTC)(link)
A minor English playwright and poet of the days of the first Elizabeth and James. Completely unimportant fellow who wrote one or two trifling sonnets in addition to some boring comedies, tragedies, and (inaccurate) history plays. Couldn't even rhyme much of his poetry. A real nobody compared to, say, A.J. Cronin.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2009-04-23 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)

You reflect the opinion of the man expressed by Kit Marlowe in a baddish novel I've just been reading about the latter!

"A real nobody compared to, say, A.J. Cronin."

Most people are. Cronin was not one to spread his talent finley.

[identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com 2009-04-23 04:07 pm (UTC)(link)
A mighty line, that one.

Cronin, no doubt, kept his talent in his case-book.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 02:47 am (UTC)(link)

They're doing a radio version of said series on the Beeb at the moment. I'm not sure if it's a repeat of an old one or something new; Pam listens to it online.

Hm. Come to think of it, you're too young to have seen the TV series, aren't you? Details at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159867/. I'm pretty certain the 45rpm single of the theme tune was the very first I ever bought myself. And I can still hum the tune.

My uncle and aunt lived in Callander, where almost all the outdoor filming was done, so my family kept spotting familiar bits as we watched.

[identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 10:49 am (UTC)(link)
I'm just old enough, barely, to recall the tv series back in the 60s. Young enough to find Cronin not to my taste.

[identity profile] sarcobatus.livejournal.com 2009-04-23 03:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, you made that up.

Edited to say: I just looked up World Book Day and it seems you are a bit behind on the date. It was on March 5th.

Sly dog.

[identity profile] sarcobatus.livejournal.com 2009-04-23 03:18 pm (UTC)(link)
I suppose you are again strutting around in your office.

May the pink carpet creep into your office . . . oh, I forgot. Pam pulled it up. rats.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2009-04-23 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)

"I suppose you are again strutting around in your office."

But of course. As Tom Lehrer almost said, "Give me strut and nothing but."
ext_59010: This looks like the mountains where I live. (Default)

[identity profile] quilterbear.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
As Tom Lehrer ALMOST said! Snort!

We love his work, by the way... "My home town" could have been written about OUR current home town!

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 02:40 am (UTC)(link)

From that one I especially often quote "And nothing could be done Because he was the mayor's son."

[identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com 2009-04-23 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
The Wikipedia entry makes reference to "Prime Minster Tony Blair", no doubt a relative of West and York Minsters.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 02:42 am (UTC)(link)

Perhaps the author had an attack of cloistrophobia?

[identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 10:46 am (UTC)(link)
Or was, like Gordon Brown, a son of the Kirk.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 02:03 pm (UTC)(link)

Certainly a product of the British Aisles . . .

[identity profile] fledgist.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Is that better or worse than being a product of British Oils?

[identity profile] camies.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 06:07 am (UTC)(link)
World book day everywhere except in the UK and Ireland, as someone pointed out. I raised this when our HR people were trying to get us to puff WBD - "How can it be World Book Day if it isn't the same over the world" and "How can we not have it on 23 April when that's Shakespeare's birthday?"
For some reason Catalonia (where the 23 April / book tradition started) seem to have got the 23 April / St George / book day thing sorted and we haven't. Mind you their national day is 11 September.

[identity profile] realthog.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 02:04 pm (UTC)(link)

It does seem strange. Any idea why the UK chose March 5?

[identity profile] camies.livejournal.com 2009-04-24 02:56 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know why that particular day but I read that it was chosen as a date that would always be in school term time.