tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338968877925075892009-11-16T11:39:45.590+13:00Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.comBlogger271125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-12253209920398874362009-11-16T08:08:00.000+13:002009-11-16T08:08:00.271+13:00

The following are short reviews of the books that I read in May. The marks I have given them in the brackets are out of five.Pynter Bender – Jacob Ross (4)Pynter Bender is born sightless, two days after his twin brother, Peter. He is raised by his female relatives in Grenada, in the Caribbean who believe he is bestowed with magical powers. They love and hate with a fierce passion. When Pynter’s

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-40986533393832636552009-11-14T09:43:00.000+13:002009-11-14T09:43:00.345+13:00

I bought a car a couple of weeks ago, which made me feel terribly grown up. I took it for a test drive with the dealer and had to make knowledgable conversation about revs and miles per gallon (except he called it kilometres per litre, which was a totally different figure, but I nodded sagely nonetheless as though I knew what he meant).I kept the car overnight and drove it along some winding back

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-1263897282409205212009-11-12T18:35:00.005+13:002009-11-12T20:46:27.529+13:00

Him Outdoors doesn’t buy me flowers. I complain about this but it makes no difference. He thinks they’re frivolous and he simply can’t see the point in them. He says ‘If I suddenly bought you flowers, you’d think that something was wrong.’ I wonder how many men use that lame excuse – trust me; we wouldn’t. I love flowers and I like to have them in the house, so I buy my own.But he buys me other

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-86759809351885969482009-11-11T11:00:00.001+13:002009-11-12T11:48:29.016+13:00

Today is Armistice Day. Lest we forget. In all the football matches I have watched over the previous days, the minute’s silence has been impeccably observed by home and away fans alike. It is an opportunity to remember and give thanks to all the men and women of past and current wars who have given their lives to defend our shores and our freedom. Whatever your thoughts on war, you cannot but

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-44840158092236106662009-11-06T16:19:00.007+13:002009-11-06T16:46:23.337+13:00

Wasps, ha! What are they good for?Absolutley nothing. Am I wrong?They hover and bother around the jamDrowning in beer and tyrannizing ice-cream;Buzzing with menacing irritationApproaching with waves of Doppler effect. They invade picnics, like live grenadescausing otherwise mild-manner folk to shriek and flapBatting the striped terror into the faces ofFriends and loved ones – save yourselves!A

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-34736890487140793532009-11-04T12:24:00.000+13:002009-11-05T15:42:00.831+13:00

The following are short reviews of the books I read in April. The marks I have given them in brackets are out of five.A Special Providence – Richard Yates (3.9)This is a tale of a mother and her son in which Alice relies on Prentice in a way that cannot be healthy and copes with setbacks by simply pretending they’re not happening. She likes to play the victim, and she avoids reality by making

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-84448428492358459452009-11-02T10:35:00.003+13:002009-11-02T10:42:57.983+13:00

This is the result of the latest ‘teen tragedy’ – some idiotic 16-year-old getting drunkenly behind the wheel to maim and kill their mates, and any other unfortunate who happens to be on the road.The press is full of predictable grief-stricken outpourings and hand-wringing about what wonderful beautiful souls these children possessed, how this terrific disaster is a result of their lack of social

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-37649983892729173842009-11-02T08:24:00.000+13:002009-11-02T08:24:00.245+13:00

Dunedin really does have some spectacular buildings. Apparently the court house and prison were built in ‘the first wave of public buildings that changed Dunedin from struggling settlement to established town.’ Is this a sad indictment of society or a simple fact of life?The Octagon is the meeting place for people new to the place and not so new. Lined with the art gallery, the Regent theatre, St

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-7741014828368320702009-10-30T11:28:00.014+13:002009-10-30T12:19:04.030+13:00

The Otago Settlers Museum is a strange collection of modern interactive exhibits and fusty traditional records. In the transport section there are examples of carriages, steam trains, motorbikes and cars throughout the ages. I was fascinated by the tandem bike although I can’t imagine my intrepid sister and brother-in-law looking sweet upon the seat of this bicycle made for two as they take their

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-50118341398038613582009-10-28T18:11:00.000+13:002009-10-30T11:31:13.930+13:00

While down in Dunedin recently for work, I had a bit of spare time on my hands, so I pottered about like a tourist.Rumour has it that the railway station is the most photographed building in New Zealand. It is certainly stylish in an apparently revived Flemish renaissance style. Its contrasting dark basalt, creamy Oamaru stone and pink granite give it a distinctive façade, and the neat gardens

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-23903676862236481692009-10-26T13:13:00.003+13:002009-10-29T10:52:46.566+13:00

I seem to be suffering from Oliver! overload. In what seems like a dreadfully short space of months I’ve seen it performed at Porirua and Alexandra. The Auckland Theatre Company are currently in the throes of the musical and I have just heard that my local musical society (Showbiz Queenstown) have lined it up to be next on their programme. Please God, don’t let any of my friends play the lead

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-77570392465090062242009-10-24T15:33:00.004+13:002009-10-24T16:01:34.223+13:00

Last weekend we had a cocktail party to celebrate my birthday. A whole day's preparation in the kitchen paid off with an evening of music, dancing, conversation and carousing - not to mention drinking.My favourite quote was from my friend Jo who suddenly 'had to go'. I blame the Long Island Iced Tea - always a favourite of hers, which seems to use every spirit in the cupboard and results in a

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-88647196014516446032009-10-21T13:18:00.010+13:002009-10-21T15:24:02.892+13:00

There are two things which can radically change the way I feel and over which I have no control whatsoever. One is the sunshine (it makes me happy) and the other is the performance of my football team.Liverpool have lost four games in a row - they haven't won the title for 20 years and they are not looking likely to progress past the group stage of the Champions League. Is this the sign of a

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-14316324914256694782009-10-19T15:48:00.000+13:002009-10-20T16:24:44.505+13:00

The Dunedin Public Art Gallery is compact enough to view in an afternoon and interesting enough to keep you thinking all night. The wooden floors and solidly coloured walls – mint; sage green; berry red; mustard yellow – set off the art works far better than the boringly clinical white walls and concrete floors favoured of many galleries.When I visited there was an exhibition of furniture,

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-56997766222053930852009-10-14T17:00:00.001+13:002009-10-14T17:00:04.245+13:00

I realise while I was ranting about the dismal advertising standards in this country, I may have seemed a little hard on New Zealand television. It's not all bad, and in fact there are some good things on the Kiwi box. Here are six of the best.Outrageous Fortune: simply the best thing Kiwis have come up with in a long time – and, get this, they actually like it before someone overseas told them

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-1288569252289683502009-10-12T15:28:00.012+13:002009-10-12T16:13:36.939+13:00

As I was sitting on the village green today eating a cornish pasty, these delightful leaves fluttered down from the trees. I don't know what they are but I think they are gorgeous and I stopped to gather a handful. A small child cycled past on his tricycle and asked his mother, 'What is she doing?' The mother just looked bemused.If I were a designer like Tamsin Coooper, I would embroider them

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-28650203277283878812009-10-10T13:01:00.005+13:002009-10-10T13:17:23.526+13:00

Tonight England play the Ukraine and New Zealand play Bahrain. Both games are televised live on SKY in the middle of the night, our time (unlike in England itself, where the game is not going to be shown on television at all). They are on at the same time. The New Zealand one is repeated later on a different channel.The match between the Oceania champions and the Arabic island nation that

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-76076457464331261012009-10-08T10:26:00.000+13:002009-10-09T10:52:25.093+13:00

Last weekend, I watched the Fair Go awards for the best advert. I don’t know why I bother because it always depresses me. Actually, I do know why; it’s because I’m interested in marketing and advertising which frequently combines some of the best wit and humour a country has to offer. If this is the best New Zealand can offer, then it’s a pretty sad place.Mitre 10 is a DIY store. Clearly it

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-51355026507313698592009-10-05T11:03:00.002+13:002009-10-08T16:26:44.015+13:00

I really dislike emoticons – you know; those smiling, winking, laughing little faces originally constructed out of bits of punctuation. Never mind that the people using them probably had no idea of their original purpose (the semi-colon; which one’s that? Oh, you mean the winking eyes!); never mind that if you actually had something to say you wouldn’t require them; never mind that if you happen

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-16861411418347265982009-10-02T17:29:00.000+13:002009-10-05T20:07:29.831+13:00

As I may have mentioned before, I love a good road trip, so even if this was only a mini one, last weekend my friend Jo and I took off through the gorge to Alexandra. The purpose of our visit was two-fold. We wanted to see our friend, Alice, perform in Oliver! and we thought we would check out the Alexandra Blossom Festival. I have never been to this annual event before, but I have heard many

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-14980330629011149592009-09-30T17:42:00.000+13:002009-10-01T18:21:03.259+13:00

I was filing some magazines yesterday, and putting them in chronological order – yes, I know… Anyway, they were dated seasonally, which threw me a bit because they were New Zealand magazines. For me the year begins in spring (new beginnings and all that) and progresses through summer and autumn to finish with winter. Not so here. I presume it goes autumn; winter; spring; summer – which still

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-73081031151665522642009-09-25T11:12:00.027+12:002009-09-25T12:18:11.662+12:00

Elizabeth seems to have provided a rich seam for actresses and now it is the turn of Victoria. With a reign of 63 years, Queen Victoria, as the final credits point out, is the longest serving British monarch. To date. She came to the throne as a young girl of 18 with unscrupulous relatives and uncertainty over her suitability to rule the country, and she presided over an era of unprecedented

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-76486044175163604982009-09-22T07:44:00.000+12:002009-09-22T07:44:00.901+12:00

It was a weird weekend for seeing people score goals for the wrong side in the final minute of the game.Little Michael scored in the 96th minute at Old Trafford. Yes, the 96th minute. Although Manchester United and City were only meant to be playing an extra four minutes, and the result should have been 3-3 and one of the most exciting draws in derby history, we all know about Fergie-Time. As

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-91734721361051633742009-09-21T15:46:00.004+12:002009-09-21T16:13:09.783+12:00

It's been a couple of months now since I performed in Twelfth Night but I found Ewen Coleman's review on the Theatre Federation website, and I thought I would share it. It's always interesting to me to see other people's reviews.A couple of postings on You Tube that might also be of interest are:The Box Tree SceneThe Yellow Stockings

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-333896887792507589.post-33170041382432034702009-09-18T08:52:00.000+12:002009-09-18T08:52:00.825+12:00

The poll is open to cast your vote for the native bird of the year at the Forest and Bird website. New Zealanders like their birds – well, they have to; they have no native mammals. The national radio station plays a bird call every day before the news bulletin on Morning Report. It’s a delightful introduction to a few minutes filled with war, financial machinations, politics and crime. A

Kate Blackhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04867877860473075947noreply@blogger.com0