Thursday, 8 January 2026

Cinema Visit? Weird Aircraft and a Good Book

There is much promoting at the moment of a film called Hamnet due out tomorrow. One of my very few trips to cinema in the last 10 years was to see the film  about Shakespeare.........All is True. This was about Shakespeare's last years when he returned from London to live with his family and him finding out the 'truth' about Hamnet's death. All is True was full of famous actors but didn't have much publicity. I'm thinking about going to see Hamnet, if I can be bothered. Could have sworn that I'd read the book by Maggie O' Farrell on which the film is based but no mention of it in my Book of Books Read, so obviously not.

A loud noise and rumbling over the bungalow and I looked out to see one of these . On the Globe  Watch Airplanes Live website it told me what it was an MV-22 belonging to USA Military, a cross between helicopter and VTOL plane. The odd thing was it seemed to start from a big Country house in Gloucestershire and land by the river on the Suffolk coast. Who knows what's going on.


I'm not at all sure about doing the jigsaw I mentioned yesterday, started sorting the edges and it didn't go well. So went back to reading The Red Shore by William Shaw and finished it - a really good story by a new-to-me author. (Sure, Shaw and Shore - no wonder people struggle to learn English!!)

Thumbnail for The red shore



He's written several others previously so might try one of those. The Red Shore is the first of a new series set in Teignmouth area of Devon - a lovely part of the country and features Detective Sergeant  Eden Driscoll, a Met. detective who suddenly finds his estranged sister, Apple, is missing and he has a young nephew he knew nothing about. Upon arrival at his sisters home in Teignmouth he begins to suspect that his sister wasn't just washed overboard  from her yacht - she would never have gone to sea at night or locked the boy - Finn- in a cabin. When he starts to investigate it brings back memories of his and Apple's own strange childhood and puts him and Finn in real danger. I've made a note to look for the next book in June. 

 I did manage a letter to one penfriend and walked up to the post box - the half inch of snow has gone but it was still very cold.



32 comments:

  1. I've never heard of that Shakespeare film. That's a weird looking plane.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Interesting book, I will add it to my list. Watching the news last night we all know what that strange plane was up to in Atlantic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd not heard about the ship thing -so had to listen to the news to find out- all very odd.

      Delete
  3. Yes, we probably know now why the US plane was here.
    On the subject of jigsaws I am doing one bought from the charity shop currently and it appears to have one piece missing from the outside edge. It's such a lovely picture I've decided to keep going but won't donate it afterwards as it's aggravating to have a piece missing.
    Penny

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have two US air bases in Suffolk but this weird plane/helicopter was a new spot.
      I've not got back to my puzzle today yet. I agree, wouldn't pass on a puzzle with a missing piece.

      Delete
  4. I loved Hamnet [the book] so must try and see the film

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thought I'd read it but seems not - won't bother now unless I don't get to the film

      Delete
  5. It might be a head in the sand attitude but I am so glad I live down here away from all ‘that nonsense’

    I had Hamnet on loan one time but no renewal meant it had to be returned before I could read it……never got round to getting it out again. I bet with the film release there’ll be a queue a mile long now

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just looked at Suffolk libraries and there is a long waiting list.

      Delete
  6. I read, and enjoyed, Hamnet. They filmed parts of it (much of it?) in Weobley, over the Herefordshire border.

    Sorry the jigsaw a bit demanding. I am looking at the Tenby one and thinking - that's a lot of sea!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've tried those puzzles by Gibson - they are always tough - don't think I've finished one

      Delete
  7. I read Hamnet in my readers’ group and it had mixed responses. I’ll look out for the film coming-thanks for mentioning it. Catriona

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I might get to the cinema - it's on locally for two weeks so plenty of time choice

      Delete
  8. I've heard so much about Hamnet but think I'll wait until it's released on television.

    ReplyDelete
  9. My husband was fascinated to see your plane photograph!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It made the whole bungalow shake as it went over! The Globe Airplane site is handy

      Delete
  10. I have seen that movie advertised and do want to see it. The b I ok also sounds interesting. Something to do during the long winter nights.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The weird plane/helicopter hybrid is called an Osprey. A relative in Oxford says that she sees them quite often because of US military bases nearby. I saw one for the first time last year and didn't know if I could trust my own eyes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It has a very bad safety record - a strange thing to see

      Delete
  12. There were a couple of those planes mentioned on the news last night, Alan told me what they were, that man knows his military vehicles of all descriptions. My maiden name was Shaw, I was always being asked for the spelling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had to look it up on the Globe Airplanes site - it's a strange thing to see and very loud.

      Delete
  13. The book sounds intriguing, have a sister in the Teignmouth area so could be quite interesting, I shall have to check it out on Kindle Unlimited! X

    ReplyDelete
  14. The movie sounds very good and I hope you get to the cinema.
    I've not seen the MV-22 and there is an Airforce base not far from me. I looked it up and read that it has the ability to land on ships and is used by the US Marines. When speculating, those hints point to a mission regarding oil transport ships.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I read today on some news sites that the US is ramping up their military presence in your country, with lots of spy planes as well. Sounds as if the US military is getting ready for something. That scares me.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  16. They call those planes Ospreys, don't see that diving for a fish!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I don't really have the patience to go to the cinema and sit through a film anymore. I like watching them at home better. I can't stand people talking and munching throughout the film lol.
    That book sounds really interesting. That part of the country is lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  18. The Osprey aircraft are seen relatively often over here particularly around Mildenhall and Lakenheath where the big US bases over this side of the country are. Probably more surprising that you’d not spotted one before really, as they fly over parts of Suffolk pretty frequently! They do make a very odd noise when they “transition” from effectively fixed wing to rotary modes though, so it may be that this one had done so and that was why it caught your attention. 😁

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hamnet' here but though I would like to see it, still haven't felt really comfortable going out in a crowd. Maybe what I need is a 10 a.m. show when it's practically like they ran it just for me!

    ReplyDelete