The Continued Saga of Bits and Bobs

Greetings, all!

I haven't updated for a while because I've been having fun in Shropshire, and I came back so exhausted and down-in-the-dumps that I could barely string a sentence together, let alone write a coherent blog-post. I've woken and cheered up a little bit today, so here's another offering of bits and bobs.

1) My spin-off blog, J's Creative Mess, has been updated (finally). I barely update this blog, and I can't be bothered to add all the stuff I've made since the last post before today, but I will try and keep it better updated from now on.

2) I've been following the new BBC drama Sherlock, which places the famous detective in modern-day London with a Dr. Watson fresh from the War in Afghanistan. I was initially sceptical about the idea (as a hopeless romantic I quite like the whole gas-lamp and horse-drawn carriage thing) but was delighted to find myself enjoying every minute. Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as Holmes is true to Conan Doyle's original creation, and the scripts are energetic, full of suspense and also very funny. It's like Doctor Who for grown ups; the tall dashing hero and his fast-learning companion run around the city solving crimes with an air of enigma, and they're super-cool too. It's great. I've always loved Holmes, but in light of all the new excitement I've been reading the original Victorian version of A Study in Scarlet and enjoying it immensely.

3) Speaking of Victorians... While I was in Shropshire I visited my childhood favourite, Blists Hill Victorian Town. I've been there more times than I can count. It's an open-air museum that aims to provide an authentic experience of life in an ordinary town in the 19th century. I last visited in 2007 with my friend Rachel, and was keen to repeat the experience this time with Ellie. I was, however, disappointed to find that it has changed, and not for the better. The new visitor centre is rather pointless and extravagantly expensive, the new street is built in pastel shades that reminded me horribly of Disneyland, and they've even started building literal rides: a miniature train for kids and their unfortunate parents (how is a mini-railway authentic Victorian?!) and a model hay-inclined plane that, I believe, can be travelled on by visitors. The worst thing was the fish'n'chip shop that has sprung up on the new road, Canal Street. Fat British tourists can come and get their "authentic Victorian experience," and a good portion of chips. It annoys me considerably. Why do we always need everything to be a sugary, sanitised, "entertaining" experience? Tssk, there are times when modern life pisses me off.

Still, the old Blists is still there. The chemists, bank and doctors' surgery are still as they always were, and if you walk down to the bottom of the site the old squatter's cottage, toll house and the original hay-inclined plane can be found.

Despite the slight irritation I had a good day and purchased this card in the printers shop. (I can't work out to reverse the mirror image on Photo Booth, but you can probably work out what it says.)

I will try and write soon!

J xxx