Today's (guest) post is brought to you by the letter...

I had a comment from Carol, who had loved the meme I posted recently, saying she'd love to do it but hadn't a blog of her own. So I offered to post it for her, and here it is -- I added the photos myself, and wish I'd had one of Carol's real kitchen table, which sounds wonderful Thanks again, Carol.. 

My letter is T. I am very grateful to you for broadcasting (correct verb?) my list.

It hasn't been easy, I swung between Anthony Trollope,  William Trevor and Mark Twain for my favourite author. Then Elizabeth Taylor, Rosemary Tonks , Colm Toibin, and current favourite detective story author, Peter Temple called.

I've landed on Trollope mainly because he keeps on giving. I can imagine rereading Trevor, have reread Twain and Taylor but Trollope I've enjoyed many many times.

OK, the novel - Peter Temple's 'Truth' because the flawed characters' actions and decision making is so realistically edgy, (reminding me of the no time to decide actions I had to make as school teacher and then live with). The integrity of the central Head of Homicide main man hurts him but he sticks to his beliefs. I also like very much Tom Sawyer, The Tale of Two Cities, and Too Late the Phalarope. 
(And many titles beginning with The....)

 

My song is Tam Lin. It's a good powerful tale with lots of depth, meaning and challenge. It's mysterious and sung well by many including and especially Annie Briggs, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Decembrists.
Alan Garner, Susan Cooper, Catherine Storr and Rosemary Sutcliffe have used it in great novels (amongst many others) (and my grandchildren live in the Borders where the story originates). The master storyteller Hugh Lupton tells and sings it well, explains its' history in exemplary fashion, and has used it on walking holidays in East Anglia.

 

For a film I've chosen A Taste of Honey (I could have chosen A Tale of Two Cities with Dirk Bogarde, I struggled with my desire to weep when Sidney Carton did his 'It is a far far better thing' speech because boys from my junior school class were sitting close by. I was about 8 at the time I might find it hammy now, who knows) Shelagh Delaney's play was seminal back then, and I/we loved that black & white film.

My thing is my kitchen Table, seldom clear almost always busy with small vases of garden flowers, projects, being read books and newly arrived ones, to do lists too, not to say food preparation, coffee and mail. The table was made by a dear friend* from reclaimed Victorian staircase wood (from houses demolished in Clerkenwell?) so is friendly, large, sturdy. The shiny ends of metal bolts that held the staircase together will always show. The surface has been sanded and revarnished once since he made it about 40 years ago. As well as eating there, my children painted, model made and sat around it until flying from home as adults. (*My friend came here as a refugee from Uganda when Idi Amin threw out the Asians. We worked together with troubled inner city children during the 70's & 80's then separately though connected in the 90's and have remained friends as our families grew, married, had their own children.)  I've taught children and adults around it, edited good writing and produced a magazine on it. Now I read blogs there and respond to them too.